Anisotropic optical response of nanocrystalline v2O5 thin films and effects of oxygen vacancy formation

Abstract

We report a high sensitivity to oxygen vacancy formation as well as the temperature dependence of anisotropic optical properties of a nanocrystalline V2O5 thin film. Spectroscopic ellipsometry data show that the film has a uniaxial optical anisotropy due to a highly ordered nanocrystalline layer structure. The anisotropic optical properties of the film begin to change at 400 K in a high vacuum and can be linked to the changes in the electronic structure of the film upon reduction. An increase in the refractive indices, anisotropic changes of the optical conductivities, and a decrease in film thickness are observed after vacuum heating and are recovered to original values by heating in air up to 480 K. The experimental results are supported by the previous theoretical studies on the stability of reduced V2O5 surface through the formation of oxygen vacancies. We discuss the formation of oxygen vacancies, vacancy-induced structural relaxations, and changes in the electronic structure of V2O5 in conjunction with the experimental results.