Surface density enhancement of gold in silica film under laser irradiation at 355 nm

P. Jonnard (1) , G. Dufour (1) , J.-L. Rullier (2) , J.-P. Morreeuw (2) , J.T. Donohue (3)

1 LCPMR - Laboratoire de Chimie Physique - Matière et Rayonnement
2 CESTA - Centre d'études scientifiques et techniques d'Aquitaine
3 CENBG - Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux Gradignan

In order to understand the damage mechanisms inside the optics of the high power laser facilities, a model sample has been prepared by introducing gold nanoparticles into a silica film. The mean diameter of the gold clusters is 2.5 nm. Different parts of the sample were irradiated at wavelength 355 nm and fluences up to 1 J/cm2. By looking with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at the intensity of the Au 4f peak relative to that of the Si 2p peak, a surface Au density enrichment is observed. We interpret this as indicating that the gold atoms migrate toward the surface upon the laser irradiation.

Mots clés: gold; optical films; silicon compounds; thin films; nanoparticles; metal clusters; laser beam effects; X-ray photoelectron spectra; density

Domaines: Physique des plasmas [physics.plasm-ph]

P. Jonnard, G. Dufour, J.-L. Rullier, J.-P. Morreeuw, J.T. Donohue. Surface density enhancement of gold in silica film under laser irradiation at 355 nm. Applied Physics Letters, 2004, 85, pp.591-593. ⟨10.1063/1.1777391⟩. ⟨in2p3-00102652⟩