Optical characterization of Eu3+ ions in CdSe nanocrystal containing silica glass

Silica glass samples containing CdSe/Eu3+ ions were prepared by sol-gel route. Size distribution and optical band gap of the nanoparticles were calculated from absorption spectrum. It is observed that the presence of CdSe nanocrystallites enhances the fluorescence of europium in silica glass. The phonon sideband spectrum associated with the excitation transition F-7(0)-D-5(2) is used to analyze the electron-phonon coupling and nonradiative deexcitiation of the rare earth ions in the glass host. The observed fluorescence enhancement is discussed on the basis of phonon assisted energy transfer from electron-hole recombination of the CdSe nanocrystallites to the rare earth ion and multiphonon relaxation.