Copper doping of silicate glasses by the ion-exchange technique: A photoluminescence spectroscopy study

Abstract

Copper–alkali ion exchange is used for doping superficial layers of different silicate glasses (commercial soda-lime and BK7) with copper ions. Spectroscopic and time-resolved photoluminescence properties of the obtained systems are studied in the range of 80–294 K. Analysis indicates the presence of Cu+ ions located in distorted octahedral sites, and a different position of the triplet electronic levels for the two glass matrices. The luminescence decay-time signal is simulated by a biexponential behavior, interpreted on the basis of a four-level scheme

Copper diffusion in ion-exchanged soda-lime glass

“…Second, the diffusion coefficients are taken as constant during the entire interdiffusion process. Indeed, it is clear also from literature [3,22,25,26] that during the ion-exchange process the glass network under-goes concentration-dependent structural changes, owing to local coordination rearrangements at the ion sites. Therefore, to give a complete description of the interdiffusion process in ion-exchanged glasses, it is necessary to assume that the diffusion coefficient of the individual ions depends on the concentration due to the modification of the local structure.…”

“…The process is realized by immersing silicate glass slides in a molten salt bath containing the dopant ions, which replace alkali ions of the glass matrix. Ion exchange with copper has in particular attracted new attention for the blue-green luminescence properties of copper-doped glasses [2,3], useful for laser technology, as well as for the third-order nonlinear optical features of copper nanoclusters in glass [4][5][6]. The former property is due to the copper ions dispersed in the glass matrix in the Cu + oxidation state [7], while the latter to the formation of Cu metallic nanoclusters.…”

New insight into nanoparticle precipitation by electron beams in borosilicate glasses

“…A variety of methods have been used to prepare nanoparticles in oxide glasses, ranging from the standard annealing processes, or sol-gel preparation, over ion-exchange by diffusion, ion implantation, to irradiation with photon or particle beams [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. Amongst the latter, laser irradiation [23,24] is the most established technique in particular for the precipitation of copper and silver nanoparticles in glass.…”

Structural studies on boroaluminosilicate glasses

“…However, a broad peak around 500 nm is observed from ion exchanged and re-melted glass sample. The broad peak around 500 nm is attributed to the transition between closely non-degenerate T 1g and T 2g level to the ground state ( 1 A g level) of Cu + ion [20]. Ion exchange capacity has been found to be more when more Na + ions are present in the glass sample.…”

“…Photoluminescence measurements were carried out on the samples to check whether any Cu + ions are formed in the glass after ion exchange. This is because Cu 2+ ion in the glass matrix does not give any emission at room temperature, whereas Cu + ion gives a broad green emission at room temperature [20]. Fig.…”