Absorption spectra of small silver clusters Agn (n⩾3)

A novel preparation technique enables the generation of small silver clusters Agn in an argon matrix in the otherwise hardly accessible size range 3⩽n<40. Apart from the previously known absorption spectra around 350 nm, further bands at wavelengths up to 900 nm were detected. These features exhibit very low intensities and are attributed to low-energetic single electron–hole excitations.