CuO nanocrystals embedded in KBr single crystal: Elaboration and characterization

Abstract

More recently, there are important number of papers which have been stimulated by the optical characteristics of crystalline matrixes doped with quantum dots (QDs), nanoparticles (NPs) or nanocrystals (NCs) of semiconductors. In this context, we suggest this investigation, which highlights the doping effects of CuO (NCs) on structural and optical properties of KBr single crystal. In this approach, we expose a simple and realizable technique for embedding CuO NCs as three dimensions (3D) defects in a KBr crystalline matrix. The Czochralski method was used to obtain a KBr:CuO single crystal starting from inhomogeneous phase melt-NCs in the crystallization melting-pot. However, the nano-regime of guest material creates a difficult challenge, because there is a possibility of fusing of the CuO NCs during the crystal growth process. Nevertheless, the whole structural results prove that the NCs inside KBr:CuO single crystal have monoclinic phase with nano-regime size. In addition, these results appear that the CuO NCs have two orientations preferred inside KBr host and demonstrate that the chemical bond CuO of CuO monoclinic phase steel exists. Relative to the optical properties, the UV–visible absorption spectroscopy exhibits that the NCs inside KBr:CuO sample have a nano-regime size, where the band gap shifts toward the higher energies. Furthermore, photoluminescence (PL) of KBr:CuO single crystal appears an important intensity in the visible range, this property makes this sample as a good candidate to integrate them in the optical devices which are working in the visible range.