Angle- and polarization-dependent spectral characteristics of circular grating filters.

We design and implement one type of guided mode resonance (GMR) circular grating filters (CGFs) on an HfO2-on-silicon platform. Taking advantage of an angle-resolved micro-reflection measurement system, we achieve their incident angle- and polarization-dependent reflection spectra. For normal incident arbitrary linear polarization, a pair of reflection peaks is experimentally observed due to the coexistence of the azimuthal component Ea and the radial component Er of the incident wave electric field (E-field). For oblique incident s-polarization (E-field perpendicular to the incident plane), the peak excited by the Ea component splits into two sub-peaks due to the removal of degeneracy, while that excited by the Er component gradually fades away with the increase of the incident angle. For oblique incident p-polarization (E-field parallel to the incident plane), the spectrum appears to be reversed; that is, the peak corresponding to the Er component gets split while that corresponding to the Ea component gradually disappears when the incident angle increases. Moreover, we experimentally demonstrate the spectral relationships between CGFs and linear grating filters under not only normal incidence but also oblique incidence; these relationships greatly facilitate the spectral design and tailoring of the CGFs.

Surface modification of grains with silver nano-clusters: a new route to great enhancement of photoluminescence in Eu³âº-doped ferroelectric polycrystalline oxide thin films.

We report on a new route to greatly enhance the photoluminescence of Eu³âº doped ferroelectric polycrystalline oxide thin films: surface modification of grains with silver nanoclusters (NCs). The Ag doped Bi3.6Eu0.4Ti3O12 (BET) thin films were prepared by a chemical solution deposition method. According to the XRD, TEM and XPS analysis, partially oxidated Ag NCs have been formed on the surfaces of the BET grains. A greatly enhanced photoluminescence was obtained in a wide range of Ag doping level. Role of the Ag NCs in the photoluminescence enhancement was investigated by means of absorption, emission and excitation spectra, as well as decay lifetime measurement. The results indicate that the intra-4f transition of Eu³âº can be intensively activated by the coupling of the charge transfer band of BET with the 5D0 state of Eu³âº ions, and the enhancement of Eu³âº ions emission in the present thin films was attributed to the surface modification of BET crystalline grains by Ag NCs. In addition, the influences of Ag NCs on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of these materials were discussed as well.