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Integrating nanowires with nonuniform diameter and random spatial distribution into an array can afford unconventional and additional means for modulating optical response. However, experimental realization of such a nanowire array is quite challenging. In this work, we propose a new fabrication strategy which takes advantage of ion track technology, via sequential swift heavy ion irradiation and ion track etching. Based on this strategy, we unprecedentedly realize nanowire arrays, using gold as an example, with gradient and programmable diameters in a controlled manner. We further demonstrate that such nanowire arrays can support broadband, tunable, and enhanced plasmonic responses. We believe that our new type of nanowire arrays will find great potential in applications such as light management and optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanowire arrays with different sizes were fabricated by electrochemical deposition in etched ion-track templates. The diameter of the gold nanowires between 30 and 130 nm could be well adjusted by pore sizes in the templates through etching time. Single-crystalline nanowires were achieved by changing the parameters of electrochemical deposition. The morphology and crystal structure of the fabricated gold nanowires were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The optical properties of the gold nanowire arrays embodied in templates were systematically measured by absorption spectra with a UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometer. Due to the surface plasmon resonance effect, the extinction peaks of gold nanowire arrays possessed a red-shift with increasing wires diameter and a blue-shift with decreasing angle between incident light and nanowire arrays. The failure current density of the single gold nanowire as a function of diameter was determined and the failure mechanism was also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding and controlling structural properties of the materials are crucial in materials research. In this paper, we report that crystallinity and crystallographic orientation of Pd nanowires can be tailored by varying the fabrication conditions during electrochemical deposition in polycarbonate ion-track templates. By changing the deposition temperature during the fabrication process, the nanowires with both single- and poly-crystallinities were obtained. The wires with preferred crystallographic orientations along [111], [100], and [110] directions were achieved via adjusting the applied voltage and temperature during electrochemical deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gold nanowire arrays with different diameter and length were successfully prepared in etched ion-track template assisted with electrochemical deposition method and the nanowire's crystal structure and morphology were characterized by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM) and scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyse the electronic states of gold nanowire arrays embodied in the template. It was found that the 4f core level binding energy of gold nanowire shifted toward higher binding energy when comparing with bulk gold. The positive binding energy shift increased significantly with decreasing nanowire's length or diameter. The enhanced final-state effect was considered to explain the 4f binding energy shift of gold nanowire arrays embodied in template finally. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu/Ni multilayer nanowire arrays with well controlled diameters, Cu and Ni layer thickness and varying periodicity were fabricated by multi potential deposition technique in etched ion-track template at room temperature. A facile method was adopted to confirm the different layer thickness and corresponding component by only removing the Cu layer. The pure Ni and Cu layer were confirmed in the Cu/Ni multilayer nanowires by using the new method and XRD analysis. The relationships between the coercivity and nanowire diameter, layer thickness and periodicity were obtained by carrying out vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) measurement. The results indicated that the coercivity of multilayer nanowire arrays can be tuned significantly by nanowire diameter, periodicity, Cu and Ni layer thickness. In order to explain the experimental phenomena, Pant's model was modified and adopted to successfully explain the variation of demagnetizing field in Cu/Ni multilayer nanowire arrays after tailoring multiple parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For understanding the interaction between light and noble/magnetism multilayer nanowires, Cu/Ni multilayer nanowires are fabricated by a multi-potential step deposition technique in etched ion-track polycarbonate template. The component and the corresponding layer thickness of multilayer nanowire are confirmed by TEM and EDS line-scan analysis. By tailoring the nanowire diameter, the Cu layer thickness and the periodicity of the nanowire, the extinction spectral of nanowire arrays exhibit an extra sensitivity to the change of structural parameters. The resonance wavelength caused by surface plasmon resonance increases obviously with increasing the nanowire diameter, the Cu layer thickness and the periodicity. The observations in our work can be explained by the “impurity effect” and coupled effect and can also be optimized for developing optical devices based on multilayer nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Plasmon resonance properties of copper nanowires with a nonregular cross section were systematically characterized by polarized extinction spectra. Nanopores with lateral dimensions ranging from ten to hundreds of nanometers have been fabricated by etched ion-track in muscovite mica. The different etching rates along the two crystal axis conduce to anisotropic pore shapes in mica templates. Copper nanowires were fabricated by electrodeposition in etched ion-track mica templates. For the wires with elliptical and rhombic shapes, the spectrum of plasmon resonance is very sensitive to the polarization angle of the incident light. The orientation direction of the applied electric field, as well as the cross-sectional shape and size determines the transverse plasmon resonance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]