Preparation and magneto-optical properties of stable bismuth phosphate nanoparticles in phosphate glass

Synthesis of bismuth phosphate (BiPO4) nanocrystals in low melting phosphate glass and its optical and magneto-optical properties were investigated. The presence of BiPO4 nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. The optical transmission spectra of the glass samples showed that the red shift in the absorption edge is due to the presence of BiPO4 nanoparticles in the glass. Faraday rotation tests on the glass nanocomposite showed a large increase in the Verdet constant caused by BiPO4 nanoparticles in the phosphate glass. The BiPO4-glass nanosystem showed a higher Verdet constant (21.2 degrees T-1 cm(-1)), which was increased 3-fold compared with the Verdet constant of BK-7 glass (7.52 degrees T-1 cm(-1)). The BiPO4 glass nanocomposite may have potential applications in magneto-optical devices.