Non-Linear Behaviour of Thermally Deposited Silver Oxide Thin Films

Abstract

Silver oxide thin films were synthesized on a glass substrate using a thermal evaporation technique at room temperature, followed by post-annealing in a vacuum furnace at 150 °C for 30 minutes. The synthesized thin films were characterized for structural, morphological, and nonlinear optical properties. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the deposited films were cubic with a cuprite crystal structure. Morphology of the deposited thin films was studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The optical limiting behaviour of the thin films was investigated using a resonant laser wavelength. These films were also experimentally investigated using a Fabry-Perot interferometer for their optical bistable nature. The prepared thin films showed optical limiting behavior at laser wavelengths of 632 nm.