Bismuth vanadate layers alternated with nanoparticle-doped silicon dioxide layers for one-dimensional multilayer photonic crystals

Abstract

Bismuth vanadate is one of most studied materials in the field of photocatalysis due to its high photocatalytic activity. The modulation of its optical properties can be engineered by fabricating photonic crystals in which bismuth vanadate is included. In the present study, bismuth vanadate in the monoclinic clinobisvanite structure has been included in a one-dimensional photonic crystal. Bismuth vanadate layers are alternated with layers on silicon dioxide doped with titanium dioxide nanoparticles and silver nanoparticles. The optical properties of the crystal have been studied by employing the transfer matrix method, taking into account all the refractive index dispersions of the selected materials. The transmission spectra have been studied as a function of the bismuth vanadate layers thickness and the filling factor of titanium dioxide and silver dioxide in the silicon dioxide layers.