MeV Si ion irradiation effects on the optical absorption properties of metallic nanoparticles embedded in silica

Abstract

In this work, nanoparticles of Ag, Au and Cu, prepared by 2MeV ion implantation in high-purity silica plates and followed by a thermal treatment, were irradiated at room temperature with 8 and 10MeV Si ions. Under these conditions the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak associated with the metallic nanoparticles presented a clear split as function of the light polarization. This SPR split is more noticeable in the case of Ag nanoparticles. The results presented here show that with appropriate ion irradiation conditions and nanoparticle concentration, it is possible to obtain tailored SPR bands, either in the visible or extended into the infrared region of the spectrum, which is very promising for technological applications.