Application of an aerodynamic levitation method to obtain LaAlO3: Nd3+ glass ceramics

Our study investigates novel glass-ceramic materials prepared by an aerodynamic levitation method and subsequent heat treatment to obtain uniquely patterned structure of amorphous and crystalline phase. For this purpose, polycrystalline powders with a single perovskite structure LaAlO ₃ were obtained by a conventional solid-state method. Then, from the obtained polycrystalline powders, we obtained amorphous structures in the form of balls with a diameter of 1.0 mm, proposing a method of aerodynamic levitation using a CO ₂ laser, which enables non-contact synthesis of amorphous samples without the need to use a crucible or plate. LaAlO ₃: Nd ³⁺ glass ceramics was obtained by crystallization of LaAlO ₃ crystallites surrounded by an amorphous structure. The structural (XRD, SEM, Raman spectra) and spectroscopic (emission spectra, excitation spectra and decay curves) properties of the obtained materials were determined and compared. As a result of LaAlO ₃: Nd ³⁺ glass ceramics structure, prepared by aerodynamic levitation method we observed an enhancement of the Nd ³⁺ luminescence in the IR spectral range. Our paper effectively discovers new paths of inquiry into the novel materials based on perovskite aluminate LaAlO ₃.