Structural and magneto-optical properties of ferric oxide quantum dots embedded phosphate glass

In this study, phosphate glasses embedded with Fe 2 O 3 quantum dots were prepared via a conventional melt quenching technology with further heat treatment. The effect of Fe 2 O 3 content on the structural, optical and magneto-optical properties was investigated. The results showed that the addition of Fe 2 O 3 had no obvious influence on the structure units that built up the host glass and the amorphous nature of glass. In the glass matrix , the existence of Fe 2 O 3 quantum dots was confirmed by high resolution transmission electron microscope . Meanwhile, optical study clearly demonstrated a red shift in optical cut-off wavelength resulted from the size quantization effect. The highest Verdet constant (22.33°/T-cm) was measured for the glass containing 1   mol% Fe 2 O 3 , which was ~ 7 times higher than that of the glass matrix. As the increment of Fe 2 O 3 contents, a phase evolution of Fe 2 O 3 quantum dots from amorphous phase to γ-Fe 2 O 3 phase was recorded due to the Ostwald Ripening effect. Interestingly, a concentration quenching phenomenon in Verdet constant was observed along with the phase evolution of Fe 2 O 3 quantum dots. When the content of Fe 2 O 3 is up to 2   mol%, the glass exhibited paramagnetism with the Verdet constant of − 2.833°/T-cm. This finding can provide a new idea for the development of quantum dot embedded magneto-optical glass.