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dc.contributor.advisorGibson, Ursula J.en_US
dc.contributor.authorSuits, Frank.
dc.creatorSuits, Frank.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2011-10-31T17:11:12Z
dc.date.available2011-10-31T17:11:12Z
dc.date.issued1988en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10150/184535
dc.description.abstractThis work concerns the vacuum deposition of novel thin films that exhibit nonlinear optical effects due to their unusual microstructure. We discuss four different materials: 1) Tilted columns of aluminum-oxide 2) Gold particles in aluminum-oxide 3) Cadmium sulpho-selenide particles in aluminum-oxide 4) Silver particles in zinc-sulphide. We begin with a description of the vacuum system and some the techniques used to characterize the optical and structural properties of the films. This leads to our study of second-harmonic generation (SHG) in aluminum-oxide thin films deposited at an angle to the evaporant source. We show that SHG is very sensitive to the non-isotropic microstructure that results from such a deposition. and the behavior of the SHG signal with sample orientation provides insight to the symmetry properties of the microstructure. In a related study we show that AU/Al₂O₃ composite films produce a large SHG signal. We investigate the dependence of the strength of the SHG signal with fill-fraction of gold and show that it increases quadratically. in agreement with theory. The third material we discuss is cadmium sulpho-selenide doped aluminumoxide. We describe attempts at nucleating semiconductor crystallites in a variety of hosts through a process of co-deposition and subsequent annealing. We also deposit alternate layers of CdS-Se and Al₂O₃ with the semiconductor layer thin enough that interspersed crystallites form. This results in suspended. isolated crystallites similar to the doped-glass materials of interest to nonlinear optics. A waveguide of a CdS/Al₂O₃ "sandwich" demonstrates optical nonlinearity through a power-dependent prism coupling experiment, and the degree of nonlinearity is much greater than undoped glass, though less than doped glass. The final section of the dissertation is a theoretical description of nonlinear optical behavior in a novel composite material consisting of metal particles in a nonlinear dielectric host. We assume the enhanced field around the resonating particles drives the host locally nonlinear through either a Kerr-type or thermal nonlinearity. We calculate the change in optical properties of the medium due to this effect and show that for a system of silver in zinc-sulphide the nonlinearity can be significant.
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherThe University of Arizona.en_US
dc.rightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.en_US
dc.subjectThin films -- Optical properties.en_US
dc.subjectNonlinear optics.en_US
dc.subjectMicrostructure.en_US
dc.titleDeposition and characterization of optically nonlinear thin films with novel microstructure.en_US
dc.typetexten_US
dc.typeDissertation-Reproduction (electronic)en_US
dc.identifier.oclc701552206en_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Arizonaen_US
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen_US
dc.contributor.committeememberBurke, James J.en_US
dc.contributor.committeememberSeaton, Colin T.en_US
dc.identifier.proquest8905788en_US
thesis.degree.disciplineOptical Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineGraduate Collegeen_US
thesis.degree.namePh.D.en_US
dc.description.noteThis item was digitized from a paper original and/or a microfilm copy. If you need higher-resolution images for any content in this item, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.
dc.description.admin-noteOriginal file replaced with corrected file August 2023.
refterms.dateFOA2018-06-11T12:25:25Z
html.description.abstractThis work concerns the vacuum deposition of novel thin films that exhibit nonlinear optical effects due to their unusual microstructure. We discuss four different materials: 1) Tilted columns of aluminum-oxide 2) Gold particles in aluminum-oxide 3) Cadmium sulpho-selenide particles in aluminum-oxide 4) Silver particles in zinc-sulphide. We begin with a description of the vacuum system and some the techniques used to characterize the optical and structural properties of the films. This leads to our study of second-harmonic generation (SHG) in aluminum-oxide thin films deposited at an angle to the evaporant source. We show that SHG is very sensitive to the non-isotropic microstructure that results from such a deposition. and the behavior of the SHG signal with sample orientation provides insight to the symmetry properties of the microstructure. In a related study we show that AU/Al₂O₃ composite films produce a large SHG signal. We investigate the dependence of the strength of the SHG signal with fill-fraction of gold and show that it increases quadratically. in agreement with theory. The third material we discuss is cadmium sulpho-selenide doped aluminumoxide. We describe attempts at nucleating semiconductor crystallites in a variety of hosts through a process of co-deposition and subsequent annealing. We also deposit alternate layers of CdS-Se and Al₂O₃ with the semiconductor layer thin enough that interspersed crystallites form. This results in suspended. isolated crystallites similar to the doped-glass materials of interest to nonlinear optics. A waveguide of a CdS/Al₂O₃ "sandwich" demonstrates optical nonlinearity through a power-dependent prism coupling experiment, and the degree of nonlinearity is much greater than undoped glass, though less than doped glass. The final section of the dissertation is a theoretical description of nonlinear optical behavior in a novel composite material consisting of metal particles in a nonlinear dielectric host. We assume the enhanced field around the resonating particles drives the host locally nonlinear through either a Kerr-type or thermal nonlinearity. We calculate the change in optical properties of the medium due to this effect and show that for a system of silver in zinc-sulphide the nonlinearity can be significant.


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