ZnO Nanoparticles Concentration Dependent Optical Properties of Erbium Doped Phosphate Glass

Abstract

Precise manipulation of nanoparticles (NPs) in rare earth doped inorganic glasses for achieving tuneable physical and optical properties is challenging. Series of erbium doped phosphate glasses containing ZnO NPs with composition (78.5-x)P2O510Li2O10ZnO1.5Er2O3(x)ZnO, where 0x1.2 are prepared using melt quenching method. The local structures analyzed using FTIR spectra reveal an increase in depolymerisation of the glass at Q3 tetrahedral sites due to the introduction of ZnO NPs. The optical band gap energy obtained from UV-Vis absorption spectra varies within 3.533.59 eV and the Urbach energy increase as much as 0.260 eV. The role of ZnO NPs within the lithium (II) oxide-zinc oxide-phosphate glass matrix in influencing the optical and structural responses are analyzed and discussed. The observed optical improvements suggest that these glasses are potential for photonic devices.