High refractive index and transparent heavy metal oxide glassy thin films

Heavy metal oxide thin films of the ternary system Nb2O5–GeO2–PbO have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition in an O2 environment from either glassy or crystalline bulk samples. The range of ([Pb]+[Nb]) content in which the films are optically homogeneous and transparent is much broader (0.5–1.0) than that of the bulk samples considered in the present work (0.55–0.62). The imaginary part of the refractive index is very low in all cases (k<10-3), whereas the real part increases linearly with the ([Pb]+[Nb]) content up to values as high as 2.35. The optical energy gap has been found to be strongly dependent on [Pb], whereas it is almost independent of [Nb]. This dependence is discussed in terms of the role of Pb and Nb as network modifiers or formers. © 2003This work has been partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (Project No. MAT2000-1135-C02-02).Peer Reviewe