Monoclinic Optical Constants, Birefringence, and Dichroism of Slanted Titanium Nanocolumns Determined by Generalized Ellipsometry

Authors

Daniel Schmidt, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Benjamin Booso, Electro-Optics Graduate Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
Tino Hofmann, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Eva Schubert, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Andrew Sarangan, Electro-Optics Graduate Program, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
Mathias Schubert, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2009

Comments

Published in APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS 94, 011914 (2009). Copyright © 2009 American Institute of Physics. Used by permission.

Abstract

Generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry determines the principal monoclinic optical constants of thin films consisting of slanted titanium nanocolumns deposited by glancing angle deposition under 85° incidence and tilted from the surface normal by 47°. Form birefringence measured for wavelengths from 500 to 1000 nm renders the Ti nanocolumns monoclinic absorbing crystals with c-axis along the nanocolumns, b-axis parallel to the film interface, and 67.5° monoclinic angle between the a- and c-axes. The columnar thin film reveals anomalous optical dispersion, extreme birefringence, strong dichroism, and differs completely from bulk titanium. Characteristic bulk interband transitions are absent in the spectral range investigated.