Abstract

Metallic clusters of nanometer dimensions are desirable nonlinear optical materials with large ultrafast third-order susceptibilities and high laser damage tresholds.^[1] We have made nanometer-size copper clusters in dense, thin (-150 nm) layers by implanting Cu ions in glass substrates,^[2] motivated by the fact that ion implantation is a mature technology for creating optical waveguides in dielectrics. Fused silica (Spectrosil) discs, 1 mm thick × 20 mm diameter, were implanted in vacuum by an elecrostatically rastered beam of 160 keV Cu⁺ ions to a dose of 12 10¹⁶ions cm⁻². The bimodal depth distribution of the implanted ions was characterized by He⁺ backscattering; the relative concentration of the Cu-nanocluster layer at peak density is of order 0.1.

© 1992 IQEC