Production of functionalised optical oxide films by Pulsed Laser Deposition

This chapter provides a comprehensive introduction to the use of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) for producing films of interest for optical applications. The emphasis will be given on oxide films and the added-value of PLD for structuring films in the nanometer scale as a powerful tool for film functionalisation. The chapter is organised in three sections, the first two provide an introduction to the main features and parameters to be controlled in PLD with emphasis on those aspects that eventually impact on the optical properties of the films. The third section focus on examples of oxide materials for which PLD is emerging as a promising production tool, namely glassy films and nanostructured films, the latter being illustrated for the cases of rareearth ion doping and of embedding nanoparticles that are key routes for producing respectively gain and non-linear optical materials