Hydrothermal synthesis of Er-doped titania particles for photonic band gap applications
Seokwoo Jeon,Former Visiting Graduate Student
Erbium-doped titania films have been made for optical planar waveguides. However, for the creation of self-assembled photonic band gap (PBG) materials, well dispersed, optically active 20 to 50 nm particles are needed. Nanocrystalline Erbium doped titanium dioxide colloids have been synthesized by a sol-gel technique followed by hydrothermal treatment. Peptization with an amine prevents particle agglomeration and generates basic condition which results in anatase as shown by XRD. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy shows the good dispersion and narrow size distribution around 50 nm of the particles. When excited with a Ti:sapphire laser at 795 nm at room temperature, emission at 1530 nm was observed. To achieve strong luminescence, heat treatment was necessary to remove hydroxyl groups from the surface of titania particles. Themogravimetric analysis shows that the decomposition temperature of surface hydroxyl group is about 310 degrees C. Luminescent titania nanoparticles are promising for the realization of PBG based waveguide devices.
TEM micrograph of Er doped TiO2 nanoparticles
Professor Paul Braun • Phone: +1.217.244.7293 • Fax: +1.217.333.2736 • Email: pbraun@uiuc.edu
Department of Materials Science and Engineering • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign