  Results obtained from the optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL)
spectroscopy experiments have shown the formation of excitons in the
silver-exchanged glass samples. These findings are reported here for the first
time. Further, we investigate the dramatic changes in the photoemission
properties of the silver-exchanged glass samples as a function of postannealing
temperature. Observed changes are thought to be due to the structural
rearrangements of silver and oxygen bonding during the heat treatments of the
glass matrix. In fact, photoelectron spectroscopy does reveal these chemical
transformations of silver-exchanged soda glass samples caused by the thermal
effects of annealing in a high vacuum atmosphere. An important correlation
between temperature-induced changes of the PL intensity and thermal growth of
the silver nanoparticles has been established in this Letter through precise
spectroscopic studies.
