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The integration of organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules on greenhouses is an encouraging practice to offset the energy demands of crop growth and provide extra functionality to dedicated farmland. Nevertheless, such OPV devices must meet certain optical and stability requirements to turn net zero energy greenhouse systems a reality. Here a donor:acceptor polymer blend is optimized for its use in laminated devices while matching the optical needs of crops. Optical modeling is performed and a greenhouse figure-of-merit is introduced to benchmark the trade-off between photovoltaic performance and transparency for both chloroplasts and humans. Balanced donor:acceptor ratios result in better-performing and more thermally stable devices than acceptor-enriched counterparts. The optimized polymer blend and state-of-the-art polymer:small-molecule blends are next transferred to 25 cm2 laminated modules processed entirely from solution and in ambient conditions. The modules are mounted on a greenhouse as standalone or 4-terminal tandem configurations and their outdoor stability is tracked for months. The study reveals degradation modes undetectable under laboratory conditions such as module delamination, which accounts for 10–20% loss in active area. Among the active layers tested, polymer:fullerene blends are the most stable and position as robust light harvesters in future building-integrated OPV systems., X.R.-M., S.R.-G., and O.I. acknowledge the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation for funding. S.R.-G. is thankful to the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020) for grant agreement No. 101025608, IDEAL. The authors acknowledge Dr. Bernhard Dörling for building the electronic controller of the accelerated blade coater and Dr. M. Gibert-Roca for designing the corresponding multiplexor. M.C.-Q. thanks to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for funding through ISOSCELLES project (PID2021-128924OB-I00). The table of contents figure contains freely available resources from https://flaticon.com.

Several beetle species in the Scarabaeoidea superfamily reflect left-handed polarized light due to a circular Bragg structure in their cuticle. The right-handed polarized light is transmitted. The objective here is to evaluate cuticle chiral properties in an effective medium approach using transmission Mueller matrices assuming the cuticle to be a bianisotropic continuum. Both differential decomposition and nonlinear regression were used in the spectral range of 500–1690 nm. The former method provides the sample cumulated birefringence and dichroic optical properties and is model-free but requires a homogeneous sample. The materials chirality is deduced from the circular birefringence and circular dichroic spectra obtained. The regression method requires dispersion models for the optical functions but can also be used in more complex structures including multilayered and graded media. It delivers the material properties in terms of model functions of materials’ permittivity and chirality. The two methods show excellent agreement for the complex-valued chirality spectrum of the cuticle.Several beetle species in the Scarabaeoidea superfamily reflect left-handed polarized light due to a circular Bragg structure in their cuticle. The right-handed polarized light is transmitted. The objective here is to evaluate cuticle chiral properties in an effective medium approach using transmission Mueller matrices assuming the cuticle to be a bianisotropic continuum. Both differential decomposition and nonlinear regression were used in the spectral range of 500–1690 nm. The former method provides the sample cumulated birefringence and dichroic optical properties and is model-free but requires a homogeneous sample. The materials chirality is deduced from the circular birefringence and circular dichroic spectra obtained. The regression method requires dispersion models for the optical functions but can also be used in more complex structures including multilayered and graded media. It delivers the material properties in terms of model functions of materials’ permittivity and chirality. The two methods ...

PEDOT:PSS is a well studied organic conductor, commonly used as a transparent electrode material in printed organic devices such as organic solar cells. PEDOT:PSS thin films are known to be uniaxially anisotropic and exhibit a lower extinction coefficient and lower refractive index in the out of plane direction. To determine the maximum attainable photocurrent in thin film solar cells, the optical power dissipation can be calculated by the transfer matrix method. However, until now the anisotropic properties of PEDOT:PSS films have not been included in the model. In this work we have included an uniaxial anisotropic treatment of PEDOT:PSS films. We investigate reversed and semitransparent solar cells, with aluminum and PEDOT:PSS respectively as the second electrode and PEDOT:PSS as the top electrode, as compared to devices with isotropic PEDOT:PSS electrodes. For p-polarized light at large oblique incidence the inclusion of anisotropy shows a gain of over 7% for the maximum photocurrent in reversed solar ...

We report how the total carbon content and the amorphous carbon (a-C) phase fraction in transition metal carbide/a-C nanocomposite coatings can be obtained using optical methods, which are much more practical for industrial use than conventional X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A large set of carbon-containing nanocomposite coatings deposited using different magnetron sputtering techniques were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, reflectance spectrophotometry, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The chemical composition and the a-C phase fraction were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for each coating and results are presented for the Ti C, Cr C, and Nb C systems. The composition and the a-C phase fraction are correlated to optical reflectance in the visible range, by parametrization in L*a*b* color space, and by ellipsometry primary data. Results show that it is possible to rapidly estimate the composition and the a-C fraction using these optical methods. We propose that optical methods have promising use in the industry as a cost-efficient technique for characterization of carbide-based coatings.

Bi2O3 thin films were grown using reactive RF sputtering from a metallic Bi target. The influence of various deposition parameters (substrate temperature, applied power on target and oxygen content in the working gas) on the morphology, structure and optical properties of films was investigated. Depending on the O-2/(Ar + O-2) ratio of the working gas, bismuth, delta-Bi2O3, alpha-Bi2O3 or a mixture of these phases can be deposited, with a narrow window for growth of [111]-oriented delta-Bi2O3 thin films. The delta-Bi2O3 phase is stable from room temperature up to 350 degrees C (in air), where an irreversible transition to alpha-Bi2O3 occurs. This phase transformation is also shown to occur during TEM sample preparation, because of the inherent heating from the ion-milling process, unless liquid -nitrogen cooling is used. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V. Funding Agencies|Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (Future Research Leaders 5); Nordforsk [9046]; Nordic Innovation Centre [09046]; European Research Council (ERC) under the European Communitys Seventh Framework Programme (FP)/ERC [335383]; Swedish Research Council (VR) [2012-4430]

The use of Mueller matrices for studies of polarizing properties and cuticle structure of scarab beetles are partly reviewed. Specifically we show how the polarization of the reflected light can be quantified in terms of degree of polarization and ellipticity. It is also shown that sum decomposition of Mueller matrices reveals cuticle reflection characteristics in different spectral regions, e.g. in terms of mirrors and circular polarizers. With a differential decomposition of cuticle transmission Mueller matrices, we determine the spectral variation in the fundamental optical properties circular birefringence and dichroism.

Transparent films of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are prepared by dip-coating on glass substrates from aqueous suspensions of hydrolyzed filter paper. Dragging forces acting during films&rsquo, deposition promote a preferential alignment of the rod-shaped CNC. Films that are 2.8 and 6.0 &micro, m in thickness show retardance effects, as evidenced by placing them between a linearly polarized light source and a linear polarizer sheet in the extinction configuration. Transmission Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements at normal incidence as a function of sample rotation were used to characterize polarization properties. A differential decomposition of the Mueller matrix reveals linear birefringence as the unique polarization parameter. These results show a promising way for obtaining CNC birefringent films by a simple and controllable method.

Since the introduction of attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy for the characterization of materials, attempts have been made to relate the measured reflectivity ( R ) to the absorption coefficient ( α ) of the absorbing material of interest. The common approach is limited to the low absorption case under the assumption R ∼ exp ( − α d e ) , where d e is an effective thickness, which is evaluated for the lossless case. In this Letter, a more detailed derivation leads to R = exp ( − β d p / 2 ) , enabling the definition of an ATR-effective absorption coefficient β and the penetration depth d p of the electric field in the absorbing material. It is found that β ∼ 4 π ε 2 / λ , where ε 2 is the imaginary part of the complex dielectric function of the absorbing material, and λ is the wavelength. An alternative formulation is R = exp ( − α d ef ) , where d ef is a generalized effective thickness for arbitrary strength of absorption which reduces to d e in the low absorption limit. The experimental data for water, the biopolymer chitosan, and soda-lime glass prove the reliability of the ATR-effective absorption coefficient in the infrared range.

Experimental results of an optical study of single-crystal zinc are presented. Components of the Zn dielectric function tensor were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the 0.1–5 eV spectral range. In the NIR–VIS range, the dielectric function spectra show two clearly resolved, polarization-dependent optical features located at about 1 and 1.7 eV. The optical features were analyzed in a framework of parallel-band optical transitions. The performed theoretical calculations of the optical conductivity spectra well reproduce the experimental data with respect to positions, intensities, and polarization dependencies of the observed interband absorption peaks.

Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) can exhibit striking colours produced by pigments and/or nanostructures. The latter include helicoidal (Bouligand) structures that can generate circularly polarized light. These have a cryptic evolutionary history in part because fossil examples are unknown. This suggests either a real biological signal, i.e. that Bouligand structures did not evolve until recently, or a taphonomic signal, i.e. that conditions during the fossilization process were not conducive to their preservation. We address this issue by experimentally degrading circularly polarizing cuticle of modern scarab beetles to test the relative roles of decay, maturation and taxonomy in controlling preservation. The results reveal that Bouligand structures have the potential to survive fossilization, but preservation is controlled by taxonomy and the diagenetic history of specimens. Further, cuticle of specific genus (Chrysina) is particularly decay-prone in alkaline conditions; this may relate to the presence of certain compounds, e.g. uric acid, in the cuticle of these taxa.

Light interaction with a columnar structure of InxAl1-xN where each column is a layered periodic helical medium with laterally graded refractive index is considered. It is demonstrated that such a columnar structure can be presented as a stack of layers with a gradient of the refractive index. To calculate reflectance in the proposed model, the 2 x 2 characteristic matrix method adopted for a gradient index medium was applied. The influence of the refractive indices (including absorption), parameters of the twisting, and thickness of the periodic structure on reflectance is studied. Cases of normal and oblique incident light are considered. The presented medium is a one-dimensional photonic crystal that can be utilized in many devices for light manipulation. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V. Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council Formas [2009-1425]; Swedish Energy Agency [42476-1]

The exoskeleton, also called the cuticle, of specimens of the scarab beetle Cetonia aurata is a narrow-band reflector which exhibits metallic shine. Most specimens of C. aurata have a reflectance maximum in the green part of the spectrum but variations from blue–green to red–green are also found. A few specimens are also more distinct blue or red. Furthermore, the reflected light is highly polarized and at near-normal incidence near-circular left-handed polarization is observed. The polarization and color phenomena are caused by a nanostructure in the cuticle. This nanostructure can be modeled as a multilayered twisted biaxial layer from which reflection properties can be calculated. Specifically we calculate the cuticle Mueller matrix which then is fitted to Mueller matrices determined by dual-rotating compensator ellipsometry in the spectral range 400–800nm at multiple angles of incidence. This non-linear regression analysis provides structural parameters like pitch of the chiral structure as well as layer refractive index data for the different layers in the cuticle. The objective here is to compare spectra measured on C. aurata with different colors and develop a generic structural model. Generally the degree of polarization is large in the spectral region corresponding to the color of the cuticle which for the blue specimen is 400–600nm whereas for the red specimen it is 530–730nm. In these spectral ranges, the Mueller-matrix element m41 is non-zero and negative, in particular for small angles of incidence, implicating that the reflected light becomes near-circularly polarized with an ellipticity angle in the range 20°–45°.

Metamaterials in the form of chiral nanostructures have shown great potential for applications such as chemical and biochemical sensors and broadband or wavelength tunable circular polarizers. Here we demonstrate a method to produce tailored transparent chiral nanostructures with the wide-bandgap semiconductor AlxIn1−xN. A series of anisotropic and transparent films of AlxIn1−xN were produced using curved-lattice epitaxial growth on metallic buffer layers. By controlling the sample orientation during dual magnetron sputter deposition, nanospirals with right-handed or left-handed chirality were produced. Using a dual rotating compensator ellipsometer in reflection mode, the full Mueller matrix was measured in the spectral range 245–1700nm at multiple angles of incidence. The samples were rotated one full turn around their normal during measurements to provide a complete description of the polarization properties in all directions. For certain wavelengths, unpolarized light reflected off these films becomes highly polarized with a polarization state close to circular. Nanostructured films with right- and left-handed chirality produce reflections with right- and left-handed near-circularly polarized light, respectively. A model with a biaxial layer in which the optical axes are rotated from bottom to top was fitted to the Mueller-matrix data. Hence we can perform non-destructive structural analysis of the complex thin layers and confirm the tailored structure. In addition, the refractive index, modeled with a biaxial Cauchy dispersion model, is obtained for the AlxIn1−xN films.

When illuminated with unpolarized light, the scarab beetle Chrysina gloriosa, reflects left-handed near-circularly polarized light for a broad range of angles of incidence and wavelengths in the visible. It is, however, known that light scattered from the sky, reflected on water or transmitted through leaves often is linearly polarized. In this study we have analysed the polarization of light reflected on this beetle when illuminated with different polarization states of light. We have also analysed how the response would be with a polarization-sensitive detector. The reflected irradiance is shown to be highest when the incident light is s-polarized or left-handed polarized and the detector is unpolarized (or vice versa). In the case in which both, the source and the detector, are polarized, the irradiance is highest when both are s-polarized. On the contrary the visibility is low when the source is s-polarized and the detector is p-polarized.

We present in this study a quantitative estimate of the dispersive interactions between lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose, which are the dominating components in wood and also extensively used to produce paper and packaging materials. The dielectric properties in the UV-visible region of spin-coated films of pure lignin and glucomannan were determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The non-retarded Hamaker constants were estimated from the determined spectral parameters using Lifshitz theory for lignin and glucomannan interacting with cellulose, titania and calcium carbonate in vacuum, water and hexane. The Hamaker constants for the different combinations of cellulose, lignin and glucomannan fall within a relatively narrow range of 35–58 and 8–17 zJ, for the values in vacuum (air) and water, respectively. The estimated Hamaker constants for the interactions of the wood components with TiO2 and CaCO3, common additives in paper, in water range from 3 to 19 zJ, thus being similar in magnitude as the interactions between the wood components themselves. In contrast, the Hamaker constant is essentially zero for glucomannan interacting with calcium carbonate in hexane. The Hamaker constants for lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose determined in this study can provide information regarding the surface interactions important for e.g. adhesion, friction, swelling and wetting in paper processing as well as for the resulting behavior of paper products. Funding Agencies|ABB AB||Swedish Energy Agency through the ELEKTRA program||Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)||Strategic Research Foundation (SSF)

In this work we present reflectance imaging as a suitable method for in situ monitoring of the drying process of film formation for organic photovoltaics (OPV) over large areas, as well as for lab- ...

Transmission Mueller-matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry is applied to the cuticle of the beetle Cetonia aurata in the spectral range 300-1000 nm. The cuticle is optically reciprocal and exhibits circular Bragg filter features for green light. By using differential decomposition of the Mueller matrix, the circular and linear birefringence as well as dichroism of the beetle cuticle are quantified. A maximum value of structural optical activity of 560 degrees/mm is found. (C) 2016 Optical Society of America Funding Agencies|Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University; Carl Tryggers Foundation [CTS:31]; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation [2004.0233]; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACYT); Vetenskapsradet (VR) [621-2011-4283]

An approach for simulation of light scattering from beetles exhibiting structural colors originating from periodic helicoidal structures is presented. Slight irregularities of the periodic structure in the exoskeleton of the beetles are considered as a major cause of light scattering. Two sources of scattering are taken into account: surface roughness and volume non-uniformity. The Kirchhoff approximation is applied to simulate the effect of surface roughness. To describe volume non-uniformity, the whole structure is modeled as a set of domains distributed in space in different orientations. Each domain is modeled as an ideal uniformly twisted uniaxial medium and differs from each other by the pitch. Distributions of the domain parameters are assumed to be Gaussian. The analysis is performed using the Mueller matrix formalism which, in addition to spectral and spatial characteristics, also provides polarization properties of the scattered light. (C) 2016 Optical Society of America Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council Formas; Swedish Research Council VR

The optical properties of several scarab beetles have been previously studied but few attempts have been made to compare beetles in the same genus. To determine whether there is any relation between specimens of the same genus, we have studied and classified seven species from the Chrysina genus. The polarization properties were analyzed with Mueller-matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry and the structural characteristics with optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Most of the Chrysina beetles are green colored or have a metallic look (gold or silver). The results show that the green-colored beetles polarize reflected light mainly at off-specular angles. The gold-colored beetles polarize light left-handed near circular at specular reflection. The structure of the exoskeleton is a stack of layers that form a cusplike structure in the green beetles whereas the layers are parallel to the surface in the case of the gold-colored beetles. The beetle C. gloriosa is green with gold-colored stripes along the elytras and exhibits both types of effects. The results indicate that Chrysina beetles can be classified according to these two major polarization properties. Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation; Swedish Research Council; Centre in Nano Science and Nano Technology (CeNano) at Linkoping University

Recent findings have shown that it is possible to use the Layer-by-Layer technique to create nanofibrillated cellulose / polyethyleneimine interference films whose colour change with relative humidity. This study uses different optical models to describe spectral ellipsometry measurements data of interference films and how the film properties alter in dry and humid environments. The results indicate that water condensation initially is filling the surface pores within seconds whereas relaxation of the film to adjust to the added water is a slower process that reaches a steady state after »20 min. The maximum swelling ratio of the LbL films is almost independent of the number of layers within the film, but decreases considerably by crosslinking via heat treatment. The films show a distinct birefringence with optical axis perpendicular to the surface. Analysis of the moisture response with different optical models indicates that the films swell uniformly in the thickness direction with no separate water film on top. The results provide important understanding for the design of NFC based LbL films for visual moisture sensors and interactive security paper.

One hundred years ago Michelson discovered circular polarization in reflection from beetles. Today a novel Mueller-matrix ellipsometry setup allows unprecedented detailed characterization of the beetles polarization properties. A formalism based on elliptical polarization for description of reflection from scarab beetles is here proposed and examples are given on four beetles of different character: Coptomia laevis - a simple dielectric mirror; Cetonia aurata - a left-hand narrow- band elliptical polarizer; Anoplognathus aureus - a broad-band elliptical polarizer; and Chrysina argenteola - a left-hand polarizer for visible light at small angles, whereas for larger angles, red reflected light is right-handed polarized. We confirm the conclusion of previous studies which showed that a detailed quantification of ellipticity and degree of polarization of cuticle reflection can be performed instead of only determining whether reflections are circularly polarized or not. We additionally investigate reflection as a function of incidence angle. This provides much richer information for understanding the behaviour of beetles and for structural analysis. Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation||Swedish Research Council

Optical and structural properties of a hybrid metallic chevron sculptured thin film from titanium coated with the semiconducting polymer poly(3-dodecylthiophene) (P3DDT) are reported. The nanostructured thin film with two subsequent layers of oppositely slanted nanocolumns was fabricated by glancing angle deposition and coated with P3DDT by a spin-cast process. Spectroscopic generalized ellipsometry is employed to determine geometrical structure properties and the anisotropic optical constants of the coated and uncoated film in the spectral range from 400 to 1700 nm. The nanostructured thin films before and after hybridization show highly anisotropic optical properties. The complex refractive indices along major polarizability directions of the hybridized chevrons are increased in the entire investigated spectral range with respect to the as-deposited chevrons. Changes in birefringence and dichroism upon polymer infiltration are observed.

In many coating and display applications, quantitative determination of the sample color is required. Standard procedures exist for converting an experimentally measured reflectivity spectrum into color coordinates such as CIE L*a*b*. In this paper we evaluate CIE L*a*b* color coordinates using a reflectivity spectrum which is calculated from an optical model determined by a spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) analysis of the sample. The accuracy of the SE-determined color coordinates are compared with traditional color measurements, and the advantages of using SE for color determination are discussed.

Ellipsometry is well-suited for bioadsorption studies and numerous reports, mainly using null ellipsometry, are found on this subject whereas investigations addressing structural properties of thin biolayers are few. Here two examples based on the use of spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) on the latter are briefly discussed. In the first example, time evolution of thickness, spectral refractive index and surface mass density of a fibrinogen matrix forming on a silicon substrate are investigated with SE and a structural model of the protein matrix is discussed. In the second example a model dielectric function concept for protein monolayers is presented. The model allows parameterization of the optical properties which facilitates monitoring of temperature induced degradation of a protein layer. More recently, photonic structures in beetles have been studied with SE. It is shown here that full Mueller-matrix SE can resolve very complex nanostructures in scarab beetles, more specifically chiral structures causing reflected light to become circularly polarized.

5th International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, Univ Albany, Coll Nanoscale & Engn, Albany, NY, MAY 23-29, 2010; International audience; We present a study of the optical properties of three-armed square nanospirals made of silver and realized as nanostructured thin films with Glancing Angle Deposition. Optical property variations with polarization were investigated using numerical simulations. For each polarisation case, two principal resonances were determined corresponding to excitation of plasmonic modes of nanospirals which resonance's frequency depended on the dimensions of the nanospirals. Calculation of current flows in the nanospirals showed patterns resembling those observed in U-shaped resonators. In particular, a mode with anti-parallel current flow in opposite arms indicates the existence of a magnetic-like resonance in the square nanospirals. We present also generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements obtained on one sample at an incidence angle of 25, and evidence conversion between polarization states even for light polarized in the plane containing one of the arms. The measurements showed good agreement with the results of calculations for an ideal structure. The differences in the conversion of polarization between measurements and calculations were mainly attributed to the existence of structural non-idealities in the actual sample. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The results of room-temperature spectroscopic ellipsometry study of single-grain face-centred icosahedral (fci) ZnMgY, ZnMgHo, and ZnMgEr quasicrystals in the spectral range of 0.1–6.5 eV are presented. Analysis of the optical conductivity spectra, carried out within a framework of the band structure hypothesis, reveals that an optical response of the fci-ZnMgRE quasicrystals is determined by a superposition of the intraband Drude-type contribution and that of the interband optical transitions across a pseudogap. The deduced parameters of the fci-ZnMgRE electron energy spectrum are close to their values determined previously from an analysis of the fci-ZnMgRE photoemission data.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry in the photon energy range from 0.04 eV to 6.50 eV is used for investigation of the optical response of Zn1-xBexTe crystals grown by a high-pressure Bridgman method in the composition range x ≤ 0.12. Infrared spectra display absorption bands centred between 411 cm−1 and 420 cm−1 associated with BeTe-type optical phonon modes. The positions of the transverse-optical and longitudinal-optical phonon modes have been found by modelling the line shape of the complex dielectric functions, e ˜ and Im ( − e ˜ − 1 ) , using a classical damped Lorentzian oscillator approach. Ellipsometric measurements in the VIS–UV range allow determination of the fundamental energy-gap (E0) and the higher threshold energies (E1, E1 + Δ1, E2) originating from the band edge and spin-orbit splitting critical points. We have found that the Be content x = 0.12 causes an increase of the fundamental energy gap about 0.15 eV at room temperature when compared to the E0 = 2.23 eV of ZnTe crystal at the same temperature. Photoluminescence spectra were measured in the temperature range from 30 K to room temperature. Luminescence at temperature T > 200 K is very weak. The peak positions of the exciton emission lines agree well with the E0 band-gaps derived from ellipsometric data if corrected for their temperature dependence.

Thin films of NixW1-x oxides with x = 0.05, 0.19, 0.43 and 0.90 were studied. Films with thicknesses in the range 125-250 nm were deposited on silicon wafers at room temperature by reactive DC magnetron co-sputtering from targets of Ni and W. The films were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). XRD spectra and SEM micrographs showed that all films were amorphous and possessed a columnar structure. The ellipsometric angles psi and Delta of as-deposited films were measured by a rotating analyzer ellipsometer in the UV-visible-near infrared range (0.63-6.18 eV) and by an infrared Fourier transform rotating compensator ellipsometer in the 500-5200 cm(-1) wavenumber range. SE measurements were performed at angles of incidence of from 50 degrees to 70 degrees. Parametric models were used to extract thicknesses of the thin films and overlayers of NixW1-x oxide at different compositions, band gaps and optical constants. Features in the optical spectra of the NixW1-x oxides were compared with previous data on tungsten oxide, nickel oxide and nickel tungstate. 5th International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, MAY 23-29, 2010,Albany, NY

In this article, spectroscopic ellipsometry studies of plasmon resonances at metal–dielectric interfaces of thin films are reviewed. We show how ellipsometry provides valuable non-invasive amplitude and phase information from which one can determine the effective dielectric functions, and how these relate to the material nanostructure and define exactly the plasmonic characteristics of the system. There are three related plasmons that are observable using spectroscopic ellipsometry; volume plasmon resonances, surface plasmon polaritons and particle plasmon resonances. We demonstrate that the established method of exploiting surface plasmon polaritons for chemical and biological sensing may be enhanced using the ellipsometric phase information and provide a comprehensive theoretical basis for the technique. We show how the particle and volume plasmon resonances in the ellipsometric spectra of nanoparticle films are directly related to size, surface coverage and constituent dielectric functions of the nanoparticles. The regularly observed splitting of the particle plasmon resonance is theoretically described using modified effective medium theories within the framework of ellipsometry. We demonstrate the wealth of information available from real-time in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements of metal film deposition, including the evolution of the plasmon resonances and percolation events. Finally, we discuss how generalized and Mueller matrix ellipsometry hold great potential for characterizing plasmonic metamaterials and sub-wavelength hole arrays.

Electrochromic films of tungsten oxide and nickel oxide were made by reactive dc magnetron sputtering and were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The optical properties were investigated in detail by spectroscopic ellipsometry and spectrophotometry, using a multiple-sample approach. The W oxide film was modeled as a homogeneous isotropic layer, whereas the Ni oxide film was modeled as an anisotropic layer with the optical axis perpendicular to the surface. Parametric models of the two layers were then used to derive complex refractive index in the 300-1700-nm-range, film thickness, and surface roughness. A band gap of 3.15 eV was found for the W oxide film, using a Tauc-Lorentz parameterization. For the Ni oxide film, taken to have direct optical transitions, band gaps along the optical axis, perpendicular to it, and in an isotropic intermediate layer at the bottom of the film were found to be 3.95, 3.97, and 3.63 eV, respectively. Parameterization for the Ni oxide was made by use of the Lorentz model.

Effects of Ion Concentration on Refractive Indices of Fluids Measured by the Minimum Deviation Technique

In this work, spectroscopic ellipsometry and vector network analysis are used to determine the electromagnetic response of three samples, an epoxy polymer, a sample with ferrit-based nanoparticles in a polymer matrix and silicon, in the wavelength ranges 0.4-30 µm and 0.75- 7.59 cm. Both methods measure amplitude and phase changes due to interaction with a sample and can be used to measure the full complex-valued dielectric response to electromagnetic radiation. The data from the two methods show similar levels of the response at the two ends of the spectral gap between the ranges of the two methods.

Methodology for studies of effects of heating multilayers of human serum albumin (HSA) and anti-HSA is presented. Multilayers of anti-HSA were prepared on silicon substrates and studied with infrar ...

The optical properties of the azo-dyes SD-1/SDA-2, which are used for photoaligning of liquid crystals (LCs), are investigated with Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (VASE). Films of mixtur ...

Optical and compositional properties of In, In/Pd and Pd/In/Pd thin films evaporated on Cu and SiO2 substrates in vacuum were investigated by means of X-ray diffractometry, Auger electron spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry methods. Auger depth profile studies were performed in order to determine the composition of InCu and InPd structures. In both systems interdiffusion of metals was detected at room temperature. The XRD patterns indicated formation of CuIn2 and PdIn3 phases in the samples. Optical properties of the composite layers containing intermetallic phases were derived from ellipsometric quantities Ψ and Δ measured in the photon energy range 0.1-6.0 eV at different angles of incidence using suitable multilayer models for the examined samples.

We have used seven different techniques to measure the anisotropic refractive index of poly(vinylcarbazole) films. These techniques are: two types of variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE ...

Optical and luminescence properties of the Bridgman-grown Cd 1-x-y Be x Zn y Se and Zn 1-x-y Be x Mg y Se crystals are reported. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was employed for determination of spectral dependence of the complex dielectric function ?(E) in the photon energy range 0.75-6.5eV. Below the absorption edge the refractive indices n(E) of the alloys were modelled using a Sellmeier-type relation. The excitonic band-gap energies were estimated from the ellipsometric and photoluminescence measurements. Compositional effects in the ellipsometric and photoluminescence spectra are discussed.

Lattice absorption of Zn 1-x-y Be x Mg, Se and Cd 1-x-y Be x Zn y Se mixed crystals grown by a high pressure Bridgman method has been investigated by infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry in the wave number range from 230 cm to 5000 cm -1 . Ellip-sometric spectra of Cd 1-x-y Be x Zn y Se crystals display features in the spectral range 350-550 cm associated with BeSe-type phonon modes. In the optical spectra of Zn 1-x-y Be x Mg y Se crystals both BeSe-type and MgSe-type: lattice absorption bands are detected. The MgSe-like modes are located at approximately 300 cm -1 . The frequencies and oscillator strengths of optical phonon modes depend strongly on the alloy composition.

For modeling of advanced optical structures there is a need for stronger and more flexible modeling tools. Our aim is to develop and verify an application tool for calculations based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) of optical structures. To be able to understand which effects in the results that arises from limitations in the model, we begin by verifying the application tool for the most basic surface structures and gradually increase the complexity of the structures.

The optical properties in terms of dielectric function e(hSω)= e1(hSω)+ie2(hSω)of rocksalt pb 1-xsnx Te alloyes (0≤x≤1)are investigated experimentally by spectroscopic ellipsometry and theoreticall ...

Ellipsometry used in internal reflection mode exhibits enhanced thin film sensitivity if operated close to surface plasmon resonance conditions. Compared to conventional ellipsometry, the changes in the ellipsometric parameter Δ are several orders of magnitude larger. Here, the origin of this large sensitivity is discussed by analysing thin film approximations of the complex reflectance ratio. It is found that the thickness sensitivity in Δ is proportional to the inverse of the difference between the intrinsic and the radiation-induced damping of the surface plasmons.