Open AccessDiffractive optical element embedded in silver-doped nanocomposite glass
Author(s) -
Lauren A. H. Fleming,
Stefan Wackerow,
Andrew C. Hourd,
W. A. Gillespie,
G. Seifert,
Amin Abdolvand
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.20.022579
Subject(s) - materials science , nanocomposite , anode , nanoparticle , electrode , cathode , diffraction , composite material , optics , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , chemistry , physics
A diffractive optical element is fabricated with relative ease in a glass containing spherical silver nanoparticles 30 to 40 nm in diameter and embedded in a surface layer of thickness ~10 μm. The nanocomposite was sandwiched between a mesh metallic electrode with a lattice constant 2 μm, facing the nanoparticle containing layer and acting as an anode, and a flat metal electrode as cathode. Applying moderate direct current electric potentials of 0.4 kV and 0.6 kV at an elevated temperature of 200 °C for 30 minutes across the nanocomposites led to the formation of a periodic array of embedded structures of metallic nanoparticles. The current-time dynamics of the structuring processes, optical analyses of the structured nanocomposites and diffraction pattern of one such fabricated element are presented.