The effect of Ti and O on the optical properties and microstructure of Ag nanocrystals formed in silica by sequential ion implantation

The implantation of Ti and O results in the modification of the silica with polarizable Ti ions. After annealing the Ti ions are incorporated with the O in the network to form a Ti–O–silicate layer. Subsequent implantation of Ag into this layer results in the formation of Ag metal nanocrystals with significantly modified optical properties compared to samples without the Ti ions. The incorporation of the Ti results in a shift in the wavelength of the surface plasmon resonance of the Ag nanocrystals and a change in the magnitude of the surface plasmon resonance absorption. The results are interpreted using effective medium theory.