Effects of Ti charge state, ion size and beam-induced compaction on the formation of Ag metal nanoparticles in fused silica

Metal nanoparticles formed by ion implantation in fused silica exhibit linear and nonlinear optical properties that can be altered by co-doping the silica substrate with transition-metal ions. For example, implantation of scandium in fused silica creates a directional optical dichroism due to the different spatial distribution of silver nanoparticles subsequently formed by Ag ion implantation. In this paper, we show that implantation of titanium ions alters the short- and intermediate-range order in the silica and thereby alters the diffusion and nucleation processes that lead to formation of silver nanoparticles. In particular, the dichroic response observed for Ag nanoparticles in Sc-implanted silica is, with one exception, in Ti-implanted silica. Compaction of the silica due to the ion implantation process appears to be similar for both Sc and Ti implantations, based on the observed shift of the 1,124 cm−1 transverse-optical phonon mode in the infrared reflectance spectrum. However, differences in chemical reactivity, bond lengths and electronic structure of Sc and Ti produce changes in electronic structure and strain that are sensitively reflected in the reflectance spectra of the Ag nanoparticles. These differences lead to modifications in the size, shape and spatial distributions of the silver nanoparticles and offer a powerful means of controlling their optical properties.