Optical properties of Cu ions-doped ZnSe quantum dots in silicate glasses

In order to alleviate the effect of the surface defects on the emission properties of quantum dots, copper ions-doped ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) in the glasses are prepared using melt-quenching and subsequent thermal annealing methods. For glasses without copper doping, tunable band-edge emission from ZnSe QDs is achieved. For glasses with copper doping, efficient energy transfer from ZnSe QDs to copper ions is observed, and efficient broad band emission from copper ions is realized at the expense of the band-edge emission of ZnSe QDs. Absorption spectra, size-dependent broad-band emission spectra and electron spin resonance spectra show the cupric ions are doped into the ZnSe QDs. Results reported here shows that doping of transition-metal ions into semiconductor QDs in glasses is promising for development of high efficient luminescent glasses.