HOW THE SOL AFFECTS QUALITY OF OPTICAL LAYERS CONTAINING Cu+ IONS

An attempt was made to design and experimentally verify the preparation of multiple optical layers (covers) containing copper 1+ ions for utilisation in active photonic structures (devices). The layers were deposited on the surfaces of common silicate glasses by the sol-gel method via dip-coating. The sols were CuCl, TEOS and three types of surfactants (Triton, Ludox or PEG). The quality and optical properties of the layers were assessed. The resulting Cu+ containing layers were then covered with a silicate thin film in order to preserve the oxidation state of Cu+. The best quality of the examined layers was found for three-layer ones (two containing Cu+ plus one cover layer) prepared using PEG-400. It was shown that, by modifying the deposition conditions, it is possible to significantly affect not only the quality but also the blue-green luminescence of the samples.