K. Pemasiri

Carrier Dynamics and Quantum Confinement in type II ZB-WZ InP Nanowire Homostructures

We use time-resolved photoluminescence from single InP nanowires containing both wurtzite (WZ) and zincblende (ZB) crystalline phases to measure the carrier dynamics of quantum confined excitons in a type-II homostructure. The observed recombination lifetime increases by nearly 2 orders of magnitude from 170 ps for excitons above the conduction and valence band barriers to more than 8400 ps for electrons and holes that are strongly confined in quantum wells defined by monolayer-scale ZB sections in a predominantly WZ nanowire. A simple computational model, guided by detailed high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements from a single nanowire, demonstrates that the dynamics are consistent with the calculated distribution of confined states for the electrons and holes.

The effect of V/III ratio and catalyst particle size on the crystal structure and optical properties of InP nanowires

InP nanowires were grown on 111B InP substrates by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition in the presence of colloidal gold particles as catalysts. Transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence measurements were carried out to investigate the effects of V/III ratio and nanowire diameter on structural and optical properties. Results show that InP nanowires grow preferably in the wurtzite crystal structure than the zinc blende crystal structure with increasing V/III ratio or decreasing diameter. Additionally, time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) studies have revealed that wurtzite nanowires show longer recombination lifetimes of approximately 2500 ps with notably higher quantum efficiencies.

Room temperature photocurrent spectroscopy of single zincblende and wurtzite InP nanowires

The InP nanowires are grown by vapor-liquid-solid growth catalyzed by 20 and 50 nm gold nanoparticles on an InP substrate at 400 C using metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition. The 50 nm nanowires were grown with a V/III ratio of 350, while the 20 nm nanowires were grown at a V/III ratio of 700. 9 Extensive cw and time-resolved PL measurements at low temperatures have shown that the 20 nm wires are predominantly WZ, while the 50 nm nanowires are predominantly ZB, with some twins and stacking faults present as determined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging. 3,4,9 To obtain individual nano

Probing valence band structure in wurtzite InP nanowires using excitation spectroscopy

We use time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy to measure the valence band parameters of hexagonal wurtzite InP nanowires. The A exciton emission and excitation energy is observed at 1.504 eV as expected. Excitation spectra show that the B and C hole bands are 30 and 161 meV above the A hole band. From these measurements, we obtain the crystal field and spin-orbit energies of 52 meV and 139 meV, respectively.

Quantum confinement of excitons in wurtzite InP nanowires

Exciton resonances are observed in photocurrent spectra of 80 nm wurtzite InP nanowire devices at low temperatures, which correspond to transitions between the A, B, and C valence bands and the lower conduction band. Photocurrent spectra for 30 nm WZ nanowires exhibit shifts of the exciton resonances to higher energy, which are consistent with finite element calculations of wavefunctions of the confined electrons and holes for the various bands.

Probing the valence band structure of wurtzite InP nanowires by photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy

We use time-resolved photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy to obtain the valence band parameters of wurtzite InP nanowires. We observe the A, B, and C hole bands for these nanowires and obtain both the crystal field and the spin-orbit energies for wurtzite InP nanowires.

MOCVD-grown indium phosphide nanowires for optoelectronics

We demonstrate how growth parameters may be adopted to produce morphologically controlled high-quality indium phosphide (InP) nanowires suitable for optoelectronic device applications. Growth temperature, V/III ratio, and catalyst particle size have a significant effect on the morphology, crystallographic quality, and optical properties of the resulting nanowires. Significantly, we find that higher growth temperatures or higher V/III ratios promote the formation of wurtzite (WZ) nanowires while zinc-blende (ZB) nanowires are favourable at lower growth temperatures and lower V/III ratios. Results also show that InP nanowires grow preferably in the WZ crystal structure than the ZB crystal structure with increasing V/III ratio or decreasing diameter. This causes a blue-shift in the bandgap as growth temperature increases. These results show that careful control of growth temperature, V/III ratio and catalyst size are crucial for obtaining InP nanowires of a specific crystal structure needed for device applications.

Effect of the crystal structure on the optical properties of InP nanowires

We report the effect of V/III ratio and nanowire diameter on the crystal structure and optical properties of InP nanowires. Time -resolved photoluminescence studies have revealed that wurtzite nanowires show longer carrier lifetimes than zinc-blende ones.