Powders and Coatings of LiYF4:Eu3+ Obtained via an Original Way Based on the Sol-Gel Process

The sol-gel process has proven to be a convenient route to produce inorganic oxide materials with various shapes. We report here the use of this technique to prepare for the first time to our knowledge high-quality powders and spray-coated films of LiYF4. Powdered samples were structurally as well as morphologically characterized by means of conventional solid-state techniques. Furthermore, the optical properties were investigated with europium ions as luminescent probe. X-ray diffraction measurements enabled identification of monophased LiYF4 films coated onto Pyrex substrates. Eventually coatings microstructure was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.