Evolution and tailoring of plasmonic properties in Ag:ZrO{sub 2} nanocomposite films by swift heavy ion irradiation

Journal Article · Tue Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3555593· OSTI ID:21538103

Kumar, Manish; Kulriya, P K; Avasthi, D K ^[1]; Pivin, J C ^[2]

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1. Inter University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067 (India)
2. CSNSM-IN2P3, Batiment 108, 91405 Orsay Campus (France)

Ag:ZrO{sub 2} nanocomposite films have been synthesized by a sol-gel dip coating process at room temperature, followed by irradiation using swift heavy ions. The effect of electronic energy loss and fluences on the evolution and consequently on the tailoring of plasmonic properties of films has been studied. The optical study exhibits that color of films converts from transparent in pristine form into shiny yellow when films are irradiated by 100 MeV Ag ions at a fluence of 3x10{sup 12} ions/cm{sup 2}. However, irradiation by 120 MeV O ions up to the fluence of 1 x 10{sup 14} ions/cm{sup 2} does not induce any coloration in films. The coloration is attributed to the evolution of plasmonic feature resulting in a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) induced absorption peak in the visible region. Increase in fluence from 3 x 10{sup 12} to 6 x 10{sup 13} ions/cm{sup 2} of 100 MeV Ag ions induces a redshift in SPR induced peak position from 434 to 487 nm. Microstructural studies confirms the conversion of Ag{sub 2}O{sub 3} (in pristine films) into cubic phase of metallic Ag and the increase of average size of particles with the increasing fluence up to 6 x 10{sup 13} ions/cm{sup 2}. Further increase in fluence leads to the dissolution of Ag atoms in the ZrO{sub 2} matrix.

• OSTI ID: 21538103
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 109, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3555593; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ABSORPTION
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
DIP COATING
ENERGY LOSSES
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
HEAVY IONS
MEV RANGE 100-1000
NANOSTRUCTURES
OXYGEN IONS
PARTICLE SIZE
RED SHIFT
SILVER
SILVER IONS
SOL-GEL PROCESS
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
THIN FILMS
ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
DEPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
FILMS
IONS
IRRADIATION
LOSSES
MATERIALS
METALS
MEV RANGE
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SIZE
SORPTION
SPECTRA
SURFACE COATING
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS