Optical and structural behavior of Sm3+ doped tellurite glass containing Mn NPs

Abstract

Metallic nanoparticles (NPs) embedded rare earth (RE) doped tellurite glasses due their unique and exotic nonlinear optical properties became attractive in nanophotonic research. Lately, magnetic NPs (Fe, Ni, Mn and Co) incorporated tellurite glasses received much attention due to their distinctive structural, optical, magnetic and physical properties promising for assorted applications. Most of the tellurite based glasses with varying modifiers, magnetic NPs and RE dopants displaying ferrimagnetic behavior are useful for magneto-optic devices. Tunable modifications of physical and optical properties of samarium (Sm3+) doped oxy-chlorite tellurite glasses containing manganese (Mn) NPs remain challenging. Developing RE doped magneto-optic plasmonic nanoglasses with superior properties by stimulating surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of embedded magnetic nanostructure in the glass network is a long standing quest. It is needless to mention, that tellurite glasses have saveral advantages over conventional silicate, phosphate and borate glasses. However, their low absorption and emission cross-section and luminescence quenching at higher RE concentration are major drawback for efficient device fabrication. Improving the optical performance by avoiding the concentration quenching is the key issue. Incorporation of metal NPs of controlled sizes are opted as alternative route for spectral modifications. Following melt-quenching method we prepared a series of Mn NPs embedded Sm3+ doped oxychlorite tellurite glass of composition 68.5TeO2+5Li2O+15MgO+10LiCl+1.5 Sm2O3+yMn (where 0.00 ≤ y ≤ 0.1 mol %) and determined their optical properties. Glasses are characterized using XRD, TEM, PL and VSM measurements. TEM image display the existence of spherically shaped Mn NPs with means size ~31.34 nm. Emission spectra exhibit four intense peaks in the visible region with remarkable intensity quenching. Presence of NPs is found to influence strongly the emission behaviours. Significant modification of physical, structural, optical, magnetic properties and local environment of RE caused by the insertion of NPs are evidenced. The notable features of the results demonstrate diversified prospective applications of these glass compositions. The financial support from MOE, Malaysia via GUP/RU research project grant (Vote: 05H36) and MyBrain15 is gratefully acknowledged.