Formation of copper nanocrystals in photochromic glasses under electron irradiation and heat treatment

It has been experimentally demonstrated that electron irradiation of photochromic glasses containing ions of univalent copper gives rise to the formation of metallic copper nanocrystals in near-surface layers of the glass. The glass composition and conditions for electron irradiation and heat treatment have been shown to affect the amplitude and spectral position of the plasmon resonance of copper nanoparticles. A model has been proposed for explaining the spectral shift in the plasmon resonance.