Fluorophosphate glasses doped with PbSe quantum dots and their nonlinear optical characteristics

A new fluorophosphate glass matrix containing PbSe quantum dots characterized by a narrow size distribution (Δ R/R ∼ 5–7%, where R is the size of a quantum dot) is prepared under heat treatment. It is demonstrated that fluorophosphate glasses can be doped by introducing (ZnSe + PbO) or PbSe into the composition of the glass. The optical absorption spectra of the quantum dots corresponding to the strong quantum confinement regime are studied over a wide range of quantum-dot sizes (4–18 nm). The nonlinear optical absorption is investigated at a wavelength of 1.54 μm. It is revealed that the introduction of (ZnSe + PbO) rather than of PbSe into the composition of the glass improves the bleaching contrast owing to a more uniform distribution of the quantum dots over the volume of the glass sample.