Structural features of PbSe nanoparticles produced within the silicate glasses

PbSe-doped silicate glasses were studied through wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). PbSe nanoparticles in the glasses were produced due to the secondary heat treatment at different temperatures and their appearance was established by WXRD, SANS, and TEM techniques with the results for particle sizes in accordance to our recent optical studies of this material. The simulation of SANS measurements revealed new structural features of the PbSe nanoparticles. They form fractal aggregates as several overlapping spheres up to ~30 nm in full size.