Polycrystalline europium huntite EuAl₃(BO₃)₄ has been prepared by solid-phase synthesis. The spectral and kinetic characteristics of its luminescence under the excitation by a xenon lamp, single laser pulse, and electron beam have been studied. It has been established that the laser excitation of the polycrystalline samples in the ⁷ F ₀ →⁵ L ₆ transition of Eu³⁺ ions with the power density P ≥ 5 × 10⁷ W/cm² leads to the structure rearrangement of the optical centers, which is accompanied by an increase in the probability of the radiation transitions of the activator. The stimulated radiation of the main type of Eu³⁺ centers in the ⁵ D ₀→⁷ F ₁, ⁷ F ₂, and ⁷ F ₄ transitions has been obtained under the excitation by the electron beam with an energy of 200 keV and a duration of 2 ns.

The glass crystallization regime plays a crucial role in the fabrication of glass ceramics: it affects both phase composition and microstructure, and thus the properties of the final product. In the search for new glass-ceramic materials, the development of a proper heat-treatment schedule involves the utilization of numerous glass samples that need to be thermally treated and then investigated to determine the values of the target characteristics. In this study, we evaluated the effect of crystallization temperature on the glass structure, phase composition, and hardness of glass ceramics in the ZnO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system containing TiO₂ and ZrO₂ as nucleators. To maximize the number of heat treatments, we performed polythermal crystallization of the glass in a wide temperature range with the help of a gradient furnace. Using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, we showed the precipitation of gahnite nanocrystals as the main phase in the bulk of a single glass sample and observed a gradual change in its microstructure, transparency, and hardness. The dependence of Vickers hardness values on heat treatment temperature was found to follow a non-linear trend, revealing the optimal thermal range for glass crystallization.