Laser-induced gold and silver nanoparticle implantation in glass for fabrication of plasmonic structures with multiple use

In this work the method of laser induced reverse transfer is applied for a stabile implantation of gold and silver nanoparticles into glass substrate. The method is based on laser ablation of gold and silver targets covered by soda-lime glass. The experiments are performed using nanosecond laser pulses at wavelength of 1064 nm. The illumination of the target through the glass side results in ablation and embedding of the ablated material into the glass. At certain conditions the implantation process is highly efficient as multiple washing of the substrate with water and even a wiping do not remove the deposited material. Detailed analyses of the processed area are performed in order to clarify the morphology, composition and the structure of the material. The mechanisms of nanoparticle formation and their embedding is discussed on a basis of heat diffusion model describing the evolution of the temperature during laser interaction. Application of the formed structures in Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is demonstrated, as a high-sensitive detection of Ammonium nitrate and organic dyes is obtained. Multiple use of the obtained materials in SERS is also evidenced.