This book gives an overview of the nanostructure and the resulting electronic and optical properties of metal nanoparticles embedded in insulating polymer matrices. The preparation of such materials is reviewed with special attention to thin film deposition techniques. Deposition parameters, chemical and physical properties of the matrix material as well as the application potential of such films are described. Extensive investigations of the nanostructure are presented and detailed descriptions of the particle geometry given. As a result of various diffusion processes during thermal annealing or electron- and laser-beam irradiation, substantial changes of the metal particle size are observed. Extensive measurements of the electronic and optical properties are presented to demonstrate the detailed relationships between nanostructure and elctronic and optical properties. Modelling of the optical properties with various theories is explained in detail.

This book presents an overview of nanostructure determination and ways to find relationships to the electronic and optical properties. The methods described can be applied to a large number of other granular metal-insulator systems and used as a guideline for characterisation and modelling. In addition, the book describes the manufacture of artificially structured nanomaterials using laser or electron-beam irradiation.