Nanoparticle Direct Doping: Novel Method for Manufacturing Three‐Dimensional Bulk Plasmonic Nanocomposites

Abstract

Metallodielectric materials with plasmonic resonances at optical and infrared wavelengths are attracting increasing interest, due to their potential novel applications in the fields of photonics, plasmonics and photovoltaics. However, simple and fast fabrication methods for three‐dimensional bulk plasmonic nanocomposites that offer control over the size, shape and chemical composition of the plasmonic elements have been missing. Here, such a manufacturing method and examples of experimental realizations of volumetric isotropic nanocomposites doped with plasmonic nanoparticles that exhibit resonances at visible and infrared wavelengths are presented. This method is based on doping a low‐melting dielectric material with plasmonic nanoparticles, using a directional glass‐solidification process. Transmission‐spectroscopy experiments confirm a homogenous distribution of the nanoparticles, isotropy of the material and resonant behavior. The phenomenon of localized surface plasmon resonance is also observed visually. This approach may enable rapid and cost‐efficient manufacturing of bulk nanoplasmonic composites with single or multiple resonances at various wavelength ranges. These composites could be isotropic or anisotropic, and potentially co‐doped with other chemical agents, in order to enhance different optical processes.

When Eutectics Meet Plasmonics: Nanoplasmonic, Volumetric, Self‐Organized, Silver‐Based Eutectic

“…This technique has previously been successfully applied for the directional growth of crystalline fi bers, [ 37 ] eutectics, [ 38,39 ] and nanoplasmonic materials based on glasses doped with nanoparticles. [ 18 ] Rods grown in a nitrogen atmosphere exhibited a characteristic metallic sheen with a silver hue and smooth surfaces (see Figure 3 a,b). Figure 3 c,d,e show the microstructure of the Bi 2 O 3 -Ag eutectic grown in a nitrogen atmosphere with a 7 mm min -1 pulling rate, with the Ag precipitates placed at the Bi 2 O 3 grain boundaries.…”

Dielectric relaxation in pure and Co-doped Bi12GeO20 single crystals

“…15 However, novel types of composites have been recently grown by this method as eutectic materials with potential application in photonics (metamaterials, photonic crystals, plasmonic materials). 9,[16][17][18] The method utilizes a crucible with a die at the bottom in which there is a centrally placed nozzle. The material is melted in the crucible.…”

“…The developed technology uses the micro-pulling down method and nanoparticles direct doping. 9 It enables manufacturing of glass matrices doped with metallic and nonmetallic particle 9 as well as preliminary results has been shown for single crystalline matrices of BGO-doped with nanoparticles. 10 In the present work, we study ac electrical conductivity and the dielectric dispersion in BGO and BGO doped with Co nanoparticles, in the temperature interval from 5 to 450 K and frequencies range from 1 Hz to 1 MHz, in order to get information about the nature of the conductive process.…”

Glass and Process Development for the Next Generation of Optical Fibers: A Review

“…One approach is to prepare NCs, then to pre-mix them with the glass powder and, finally, to melt the batch into a hybrid glass. However, as explained in [76,77], an insufficient dispersion of the NCs had been obtained using this technique [76]. Dissolution of the nano-/micro-scale crystals or a decrease in the transmission of the resulting glass was reported in [78][79][80][81][82].…”