Platinum nanoclusters in silica: Photoluminescent properties and their application for enhancing the emission of silicon nanocrystals in an integrated configuration

"We studied photoluminescence of ion implanted platinum nanoclusters embedded in silica. Pt ions were implanted at 2 MeV and the Pt nanoclusters were then nucleated by thermal treatment under either argon, air, or a reducing atmosphere of hydrogen and nitrogen. The nanoclusters showed broad photoluminescence spectra (400 to 600 nm) with a maximum intensity at 530 nm. The photoluminescence intensity of the Pt nanoclusters was sensitive to the ion fluence used during the ion implantation, and luminescence quenching was observed in samples fabricated at high Pt-ion fluence. A hybrid system composed of silicon nanocrystals and platinum nanoclusters embedded in a silica matrix was also made. The photoluminescence of the hybrid system spanned the entire visible spectrum, and emission from the silicon nanocrystals was enhanced.

Enhancing Hydrogen Diffusion in Silica Matrix by Using Metal Ion Implantation to Improve the Emission Properties of Silicon Nanocrystals

Efficient silicon-based light emitters continue to be a challenge. A great effort has been made in photonics to modify silicon in order to enhance its light emission properties. In this aspect silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs) have become the main building block of silicon photonic (modulators, waveguide, source, and detectors). In this work, we present an approach based on implantation of Ag (or Au) ions and a proper thermal annealing in order to improve the photoluminescence (PL) emission of Si-NCs embedded in SiO2. The Si-NCs are obtained by ion implantation at MeV energy and nucleated at high depth into the silica matrix (1-2 μm under surface). Once Si-NCs are formed inside the SiO2 we implant metal ions at energies that do not damage the Si-NCs. We have observed by, PL and time-resolved PL, that ion metal implantation and a subsequent thermal annealing in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere could significantly increase the emission properties of Si-NCs. Elastic Recoil Detection measurements show that the samples with an enhanced luminescence emission present a higher hydrogen concentration. This suggests that ion metal implantation enhances the hydrogen diffusion into silica matrix allowing a better passivation of surface defects on Si NCs

Photothermally Activated Two-Photon Absorption in Ion-Implanted Silicon Quantum Dots in Silica Plates

The third-order nonlinear infrared and ultraviolet properties exhibited by silicon quantum dots irradiated by ultrashort pulses were studied. The samples were prepared by 1.5 MeV Si+2 ion implantation processes in high-purity silica substrates. Femtosecond z-scan measurements conducted at 830 nm wavelength revealed strong self-focusing effects together with two-photon absorption that can be switched to saturable absorption as a function of the input irradiance. Changes in the main physical mechanism responsible for the picosecond absorptive nonlinearity in the sample were also observed at 355 nm, made possible by the assistance of photothermal phenomena. Ultraviolet self-diffraction explorations allowed us to estimate the Kerr effect of the nanostructures. Potential applications for developing all-optical filtering functions performed by silicon-based nanosystems can be considered

Coexistence of two-photon absorption and saturable absorption in ion-implanted platinum nanoparticles in silica plates

"Platinum nanoparticles were nucleated in a high-purity silica matrix by an ion-implantation method. The third-order nonlinear optical response of the samples was studied using femtosecond pulses at 800 nm with the z-scan technique; picosecond pulses at 532 nm using a self-diffraction approach; and nanosecond pulses at 532 nm employing a vectorial two-wave mixing experiment. Nanosecond and picosecond explorations indicated an important thermal process participating in the optical Kerr effect evaluated. However, femtosecond results allowed us to distinguish a purely electronic response, related exclusively to ultrafast refractive and absorptive nonlinearities. Femtosecond experiments pointed out the possibility to switch the dominant physical mechanism responsible for the nonlinear optical absorption in the sample. This opens the potential for controlling quantum mechanisms of optical nonlinearity by femtosecond interactions.