Ultrafast dynamics of copper nanoparticles embedded in soda-lime silicate glass fabricated by ion exchange

Copper nanoparticles embedded in soda-lime glass were fabricated by ion exchange followed by thermal treatment in hydrogen. The ultrafast dynamics of the embedded Cu nanoparticles formed under different fabrication conditions were investigated by applying femtosecond pump-probe technique. Non-Fermi electrons were suggested to be dominant in the transient behavior of the nanocomposites far from surface plasmon resonance of Cu. The long ion-exchange processing time was found to benefit and improve the ultrafast response of the fabricated nanocomposites.