Silver nanocluster formation in silicate glass by single step ion-exchange

摘要

We report the formation of silver nanoclusters of average size ～ 1.1 nm in a single step ion-exchanged silica glass. Silver clusters are formed in a glass during ion-exchange by fine-tuning the ion-exchange parameters such as salt composition, temperature and time. Such nanocluster formation during ion-exchange preserves the waveguiding properties of the ion-exchanged surface of the glass making them suitable for nonlinear waveguide device fabrication.