Research Progress on Near-Infrared Group Ⅳ-Ⅵ Semiconductor Quantum Dot Optical Fibers

doi:10.16553/j.cnki.issn1000-985x.2024.0282

Abstract

Abstract: Semiconductor quantum dot （QD） materials have unique optical and electrical properties， and have shown great potential for applications in LED， solar cells， fluorescent probes， catalysis， and other fields. Especially for Ⅳ-Ⅵ group semiconductor QD materials， their fluorescence spectra are in the near-infrared band and cover the optical fiber communication window. Therefore， QD doped optical fibers has a wide range of applications in the field of optical fiber communication. Currently， the main preparation methods for Ⅳ-Ⅵ group semiconductor QD doped optical fibers include modified chemical vapor deposition， sol-gel film coating， hollow fiber filling and solidification， high-temperature melting direct drawing， in-tube melting， and glass capillary injection. This paper provides a detailed review of these six experimental preparation methods， their advantages and disadvantages， as well as the optical gain quality of the prepared quantum dot optical fibers. Based on six different theoretical models and fiber types， theoretical calculations of the emission properties and optical gain properties of QD doped optical fibers are carried out. Furthermore， the challenges and solutions in experimental and theoretical research， as well as prospects for future research directions are given.

Key words: group Ⅳ-Ⅵ; semiconductor quantum dot; quantum dot optical fiber; near infrared luminescence; optical gain; electrical property

CLC Number:

O436

LI Shuai, ZHANG Lei. Research Progress on Near-Infrared Group Ⅳ-Ⅵ Semiconductor Quantum Dot Optical Fibers[J]. Journal of Synthetic Crystals, 2025, 54(5): 757-771.

Figures/Tables 24

Fig.1 Attenuation spectra of the PbSe QD doped optical fiber （a）， and ASE spectra pumped at 980 nm （b）［13］

Fig.2 PbSe QD optical fiber prefabricated rod （a）， and emission of a PbSe QD optical fiber at a 1 064 nm Nd∶YAG laser pump （b）［14］

Fig.3 Gain of PbS QD doped ring core fiber［17］. （a） Cross section of PbS QD doped ring core fiber； fiber gain spectrum under different pump powers （b） and signal powers （c）， respectively

Fig.4 Schematic diagram of the device structure of the PbS QD fiber amplifier （a）， and optical gain at 1 310 nm varies with pump power （b）［18］

Fig.5 System diagram of QD fiber amplifier （a）， and switch gain diagram at different pump power （b）［19］

Fig.6 UV gel transmittance［21］

Fig.7 Gain spectra of PbSe QD fiber amplifiers under different pumping powers［22］

Fig.8 Fiber drawing and emission situation［24］. （a） The preform following fiber drawing；（b） the drop-off and the resulting black fibers with varying outer diameters；（c） emission spectra for a 532 nm CW laser pumping

Fig.9 Schematic diagram of PbSe QD fiber drawing［25］

Fig.10 Output spectra （a） and switch gain spectra （b） of PbSe QD fiber under different pumping powers［28］

Fig.11 Schematic diagram of drawing QD doped glass fiber by in tube melting method［31］

Fig.12 Normalized PL spectra of PbS QD doped glass fibers heat treated at different temperatures for 10 h［31］. （a） Fiber FB；（b） fiber FM；（c） fiber FE

Fig.13 The core layer of the liquid core quartz fiber filled with PbSe QDs （a）， and the output spectra of the PbSe liquid core fiber at different excited powers （b）［32］

Fig.14 The abs （①） and PL （②） spectra of PbSe QDs in TCE （a） and toluene （b）， as well as the emission （③） spectra of PbSe QD optical fibers （④ curves are the Abs spectra of toluene and TCE solvents）［12］

Table 1 Synthesis methods and gain characteristics of Ⅳ-Ⅵ QD optical fibers

Method	Pump wavelength/nm	Gain bandwidth/nm	Maximum gain/dB	Advantage	Disadvantage	Reference
MVCD （Soaking）	980	1 537	—	实现硅基量子点光纤	掺杂工艺复杂	［13］
MVCD （Atomization）	1 064	1 540	—	简化掺杂工艺，提高掺杂程度和浓度均匀性	—	［14］
MVCD （Ring core）	980	1 500~1 600	8	解决光纤传输信号衰减和容量限制	—	［17］
SGFC SGFC（PbS-MSN）	980 980	1 310 1 550	10 8.09	工艺简单、与标准光纤兼容性好，抑制ASE噪声	增益较低，量子点涂覆层易受外界影响	［18］［19］
HFFS	980	1 518~1 593	19	量子点荧光性能好、量子点分布均匀	光纤稳定性较差	［22］
HTMDD HTMDD（Heat treatment）	532 980	1 120~1 680 1 284~1 364	— 20	减弱量子点不可控析出	—	［24］［28］
ITM	808	1 550	—	对发光峰位进行大尺度或较为精细的调控	元素挥发及扩散导致光传输损耗	［31］
GCI	532	1 290	—	制备过程简单	光纤的封装比较难，很难投入生产	［32］

Fig.15 Energy levels of PbSe QDs and emission of PbSe QD fibers［34］. （a） Energy level diagram of the PbSe QD；（b） the variation of signal gain with wavelength at a fiber length of 1.36 m；（c） the variation of signal gain with fiber length

Fig.16 Signal gain of multi QD doped fiber amplifier［35］. （a） Signal gain and the noise figure as a function of wavelength；（b） signal gain and the bandwidth as a function of fiber length

Fig.17 Gain spectra of PbSe QD fiber amplifier under inhomogeneous model［36］. （a） Gain spectra under various standard deviations of size distribution functions；（b） gain spectra for the seventy numbers of signals with different input powers

Fig.18 Quantum dot doped single mode fiber laser［9］. （a） Structure diagram of fiber laser；（b） comparison of laser power between QDFL and YDFL at different fiber lengths

Fig.19 Emission spectra of QD-MMF-A［37］. （a） The spontaneous emission spectra under different pump power in which the direction of the arrow represents the increase of pump power from 5 to 10， 20， 30， 40， 50， 60， 70， 80， 90， and 100 mW；（b） the normalized pump power dependent emission power

Fig.20 Stimulated emission and optical gain of PbSe QD liquid core fiber under strong pumping conditions［37］. Signal gain spectra under different pump powers from 10 to 42 （a）， 50 （b） and 58 mW （c） with a spacing of 4 mW for fiber length are 5， 10 and 15 cm；（d） signal gain spectra under different fiber length （5， 10， 15， 25， 30， 40 cm） when pump power is fixed at 10 mW

Fig.21 Gain of QD single-mode fiber amplifier under two-level model［40］. （a） Comparison between the calculated QD gain and the actual gain；（b） gain variation under different pump power

Fig.22 Gain of PbSe QD/Raman hybrid fiber amplifie［42］. （a） The schematic diagram of the hybrid PbSe-QD/Raman amplifier used in the simulation；（b） dependence of mixed amplifier gain on PbSe QD pump power

Table 2 Theoretical calculation of optical gain of QD fiber

Theoretical models and fiber types	Doping method	Pump wavelength/nm	Gain bandwidth/nm	Maximum gain/dB	Reference
Three energy level QD-SMF-A	Single size	1 460~1 580	2 000	33.5	［34］
	Single size	980	62	20	［35］
	Two sizes	980	122	20	［35］
	Three sizes Four sizes	980 980	200 277	20 20	［35］［35］
Three energy level Inhomogeneous model for QD-SMF-A	Multi size	1 540	92	35	［36］
Three energy level QD-SMF-L	Single size	1 550	—	2.7/m	［9］
Three energy level QD-MMF-A	Single size	532	200~300	30	［39］
Two energylevel QD-SMF-A	Single size	1 100	500	22	［40］
Three energy level QD/Raman-SMF-A	Three sizes	980	100	29	［42］

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