White light emission from sol-gel derived γ-Y₂Si₂O₇ nanoparticles

We report the generation of wideband white light with a spectrum ranging from 400 to 800 nm obtained from sol-gel derived γ-Y₂Si₂O₇ nano powders with average particle size under 100 nm when excited with the 803.5 nm emission of a laser diode. The white light intensity was found to increase with decreasing environment pressure and increasing laser pumping power. The International Commission on Illumination coordinates were found to be x = 0.3408 and y = 0.3100 under 803.5 nm excitation. These values lie in the yellowish region and correspond to color temperature values of 5030 K with a color rendering index of 85. The illuminance value was found to be 1456 lux.