Laser-direct-writing of molecule-like Agmx+ nanoclusters in transparent tellurite glass for 3D volumetric optical storage

• Published in: Nanoscale 2021-12, Vol.13 (46), p.19663-19670
• Main Authors: Wu, Yaman, Lin, Hang, Li, Renfu, Lin, Shisheng, Wu, Chuxin, Huang, Qiugui, Xu, Ju, Cheng, Yao, Wang, Yuansheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Elastic waves; Encoding-Decoding; Lasers; Nanoclusters; Spatial distribution; Tellurium dioxide; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 2040-3364; 2040-3372
• DOI: 10.1039/d1nr05360d

In situ constructing program-designed nanostructures via laser-direct-writing (LDW) has proved to be a reliable strategy for optical storage (OS). Herein, a kind of low-melting Ag+-doped TeO2–ZnO–Na2O (TZN) tellurite glass has been demonstrated as an ideal LDW OS medium. Microstructural and spectroscopic studies reveal the generation of molecule-like Agmx+ nanoclusters featured with a broad emission band in the orange-red region upon laser irradiation. Probing the laser-glass interaction yields evidences of the spatial distribution of Ag species responsive to laser-induced thermoelastic pressure wave oscillation, as well as the heat-driven migration/aggregation of Ag species along the radial direction of the laser spot. Raman analyses disclose the loose network of TZN-glass convenient for Ag+ mobility and the increased network connectivity when Agmx+ nanoclusters are precipitated out. Combined with the XPS result of Ag+ → Ag0 reduction, the possible formation mechanism of Ag nanoclusters stabilized in glass has been proposed. In a proof-of-concept experiment, 3D volumetric OS in the TZN glass has been demonstrated, showing optical data encoding/decoding in the form of characters and image patterns.