MICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE OF GOLD PARTICLES IN A METAL-POLYMER COMPOSITE FILM

Gold particles embedded in a polymer are studied using high resolution electron microscopy, nanodiffraction, and image processing. These par ticles have interesting properties such as nonlinear optical susceptib ility. It is found that most of the nanoparticles are single crystals, and twins and planar defects are scarcely observed. On the other hand , it is found that nanoparticles do not show smooth facets but they ar e instead very rough. The effects of this extended roughness in the op tical properties are discussed. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics .