Ultratransparent glass-ceramics: the structure factor and the quenching of the Rayleigh scattering

TL;DR

This paper investigates why glass-ceramics with nanocrystals are more transparent than Rayleigh scattering theory predicts, attributing this to nanoparticle spatial correlations and low density fluctuations.

Contribution

It models the structure factor of nanoparticle arrangements and links spatial correlations to ultra-transparency in glass-ceramics.

Findings

Spatial correlation reduces Rayleigh scattering.

Low density fluctuations enhance transparency.

Diffraction peaks indicate nanoparticle ordering.

Abstract

Glass-ceramics with nanocrystals present a transparency higher than that expected from the theory of Rayleigh scattering. This ultra-transparency is attributed to the spatial correlation of the nanoparticles. The structure factor is calculated for a simple model system, the random sequential addition of equal spheres, at different volume filling factor. The spatial correlation given by the constraint that particles cannot superimpose produces a diffraction peak with a low $S(q)$ in its low-$q$ tail, which is relevant for light scattering. The physical mechanism producing high transparency in glass-ceramics is demonstrated to be the low density fluctuation in the number of scatterers.