Cedrik Meier

Silicon nanoparticles : Absorption, emission, and the nature of the electronic bandgap

Silicon nanoparticles synthesized in the gas phase are studied. From time-resolved photoluminescence measurements we determine, quantitatively, the size-dependence of the oscillator strength of the nanoparticles. We investigate experimentally the absorption and photoluminescence emission of nanoparticle ensembles with a broad size distribution. Using a model which accounts for size-effects in both oscillator strength and quantum-confinement, we are able to calculate absorption and emission spectra of ensemble samples. From these results we have determined, whether silicon nanoparticles should be regarded as indirect or direct semiconductors. Moreover, we systematically study the influence of the particle size-distribution on the optical spectra.

Coulomb-Interaction-Induced Incomplete Shell Filling in the Hole System of InAs Quantum Dots

We have studied the hole charging spectra of self-assembled InAs quantum dots in perpendicular magnetic fields by capacitance-voltage spectroscopy. From the magnetic-field dependence of the individual peaks we conclude that the s-like ground state is completely filled with two holes but that the fourfold degenerate p shell is only half filled with two holes before the filling of the d shell starts. The resulting six-hole ground state is highly polarized. This incomplete shell filling can be explained by the large influence of the Coulomb interaction in this system.

Infrared properties of silicon nanoparticles

The optical properties of silicon nanoparticles were measured in the mid-infrared region (2–20μm). The resulting spectra show effects of light scattering as well as absorption features due to excitations of Si–O and Si–H bonds. We are able to model the obtained spectra using an effective medium approach. The nanoparticles are best described using a Si–SiOx core-shell structure. We use the vibrational modes of the oxide to determine the thickness and the stoichiometry of the oxide. Using the Rayleigh scattering limit, we can describe the measured decrease in transmitted intensity. By fitting the theoretically modeled spectrum to the experimental data, we obtain the particle size and shape. Finally, we can identify the surface optical-phonon mode of SiOx, located between the transverse- and longitudinal-optical-phonon frequencies.

Controlled Etching Behavior of O-Polar and Zn-Polar ZnO Single Crystals

We report on optimized wet chemical processes for both the O-polar and Zn-polar faces of wurtzite bulk ZnO single crystals. Different solutions were tested to achieve controllable etching. For the O-polar ZnO surface, a controlled etch rate of 3.8 μm/min was observed using an acid mixture of H 3 PO 4 /CH 3 COOH/H 2 O as an etchant. Fine-patterning of the O-polar surface with moderate etch rates and high reproducibility can be obtained using an aqueous 5% NH 4 Cl solution. In comparison, the Zn-polar ZnO surface etches significantly slower in HCl solution and exhibits strong pH dependence. Nevertheless, pH control enables reproducible etching even of the Zn-polar surface.

Ultrathin Nonlinear Metasurface for Optical Image Encoding

Security of optical information is of great importance in modern society. Many cryptography techniques based on classical and quantum optics have been widely explored in the linear optical regime. Nonlinear optical encryption in which encoding and decoding involve nonlinear frequency conversions represents a new strategy for securing optical information. Here, we demonstrate that an ultrathin nonlinear photonic metasurface, consisting of meta-atoms with 3-fold rotational symmetry, can be used to hide optical images under illumination with a fundamental wave. However, the hidden image can be read out from second harmonic generation (SHG) waves. This is achieved by controlling the destructive and constructive interferences of SHG waves from two neighboring meta-atoms. In addition, we apply this concept to obtain gray scale SHG imaging. Nonlinear metasurfaces based on space variant optical interference open new avenues for multilevel image encryption, anticounterfeiting, and background free image reconstruction.

Whispering gallery modes in zinc-blende AlN microdisks containing non-polar GaN quantum dots

Whispering gallery modes (WGMs) were observed in 60 nm thin cubic AlN microdisk resonators containing a single layer of non-polar cubic GaN quantum dots. Freestanding microdisks were patterned by means of electron beam lithography and a two step reactive ion etching process. Micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy investigations were performed for optical characterization. We analyzed the mode spacing for disk diameters ranging from 2-4 μm. Numerical investigations using three dimensional finite difference time domain calculations were in good agreement with the experimental data. Whispering gallery modes of the radial orders 1 and 2 were identified by means of simulated mode field distributions.

An intentionally positioned (In,Ga)As quantum dot in a micron sized light emitting diode

We have integrated individual (In,Ga)As quantum dots (QDs) using site-controlled molecular beam epitaxial growth into the intrinsic region of a p-i-n junction diode. This is achieved using an in situ combination of focused ion beam prepatterning, annealing, and overgrowth, resulting in arrays of individually electrically addressable (In,Ga)As QDs with full control on the lateral position. Using microelectroluminescence spectroscopy we demonstrate that these QDs have the same optical quality as optically pumped Stranski–Krastanov QDs with random nucleation located in proximity to a doped interface. The results suggest that this technique is scalable and highly interesting for different applications in quantum devices.

Quantum size effect of valence band plasmon energies in Si and SnOx nanoparticles

Spherical Si and SnOx nanoparticles in the size range between 3 and 30nm have been synthesized by microwave induced decomposition of silane and gas phase condensation, respectively. They are deposited on thin metal films and investigated by electron microscopy, Auger electron, and electron energy loss spectroscopy. An analysis of the surface composition and stoichiometry reveals that the Si particles are covered with a native oxide of less than 1nm. The energy loss spectra show features corresponding to electronic excitations in the nanoparticles due to valence band plasmons, interband transitions, and core-level ionizations. The plasmon energies are found to increase with decreasing particle diameter d as d−1.17 for Si and d−0.83 for SnOx. These energy shifts are related to the change of the dielectric band gap energy of the semiconductor due to quantum size effects.

Probing the band structure of InAs/GaAs quantum dots by capacitance-voltage and photoluminescence spectroscopy

The band structure of self-assembled InAs quantum dots, embedded in a GaAs matrix, is probed with capacitance-voltage spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The electron energy levels in the quantum dots with respect to the electron ground state of the wetting layer (WL) are determined from the capacitance-voltage measurements with a linear lever arm approximation. In the region where the linear lever arm approximation is not valid anymore (after the charging of the WL), the energetic distance from the electron ground state of the WL to the GaAs conduction band edge can be indirectly inferred from a numerical simulation of the conduction band under different gate voltages. In combination with PL measurements, the complete energy band diagram of the quantum dot sample is extracted.

Vibrational and defect states in SnOx nanoparticles

We have studied SnOx nanoparticles fabricated by gas-phase condensation and in-flight sintering using Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. We are able to identify various vibrational states of the rutile phase of the SnOx crystal. By thorough analysis of the vibrational modes, we are able to determine the bond lengths of the O–O and Sn–O bonds for the substoichiometric SnO1.5, leading, together with x-ray diffraction data, to a full characterization of the SnO1.5 lattice. In absorption and photoluminescence spectra, we observe a finite density of states inside the band gap due to oxygen vacancies, giving rise to a midgap luminescence peak. Our results suggest that the defect related luminescence efficiency is limited by nonradiative recombination processes and by the oxygen vacancy density. We therefore conclude that the PL intensity has a maximum around a stoichiometry of SnO1.7.