Laser precipitation of SnO2 nanocrystals in glass and energy transferred-fluorescence of Eu ions

SnO₂ nanoparticles having an average particle size of 5 nm were precipitated in a transparent glass by irradiation with an 800 nm femtosecond laser. Glass was prepared to co-dope Sn⁴⁺ and Eu³⁺ ions by a sol–gel method, followed by heating in H₂ gas atmosphere to form the Sn⁰₂ point defects with a molecular-like electronic structure in the twofold-coordinated Sn atoms. Upon laser irradiation, the Sn⁰₂ defects react with oxygen, forming SnO₂ nanocrystals. When excited at the energy corresponding to the absorption edge of the SnO₂ nanocrystals, the energies, which are absorbed by the quantum-dot effect in the nanosized crystals, are efficiently transferred to the Eu³⁺ ions, resulting in the large enhanced fluorescence intensities from the Eu³⁺ ions. The observed phenomenon suggests application to high-density memory devices.