Pr3+-doped Y2O3 nanocrystals embedded in Y2O3 thin films as a sandwich-like structure prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Pr3+-doped yttria (Y2O3) nanocrystal layers embedded in between pure yttria thin films were prepared on four different substrates. Pulsed laser deposition was used to fabricate this sandwich-like structure. An exhaustive structural and optical characterization of the initial nanocrystals was performed to study their preservation once incorporated between the deposited thin films. We demonstrate that the prepared Y2O3:Pr3+ nanocrystals can be integrated into the thin films after the pulsed laser deposition process, retaining their original crystal structure and luminescent features regardless of the number of deposition cycles and the nature of the substrate. In this sense, we present a novel method to embed and protect the luminescent material, paving the way for developing future optoelectronic applications.