High-density excitation effect on photoluminescence in ZnO nanoparticles

作者:Suzuki Keigo*; Inoguchi Masashi; Fujita Koji; Murai Shunsuke; Tanaka Katsuhisa; Tanaka Nobuhiko; Ando Akira; Takagi Hiroshi
来源:Journal of Applied Physics, 2010, 107(12): 124311.
DOI:10.1063/1.3425783

摘要

In this study, photoluminescence (PL) under high excitation intensity as a function of crystalline size was systematically investigated through ZnO nanocrystalline films prepared by spin-coating a colloidal solution of ZnO nanoparticles obtained using the microemulsion method. Annealing of the films at 723, 633, and 593 K allowed us to tune the crystalline radius R. PL studies distinguished different regimes of crystalline size according to the ratio of R to the effective Bohr radius a(B)(R/a(B)). For the sample annealed at 723 K (R/a(B)=7.2), the peak of stimulated emission due to the exciton-exciton collisions appeared on the low-energy side of the exciton emission with an increase in excitation intensity. A further increase in excitation intensity eventually resulted in the occurrence of an electron-hole plasma (EHP) accompanied by consequent band gap renormalization, which indicates that high excitation intensity provokes the dissociation of excitons. For the sample annealed at 633 K (R/a(B)=4.7), the stimulated emission was observed while the transition to EHP was obscure. For the sample annealed at 593 K (R/a(B)=2.1), only emissions due to the recombination of the electron-hole pair were observed, and stimulated emission did not appear even when the excitation intensity was increased. The transition from free-exciton emission to donor-bound exciton emission was observed in temperature dependence of PL only for the sample with R/a(B)=7.2. The origin of annihilation of the stimulated emission with a size reduction is discussed based on nonradiative Auger recombination.

  • 出版日期2010-6-15