Thermo-optical properties of glasses doped with semiconductor or metallic nanoparticles and rare-earth ions

Abstract

Nanocomposites doped with rare-earth ions have been largely investigated from their optical point of view for different applications that range from LEDs, sensors, amplifiers, and optical switches to newnanophotonic devices. The use of nanoparticles has improved the optical properties of these ions by a large amount. However, there are few works reporting on their thermal properties, specifically theirthermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and temperature coefficient of the optical path. In this chapter, we present a review of the main results obtained in the literature and discuss the influence of metallic and semiconductor nanoparticles in glassy hosts doped with rare-earth ions. It is demonstrated that the thermal properties may be improved, depending on the type, composition, and concentration of the nanoparticles.