Papers by Author: Igor V. Shvets

Abstract: Gallium is a liquid metal at near room temperature and in recent decades has become a key element in both electronic and optoelectronic applications. We demonstrate for the first time highly ordered spherical Ga nanoparticle (NP) arrays were fabricated by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. GLAD is a simple method based on self-assembly that can produce highly ordered one-dimensional plasmonic NP chains. The real time (in-situ) monitoring of optical properties of Ga NPs plays an important role in measurement of optical behaviour in phase change. Also this provides information on the growth mechanism and allows production of structures with the desired optical characteristics. Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS) has been used for monitoring of in-situ optical properties of the liquid-solid transition in Ga NP arrays. The results show stability and phase transition sensitivity of plasmonic resonance of Ga NP arrays. In order to confirm experimental results an analytical model was adapted by using Transfer Matrix Formalism and experimental parameters of Ga NP arrays were used for simulation.

Abstract: The present chapter deals with the difficult task of giving a brief survey of the synthetic routes employed to prepare materials with characteristic features on the nanometer scale. Definitions and general concepts regarding nanostructured and nanometer-sized materials are shortly tackled in the introductory part, which is followed by an overview of the most important approaches developed to synthesize such materials. No attempt is made to create a comprehensive and detailed synopsis of the experimental methods currently available. Rather, attention is focused on a selected number of general methodologies, the choice of which can be usually motivated by a mix of historical perspective, scientific significance and technological potential. So-called “top-down” approaches are discussed first, whereas the second part of the chapter is devoted to “bottom-up” ones. The former group includes mechanical processing, melt quenching, and de-vitrification methods. Sonochemistry, pulsed laser ablation, wet chemical synthesis, sol-gel processing, microwave processing, spray pyrolysis, flame synthesis, inert gas condensation, vapor deposition, and vapor-liquid-solid growth form instead the latter group.