Topic: Fabrication and charaterization of Metallic Quantum Dot Based Nanocomposite Materials

Metallic nanocrystal embedded in glassy and single crystal solids have shown many unusual electronic and optical (linear & nonlinear) properties with respect to their bulk counterparts. Both electronic and optical properties of metallic nanoparticles result from extreme spatial localization of the free electron gas inside the particles. The constraints in the physical dimension including the size and shape of nanocrystal themselves and the non-zero amplitude of the wave function outside of the nanoparticles of the confined small number of free electrons dictates that the optical properties of the nanoparticles can strongly influenced by the size and shape the nanoparticles as well as their confining media. Gold nanoparticles embeded in both MgO and Porous Vycor have been chosen as an example to illustrate how the size , shape, confining matrix as well as well as the very interface affecting the overall optical response of the Au nanocomposite materials. Further, a demonstration will be given to use picosecond pulsed laser as a unique and effective means to change the optical response of the nanoparticles in solids. This process may, in turn lead to optical device fabrication.