Microstrip structures of ZnO nanoparticle aggregates of millimetric length formed by selected-area ion implantation and thermal oxidation.

Regularly arrayed microstrip regions of width approximately 1.4 microm and length extending up to approximately 5 mm, consisting of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) of diameter approximately 50 nm, were fabricated on silica substrates by a two-step process: i.e., selected-area ion implantation and thermal oxidation. The implantation of 60 keV Zn ions in periodic microstrip regions via a resist mask generated periodic grooves with large wings on the surface of silica glass, which can be ascribed to the radiation-induced plastic deformation of silica and sputtering loss. This is the lowest record of the electronic energy loss (S(e)) value to induce the radiation-induced plastic deformation of silica, while no or very low threshold energy has been predicted from a recent study. After thermal oxidation at 700 degrees C for 1 h, the groove structures with the wings disappeared, and periodic microstrips of ZnO nanoparticle aggregates up to 5 mm long appeared on the surface of the substrate. A clear free-exciton peak due to ZnO NPs is observed from these microstrip structures both in optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra.

Dual surface plasmon resonances in Zn nanoparticles in SiO(2): an experimental study based on optical absorption and thermal stability.

Metallic zinc nanoparticles (NPs) of 5-15 nm in diameter, formed in silica glass (SiO(2)) by Zn ion implantation of 60 keV, showed a strong ultraviolet absorption peak at around 4.8 eV, which has been assigned as the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Zn NPs, and another small peak at 1.2 eV, which has never been reported before. To identify the origin of the 1.2 eV peak, the correlations of thermal stability between the two peaks and Zn NPs were evaluated under annealing both in a vacuum (pure thermal stability) and in oxygen gas (thermal oxidation stability). The well-correlated stability between the 1.2 eV peak, the 4.8 eV peak and Zn NPs indicates that the 1.2 eV peak is not ascribed to radiation-induced defects but to the Zn NPs. The 1.2 eV peak can be ascribed to an SPR of Zn NPs in SiO(2), because the peak satisfies the criterion of the SPR of metallic NPs. Since the 4.8 eV peak is also expected to satisfy the criterion, Zn NPs in SiO(2) have two SPRs at 1.2 and 4.8 eV.

Integrated optical Mach-Zehnder modulator based on polycrystalline BaTiO3.

Good-quality polycrystalline BaTiO3 thin films are deposited on MgO substrates by pulsed laserdeposition. The deposition parameters are optimized to achieve optical-quality films with an attenuation coefficient of 4 dB/cm at the 633-nm wavelength. Thin-film electro-optic Mach-Zehnder modulators are fabricated with standard lithography and ion-beam etching. The waveguides patterned by lithography are the ridge type, and they ensure single-mode propagation in the wavelength range of 633-1550 nm. An electro-optic coefficient of 22 pm/V is estimated for the polycrystalline BaTiO3 films.