Synthesis of Ce:YIG nanopowder by gel combustion

Nanocrystalline Ce-substituted yttrium iron-gallium garnet Y$_{2.5}$Ce$_{0.5}$(Fe$_{0.5}$Ga$_{0.5}$)$_5$O$_{12}$ was obtained by a metal-organic gel combustion method using PVA as a fuel with subsequent calcining in vacuum at 700 $^\circ$C. According to SEM and XRD data, an additional heat treatment in air led only to an increase in the crystallinity of the sample. The element composition and the phase purity were confirmed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction, respectively. Mössbauer spectroscopy on $^{57}$Fe nuclei revealed the presence of only Fe$^{3+}$ ions in the sample, which can be considered as indirect evidence of the absence of tetravalent cerium impurity.