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Measuring optical properties of individual SnO2 nanowires via valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2017

Derek R. Miller Open the ORCID record for Derek R. Miller [Opens in a new window] ,
Robert E. Williams ,
Sheikh A. Akbar ,
Pat A. Morris  and
David W. McComb
Derek R. Miller
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, Ohio, USA
Robert E. Williams
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, Ohio, USA; and Center for Electron Microscopy and AnalysiS (CEMAS), The Ohio State University, Columbus 43212, Ohio, USA
Sheikh A. Akbar
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, Ohio, USA
Pat A. Morris
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, Ohio, USA
David W. McComb*
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, Ohio, USA; and Center for Electron Microscopy and AnalysiS (CEMAS), The Ohio State University, Columbus 43212, Ohio, USA
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: mccomb.29@osu.edu
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Abstract

For the first time, valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy (VEELS) was applied to individual single-crystalline SnO2 nanowires to investigate the dielectric function, band gap, and optical absorption coefficient. The results are compared with data from optical techniques such as spectroscopic ellipsometry and UV-Vis, and theoretical calculations from variations of density functional theory. The data obtained agree well with the standard optical and theoretical techniques. The dielectric function and optical absorption coefficient are given up to 20 eV, which otherwise requires a synchrotron source and large single crystals via optical methods. The energy loss function is given up to 40 eV, which gives a useful comparison to previous theoretical studies in an energy range that cannot be achieved via optical measurements. The comparison gives confidence in the accuracy of this method for exploring spatially-resolved measurements in individual nanoparticles or more complex nanostructures that are otherwise difficult to measure accurately using optical techniques.

Keywords

EELSdielectric propertiesoxide
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 32 , Issue 13 , 14 July 2017 , pp. 2479 - 2486
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Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2017 

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Footnotes

Contributing Editor: Gary L. Messing

References

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