Features of Optical Properties and the Electronic Structure of Nanostructured Oxides of 3d-Metals

Abstract

Features of the optical properties of nanostructured strongly correlated oxides CuO, Y3Fe5O12, and FeBO3 in a wide range of energies, which includes both the fundamental absorption region, low-energy electron excitations, and phonon modes have been investigated by methods of optical spectroscopy. Absorption and reflection spectra, Raman spectra, and ellipsometry measurements are carried out on the samples of oxide nanostructured ceramics. High-density nanoceramics were prepared by shock-wave loading and high pressure torsion methods from coarse-grain oxide powders. Strong smearing of the fundamental absorption edge is revealed for all nanoceramics. Anomalous red shift of the absorption edge Eg is found in CuO nanooxide. The features of the optical functions in nanooxides of 3d-metals may be attributed to high defectiveness of nanooxides, peculiarities in the electronic structure of strongly correlated oxides and their tendency to electronic phase separation.