Influence of gold nanoparticles on the nonlinear optical and photoluminescence properties of Eu2O3 doped alkali borate glasses

G. Jagannath; B. Eraiah; K. Jayanthi; Shweta Rani Keshri; Sudipta Som; G. Vinitha; A. G. Pramod; K. N. Krishnakanth; G. Devarajulu; Sathravada Balaji; S. Venugopal Rao; K. Annapurna; Subrata Das; Amarnath R. Allu

doi:10.1039/C9CP05783H

Influence of gold nanoparticles on the nonlinear optical and photoluminescence properties of Eu₂O₃ doped alkali borate glasses†‡

G. Jagannath,

^a B. Eraiah,*^a K. Jayanthi,

^b Shweta Rani Keshri,^c Sudipta Som,

^d G. Vinitha,^e A. G. Pramod,^a K. N. Krishnakanth,^f G. Devarajulu,^g Sathravada Balaji,

^c S. Venugopal Rao,

^f K. Annapurna,^c Subrata Das*^h and Amarnath R. Allu

*^c

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Physics, Bangalore University, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560056, India
E-mail: eraiah@rediffmail.com

^b Peter A. Rock Thermochemistry Laboratory and Neat ORU, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA

^c Glass Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata 700032, India
E-mail: aareddy@cgcri.res.in

^d Electro-Optical Ceramics Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan

^e Division of Physics, School of Advanced Sciences, VIT Chennai, Chennai, Tamilnadu 600127, India

^f Advanced Centre of Research in High Energy Materials (ACRHEM), University of Hyderabad, 500046 Hyderabad, Telangana, India

^g Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati 517502, India

^h Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, Kerala, India
E-mail: subratadas@niist.res.in

Abstract

Alkali borate glasses activated with trivalent europium ions and rooted with gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesised through a melt quenching process involving a selective thermochemical reduction and their applicability as photonic materials was assessed in detail. Non-linear optical (NLO) measurements were performed using a Z-scan approach in the wavelength range of 700–1000 nm. The open aperture Z-scan signatures for the Eu³⁺-containing glasses embedded with and without the Au NPs established a reverse saturable absorption (RSA) at all of the studied wavelengths ascribed to the two-photon absorption (2PA). Surprisingly, the nonlinear optical absorption switched to a saturable absorption (SA) with an increase in the concentration of AuCl₃. With the incorporation of the Au NPs, the UV excited photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the Eu³⁺-doped glasses increased first as a consequence of the local field enhancement by the Au NPs, and subsequently decreased at a higher concentration of AuCl₃ due to the reverse energy transfer from the Eu³⁺ ion to the Au⁰ NPs. The electronic polarization effect of the host glass enhanced the ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₄ transition intensity on the incorporation of the gold NPs owing to the gold NP-embedded glasses showing a deep-red emission. The NLO and PL studies suggested that the investigated glasses containing a 0.01 mol% of AuCl₃ is practically appropriate for photonic applications.

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

Influence of gold nanoparticles on the nonlinear optical and photoluminescence properties of Eu₂O₃ doped alkali borate glasses†‡

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Influence of gold nanoparticles on the nonlinear optical and photoluminescence properties of Eu₂O₃ doped alkali borate glasses

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Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics