Microcrystalline-CdTe-doped silica glasses: sol-gel preparation and quantum confinement effect

Abstract

Microcrystalline CdTe-doped glasses were prepared by heating the gels in H₂-N₂ atmosphere. When heated in H₂-N₂ gas, Te ions were reduced into Te^2-, which reacted with Cd²⁺, ions to form CdTe crystals. The size of CdTe crystals was about 3.5 nm in radius, which was controlled by changing the conditions of gel synthesis. The optical absorption edge energies were reciprocally proportional to the square of the crystal radius.