Recent Progress on Metal‐Based Nanomaterials: Fabrications, Optical Properties, and Applications in Ultrafast Photonics

Abstract

Nanomaterials have demonstrated excellent mechanical, thermal, optical, and electrical properties in various fields, including 1D carbon nanotubes, as well as 2D materials starting from graphene. Metal-based nanomaterials, mainly divided into metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, also gradually come into the sight of ultrafast photonics applications due to the outstanding optical properties. The optical properties of metal nanoparticles can be enhanced by the interaction between conduction electrons with electric fields that is called surface plasmon resonance. As for metal oxide nanoparticles, optical properties are closely related to bandgap structures. When it comes to transition metal oxides, other phenomena also play important roles in optical absorption such as spin inversion and excitons of iron. Moreover, preparation methods of materials are also crucial for their properties and further applications. Therefore, in this review, commonly used physical and chemical fabrication methods for metal-based nanomaterials are first introduced. Then the optical properties of typical metal and metal oxide nanoparticles are discussed specifically. In addition, the applications of metal-based nanomaterials in ultrafast lasers based on mode-locked and Q-switched techniques are also summarized. Finally, a summary and outlook toward the synthesis, optical properties, and applications in ultrafast photonics of metal-based nanomaterials are presented.

Recent Advances and Challenges in Ultrafast Photonics Enabled by Metal Nanomaterials

“…[218] Besides, more and more studies on metal oxides, such as TiO 2 , [219] ZnO, [220] and MgO, [221] also confirm their optical advantages such as tunable bandgap and great stability, indicating a bright future in the ultrafast lasers. [222] 5) Metal nanomaterials can also be applied to producing metasurfaces. Metasurfaces represent the array of sub-wavelength resonant scatterers that can tailor the electromagnetic waves propagation.…”

Preparation of Bimodal Silver Nanoparticle Ink Based on Liquid Phase Reduction Method

“…Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have the properties of most metal nanoparticles, such as excellent chemical stability, adsorption, antibacterial and optical properties [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. In addition, compared with other non-metallic nanomaterials, AgNPs also have better electrical properties [ 17 , 18 ], which makes them increasingly important for applications in microelectronics [ 19 ], optoelectronics [ 20 ], medicine [ 21 , 22 ], catalysis [ 23 , 24 ] and biological sensing [ 6 , 25 ]. Thus far, AgNPs for conductive ink have been primarily synthesized by wet chemical reduction method with dispersants to prevent aggregation [ 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

Laser-Promoted Immobilization of Ag Nanoparticles: Effect of Surface Morphology of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)

“…Nanoparticles in a polymer matrix play an important role in the potential use of polymer composites in modern nanotechnologies due to their unique electrical [ 1 ], catalytic [ 2 ], mechanical [ 3 ], optical [ 4 ], and antimicrobial properties [ 5 , 6 ]. These unique properties are achieved by a combination of physicochemical properties of nanostructured materials [ 7 , 8 ] as well as by the specific surface area of the resulting composite [ 9 ], which ensures the yield in processes under consideration.…”