Characterisation of spectroscopic and magneto-optical faraday rotation in Mn2+- doped CdS quantum dots in a silicate glass

Abstract

We demonstrate the control of CdS and Mn2+-doped-CdS Q-dots in a silicate glass for magneto-optical applications. The microstructural properties of Q-dot glasses were investigated by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Transmission Electron Microscopy (FETEM) and the optical properties by UV–Visible–NIR and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopic techniques, respectively. The FETEM of the CdS QD–glass heat treated at 600oC reveals that the size of CdS and Mn2+-doped CdS Q-dots are in the range of 4-5 nm and 5-6 nm, respectively. The observed size distributions of Q-dots were in reasonable agreement with the data, derived from X-ray line broadening and estimated average Bohr radii using the UV–visible absorption data. Photoluminescence characteristics were investigated at room temperature by exciting the CdS and Mn2+-doped-CdS Q-dot glasses with a 420 nm excitation source, which yielded broad emission spectra in the visible and near-IR range (450-800 nm). We observed a red shift in the emission peak with increase in the Q-dot size, controlled by heat treatment temperature range (550-600oC). The room-temperature magneto-optical Faraday rotation measurements on Q-dots glasses were carried out using magnetic field strength up to 360 mT, and observed an increase in the value of Verdet constant, from 6.2 to 12.0°/T-cm, when comparing undoped CdS-Q-dot glass with Mn2+-doped CdS glass. The demonstration of enhanced Verdet constant in Q-dot silicate glasses with sub-Tesla field paves the path for engineering range magneto-optical devices for photonics, spintronics and sensors applications, in which the polarization of photons may be controlled with low-intensity magnetic field in optical waveguides.