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Abstract
Devitrite is a novel material produced by heat treatment of commercial soda-lime-silica glass. It consists of fans of needle-like crystals which can extend up to several millimeters and have interspacings of up to a few hundred nanometers. To date, only the material properties of devitrite have been reported, and there has been a distinct lack of research on using it for optical applications. In this study, we demonstrate that randomly oriented fans of devitrite crystals can act as highly efficient diffusers for visible light. Devitrite crystals produce phase modulation of light because of their relatively high anisotropy. The nanoscale spacings between these needles enable light to be diffused to large scattering angles. Experimentally measured results suggest that light diffusion patterns with beam widths of up to 120° are produced. Since devitrite is an inexpensive material to produce, it has the potential to be used in a variety of commercial applications.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2929-2935 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | ACS Nano |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 21 Feb 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 25 Mar 2014 |
Keywords
- devitrite
- diffraction
- diffusers
- nanoscale spacings
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Engineering
- General Materials Science
- General Physics and Astronomy
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Dive into the research topics of 'Devitrite-based optical diffusers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 2 Finished
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IAA 2012 - FOF Devitrite based optical diffusers
Butt, H.
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council
1/06/14 → 30/11/14
Project: Research Councils
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Impact Acceleration Account - UOB 2012
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council
1/10/12 → 31/03/17
Project: Research Councils