Effect of Na2O Addition to Ag2O-Doped Phosphate Glasses on Enhancement of Silver Particle Precipitation by Low-Energy Ion Irradiation

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Abstract
The precipitation of Ag particles in x Na2O– yAg2O– zAl2O3–(1- x- y- z)P2O5 glasses was studied. The volume fraction of quantum-size Ag precipitates was enhanced by nitrogen ion irradiation at room temperature. Ion-irradiation-enhanced precipitation was observed up to a distance of 80 nm from the glass surface. In the absence of Na2O (x=0), Ag was selectively sputtered by the nitrogen ion flux. In glasses containing Na2O, irradiation-induced Ag removal could be suppressed and the amount of precipitates increased. The third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility, χ(3), of the irradiated glasses was estimated to range from 5.5 to 8.8×10-7 esu. The large susceptibilities are consistent with the large amount of Ag precipitates. The irradiation-induced decomposition of Ag2O and Na2O is one possible precipitant-forming mechanism.