Photothermal-induced dichroism and micro-cluster formation in Ag+-doped glasses

• Published in: Applied physics. B, Lasers and optics Lasers and optics, 2004-09, Vol.79 (4), p.513-518
• Main Authors: NAHAL, A, KHALESIFARD, H. R. M, MOSTAFAVI-AMJAD, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atomic and molecular clusters; Atomic and molecular physics; Chains; Clusters; Dichroism; Exact sciences and technology; Glass; Laser beams; Lasers; Micrometers; Molecular properties and interactions with photons; Optical activity and dichroism; magnetooptical and electrooptical spectra; Optical properties of clusters; Physics; Silver; Studies of special atoms, molecules and their ions; clusters
• ISSN: 0946-2171; 1432-0649
• DOI: 10.1007/s00340-004-1578-3

In this paper, we report the observation of an induced dichroism in an ionic silver cluster-doped glass, under the interaction of a CW high-power (Pmax{/content/CDN3HRAT1XRBATG7/xxlarge8764.gif}8 W) Ar laser beam. It is found that, as a result of the photo-thermal interaction, a dichroism due to the formation of chain-like silver clusters is induced. Because of the electromagnetic interaction, the orientation of these chain-like structures is related, in general, to the direction of the laser beam polarization. The effect is seen in the regime, where the laser beam power is increased rapidly. In this regime micrometer size (d{/content/CDN3HRAT1XRBATG7/xxlarge8764.gif}2 {/content/CDN3HRAT1XRBATG7/xxlarge956.gif}m) clusters are generated on the surface of the sample. In this report, we discuss the production of such large silver clusters as a result of changing of the initial ionic clusters to the neutral ones and then aggregation of the generated small neutral clusters under the supersaturation condition.