Fluorescent clusters in chloride photo-thermo-refractive glass by femtosecond laser bleaching of Ag nanoparticles
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2017Author(s)
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10.1364/OE.25.012944Metadata
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Klyukin D. Silvennoinen M. Krykova V. Svirko J. Sidorov A. Nikonorov N. (2017). Fluorescent clusters in chloride photo-thermo-refractive glass by femtosecond laser bleaching of Ag nanoparticles. OPTICS EXPRESS: THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF OPTICS, 25 (11) , 12944-1295112944. 10.1364/OE.25.012944.Rights
Abstract
We report photoluminescence in bulk chloride photo-thermo-refractive glass under irradiation with femtosecond laser pulses. The fluorescence originates from the bleaching of silver nanoparticles precipitating in the glass. Similarly to the conventional process of the femtosecond re-shaping of metal inclusions with diameter tens of nanometers, irradiation of the smaller nanoparticles results in a fast shrinking size with an ellipsoidal shape via photofragmentation. Under UV excitation, remaining sub-nanometer silver molecular clusters show visible and near IR fluorescence, which increases with chlorine concentration. The observed bleaching of silver nanoparticles in bulk glass-metal nanocomposite can find applications in data storage and bleaching of volume Bragg gratings.