Tantalum pentoxide, Ta2O5, is a high-index, low-absorption material usable for coatings in the near-UV (350 nm) to IR (>8 μm) regions. Dense, hard layers can be deposited by electron-beam evaporation or by sputtering. Typical applications include near-UV to near-IR antireflection and multilayer filter coatings. Tantala can be used in combination with low-index Silicon dioxide layers to form high index-contrast multilayer structures ranging from wide-band AR coatings to bandpass filters and dichroic beam-splitters.
Tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) is extensively studied for its attractive properties in dielectric films, anti-reflection coatings, and resistive switching memory. Although various crystalline structures of tantalum pentoxide have been reported, its structural, electronic, and optical properties still remain a subject of research. We investigate the electronic and optical properties of crystalline and amorphous Ta2O5 structures using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory and the GW method.
