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

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 600 degrees C 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 (550-600 degrees C). 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 degrees/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. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.