Highly non-linear quantum dot doped nanocomposites for functional three-dimensional structures generated by two-photon polymerization

A nanocomposite consisting of a photosensitive organic-inorganic hybrid polymer functionalized with PbS quantum dots has been developed using a sol-gel process. The uniformly dispersed nanocomposite exhibits ultrahigh third-order non-linearity (-3.2 × 10^-12 cm² W^-1) because of the strong quantum confinement of smallsized and narrowly distributed quantum dots. The non-linear nanocomposite has been proven to be suitable for the fabrication of 3D micro/nano photonic devices using two-photon polymerization. The fabricated photonic crystals show stop gaps with more than 60% suppression in transmission at the telecommunications wavelength region. (Figure Presented)