A simple and effective method was demonstrated to tune surface plasmon resonance (SPR) wavelength of silver island films by introducing a dielectric medium to vary interisland dielectric constant. The medium, either overcoating or sandwiching the silver islands, can make a dramatic effect on the tunability. We had extended the SPR wavelength tunability of standard silver island film substrates from 432 to 482 nm to 506 to 1310 nm using two dielectric layering methods. A generalized Maxwell–Garnett theory was applied to interpret these results.

We have investigated visible photoluminescence excited by Ar-ion laser (488 nm, 2.54 eV) at room temperature from Si+-implanted silica glass, as-implanted and after subsequent annealing in vacuum. We found two visible luminescence bands: one peaked around 2.0 eV, observed in as-implanted specimens and annealed completely after heating to about 600 °C, the other peaked around 1.7 eV observed only after heating to about 1100 °C, the temperature at which Si segregates from SiOx. It was found that the 2.0 eV band anneals parallel to the E′ centers, as detected by electron spin resonance studies. It was also found that Raman lines around 520 cm−1, due to Si—Si bonds, grow and that interference patterns are induced by annealing Si+-implanted silica glass. Based on these studies, we ascribe the 2.0 eV band to the electron-hole recombination in Si-rich SiO2 and the 1.7 eV band to the electron-hole recombination in the interface between the Si nanocrystal and the SiO2 formed by segregation of crystalline Si from SiOx.

The optical constants of vanadium dioxide (VO2) films were determined at visible and near-infrared wavelengths at various temperatures during a semiconductive–metallic phase transition by ellipsometric analysis with Lorentz-oscillator formulae. The reversible changes in optical constants against temperature due to thermochromism were observed at around 70 °C. The wavelength dispersions of the optical constants were well expressed by the sum of three oscillators and their oscillating energies were attributed to photon-excited transitions. The variation in band structure during the phase transition was monitored, and the relationship between the band structure and optical properties was discussed.

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We have investigated visible photoluminescence excited by Ar ion laser (488 nm, 2.54 eV) at room temperature from Si+-implanted thermal oxide films grown on crystalline Si wafer, as-implanted and after subsequent annealing in vacuum. We found two types of visible luminescence bands similar to those of silica glasses; one band is observed in as-implanted specimens and disappears after heating to about 600 °C, and the other band is observed only after heating the specimens to about 1100 °C. Though the shapes of these luminescence spectra are different from those having been observed in Si+-implanted silica glass, the origins of these bands are the same as in silica glass. We discuss the similarities and the differences of luminescence bands in Si+-implanted silica glasses and thermal oxide films grown on crystalline Si.