Woodhead Publishing Sol-Gel Derived Optical and Photonic Materials (Woodhead Publishing Series in Electronic and Optical Materials)

Sol-gel processing is a low temperature, low cost wet chemistry route to a range of different materials, particularly glassy and ceramic oxides, including nanoparticles and powders, fibers, thin films and membranes, or monoliths and composites. Thin films and coatings represent by far the most important category of sol-gel derived products with optical, electronic and magnetic functionalities, for example photoresist and dielectric spin-on-glass layers, flat screen displays, anti-reflection, conducting and magnetic disk coatings, as well as photochromic, electrochromic and photovoltaic coatings. Sol-gel derived materials are homogeneous at the molecular level and are a good example of a bottom-up approach to materials synthesis. There is increasing need of new optical and photonic materials with improved performance, where molecular level homogeneity and easy fabrication in film form may be especially convenient, highlighting a decisive advantage of sol-gel over other more established technologies to obtain graded index optical components, solar control coatings, phosphors, glass ceramics or multilayer photonic structures. There is no book available yet which focuses in particular on optical and photonic sol-gel derived materials. This is what makes this book unique at this point for those especially or exclusively interested in optical and photonic functional materials and applications. This book represents an important tool to update scientists and engineers with recent advances in the rapidly evolving field of optical and photonic materials, components and devices. Our target audience are those working in materials science, physics, engineering and chemistry disciplines, in particular academics and researchers working in advanced optical/photonic processing technologies, research and development engineers in high technology industries and research project leaders. This book will also be an essential tool for graduate students pursuing a PhD or even a Master’s degree. Review Comprehensive review of the latest advances in sol-gel synthesis, deposition, characterization, and applications of optical and photonic materials From the Back Cover Sol-gel derived optical and photonic materials reviews the recent advances in the rapidly evolving field of optical and photonic materials, components and devices. Thin films and coatings, the most important category of sol-gel derived materials with optical, electronic, and magnetic functionalities are discussed in the book. Specifically, photoresist and dielectric layers, flat screen displays, anti-reflective coatings, conducting and magnetic disk coatings and photochromic, electrochromic and photovoltaic coatings are addressed. Sol-gel derived optical and photonic materials are typically higher performing materials because they have molecular homogeneity and are easy to fabricate. Key materials such as materials for graded index optical components, solar control coatings, phosphors, glass ceramics, and layered photonic structures are addressed. Sol-gel derived optical and photonic materials is suitable for those working in materials science, physics, engineering and chemistry disciplines in academia and R&D. About the Author Dr. Rui M. Almeida is a Portuguese Materials Scientist. He received his Ph.D. degree in Materials Engineering from University of California, Los Angeles, USA, in 1980. He has started his research and teaching activity at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisboa, Portugal, in several fields of materials science and engineering. From 1990, he is full professor of Materials Engineering. From 1992 until 2010, he was director of ICEMS (Institute of Science and Engineering of Materials and Surfaces), a research organization affiliated with IST. He has published over two hundred scientific papers in peer-reviewed international journals in the broad fields of materials science, physics and chemis