Broadband near-IR emission from cubic perovskite KZnF(3):Ni(2+) nanocrystals embedded glass-ceramics.

Transparent KF-ZnF(2)-SiO(2) glass-ceramics were prepared with the precipitation of KZnF(3)Ni(2+) nanocrystals. During excitation with a wavelength of 405 nm at room temperature, a broadband near-IR emission centered at 1695 nm with the FWHM of more than 350 nm was observed, which is originated from the T(2g)3(F3)→A(2g)3(F3) transition of octahedral Ni(2+) incorporated in the KZnF(3) crystalline phase. In comparison to oxide glass-ceramics, a redshift of the luminescence is observed, which is due to the low crystal field of these octahedral Ni(2+). The shift and extension of near-IR emission in the KZnF(3):Ni(2+) nanocrystals embedded in a glassy matrix do not only complete the broadband emission in the whole near-IR region for the Ni(2+) ions-based photonics, but also open an easy way to approach the broadband optical amplifier and tunable lasers operating in the wavelength region near 1800 nm, which was up to now achieved by codoping of several types of active ions.