Selecting the state of shape memory alloys by optical filtering

The aim of this work is to design and fabricate narrow-band optical filters to control the state of shape memory alloys (SMA). The study focuses on developing optical filters capable of inducing localized deformation in SMA micro wires, which are wirelessly operated using laser beams. To achieve this, various filter designs were evaluated through optical modeling of multilayer coatings, tailored to the required filtering function, using the specialized software “Geneticode”. Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and silver (Ag) were deposited onto glass substrates using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) and sputtering techniques, respectively, to fabricate optical filters based on the multi-cavity metal-dielectric (MCMD). The optical properties of the SiOₓC_γ:H and Ag films, including the refractive index, were analyzed using transmission and reflection spectra. These properties were determined by applying classical models such as the O’Leary-Johnson-Lim (OJL) interband transition model, the harmonic oscillator model, Tauc-Lorentz model and the Drude model.