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Transient Optical and Terahertz Spectroscopy of Nanoscale Films of RuO2

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Abstract

Solution-deposited nanoscale films of RuO2 (nanoskins) are effective transparent conductors once calcined to 200 °C. Upon heating to higher temperatures, the nanoskins show increased transmission at 550 nm, indicating changes in the optical behavior of the films. Electronic microscopy and X-ray diffraction show that the changes in the optical spectrum are accompanied by the formation of rutile RuO2 nanoparticles. The mechanism for the spectral evolution is clearly observed with ultrafast optical measurements. Following excitation at 400 nm, nanoskins calcined at higher temperatures show increased transmission above 650 nm, consistent with the photobleaching of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band. Calculations based on the optical constants of RuO2 substantiate the presence of SPR absorption. Sheet resistance and transient terahertz photoconductivity measurements establish that the nanoskins electrically de-wire into separated particles. The plasmonic behavior of the nanoskins has implications for their use in a range of optical and electrochemical applications.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Drs. Jeffrey W. Long and James P. Long for useful discussion, Ani Khachatrian for assistance with steady-state THz spectroscopy, Dr. Christopher So for AFM measurements, and Dr. Daniel Ratchford for fabricating thin films of gold. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research through the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and by NIST STRS internal funding. A.D., R.C., B.S., and I.R.P. thank the National Research Council for administering the postdoctoral fellowship program at NRL. B.A. thanks the National Research Council for supporting the postdoctoral fellowship at NIST.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Naval Research Laboratory/National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow, Washington, DC, USA

    Adam D. Dunkelberger, Ryan Compton, Bryan T. Spann & Irina R. Pala

  2. Chemistry Division, Code 6100, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 20375, USA

    Paul A. DeSario, Christopher N. Chervin, Debra R. Rolison & Jeffrey C. Owrutsky

  3. Schafer Corp., 3811 North Fairfax Drive, Suite, Arlington, VA, 400, USA

    Daniel Weidinger

  4. Materials Science and Technology Division, Code 6300, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 20375, USA

    Konrad Bussmann

  5. Electronic Science and Technology Division, Code 6800, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 20375, USA

    Paul D. Cunningham & Joseph S. Melinger

  6. Radiation Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards & Technology/National Research Council Postdoctoral Associate, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA

    Brian G. Alberding

  7. Radiation Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards & Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA

    Edwin J. Heilweil

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  1. Adam D. Dunkelberger
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  2. Ryan Compton
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  11. Joseph S. Melinger
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Correspondence to Jeffrey C. Owrutsky.

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Dunkelberger, A.D., Compton, R., DeSario, P.A. et al. Transient Optical and Terahertz Spectroscopy of Nanoscale Films of RuO2 . Plasmonics 12, 743–750 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-016-0321-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-016-0321-3

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