Structural, optical, and magnetic properties of Gd-doped In₂O₃ nanocrystalline powder

The Gd-doped In₂O₃ nanocrystalline powder was synthesized via a solid-state reaction process, with varying gadolinium concentration, and is well-suited for spintronic applications. Detailed spectroscopy techniques were employed to investigate the structural, morphological, optical, and magnetic characteristics of nanocrystalline powder composed of In₂O₃ doped with Gd. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis has confirmed the presence of the cubic bixbyite structure in Gd-doped In₂O₃ material, with the (2 2 2) plane and a lattice constant ranging from 10.06 to 10.18 Å. The samples exhibit crystallite sizes below 60 nm and maintain good crystallinity when the Gd content fluctuates. The energy band gap of Gd-doped In₂O₃ was determined using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer to be within the range of 2.89 and 2.96 eV. The emission spectrum was analyzed using photoluminescence spectral measurements with an excitation wavelength of 410 nm. Peaks in the spectrum were detected in the violet, green, and red regions. The magnetic hysteresis loop exhibited the presence of weak ferromagnetism in Gd-doped In₂O₃, while pure In₂O₃ is paramagnetic.