S. L. Shi

Different origins of visible luminescence in ZnO nanostructures fabricated by the chemical and evaporation methods

We prepared ZnO nanostructures using chemical and thermal evaporation methods. The properties of the fabricated nanostructures were studied using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. It was found that the luminescence in the visible region has different peak positions in samples prepared by chemical and evaporation methods. The samples fabricated by evaporation exhibited green luminescence due to surface centers, while the samples fabricated by chemical methods exhibited yellow luminescence which was not affected by the surface modification. No relationship was found between green emission and g∼1.96 EPR signal, while the sample with yellow emission exhibited strong EPR signal.

Efficient multiphoton-absorption-induced luminescence in single-crystalline ZnO at room temperature.

At room temperature, multiphoton absorption- (MPA-) induced photoluminescence in ZnO strongly driven by a femtosecond (fs) near-infrared laser is studied. Two-photon absorption and three-photon absorption are proved to be responsible for the intense luminescence, when the wavelength of the fs excitation laser is above and below the half-bandgap of ZnO, respectively. Strong MPA absorption in ZnO is unambiguously evidenced by the interferometric autocorrelation measurements of the luminescence signal.

Resonant coupling of bound excitons with LO phonons in ZnO: Excitonic polaron states and Fano interference

We report on a photoluminescence observation of robust excitonic polarons due to resonant coupling of exciton and longitudinal optical (LO) phonon as well as Fano-type interference in high quality ZnO crystal. At low enough temperatures, resonant coupling of excitons and LO phonons leads to not only traditional Stokes lines (SLs) but also up to second-order anti-Stokes lines (ASLs) besides the zero-phonon line (ZPL). The SLs and ASLs are found to be not mirror symmetric with respect to the ZPL, strongly suggesting that they are from different coupling states of exciton and phonons. Besides these spectral features showing the quasiparticle properties of exciton-phonon coupling system, the first-order SL is found to exhibit characteristic Fano lineshape, caused by quantum interference between the LO components of excitonic polarons and the continuous phonon bath. These findings lead to a new insight into fundamental effects of exciton-phonon interactions.

Observation of both second-harmonic and multiphoton-absorption-induced luminescence in ZnO

The confusion over second-harmonic generation (SHG) and multiphoton-absorption (MPA)-induced luminescence in ZnO is observed under excitation with femtosecond laser between 800 and 1000 nm at room temperature. Excitation power dependence measurements show SHG is a two-photon process, and MPA is a three- or four-photon process. These are confirmed with interferometric pulse autocorrelation experiments. Excitation power density is a main regulatory factor for this confusion.

Probing deep level centers in GaN epilayers with variable-frequency capacitance-voltage characteristics of Au∕GaN Schottky contacts

Under identical preparation conditions, Au/GaN Schottky contacts were prepared on two kinds of GaN epilayers with significantly different background electron concentrations and mobility as well as yellow emission intensities. Current-voltage (I-V) and variable-frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics show that the Schottky contacts on the GaN epilayer with a higher background carrier concentration and strong yellow emission exhibit anomalous reverse-bias I-V and C-V characteristics. This is attributed to the presence of deep level centers. Theoretical simulation of the low-frequency C-V curves leads to a determination of the density and energy level position of the deep centers. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Violet Electroluminescence of AlInGaN–InGaN Multiquantum-Well Light-Emitting Diodes: Quantum-Confined Stark Effect and Heating Effect

Electroluminescence (EL) from AlInGaN-InGaN multiquantum-well violet light-emitting diodes is investigated as a function of forward bias. Two distinct regimes have been identified: 1) quantum-confined Stark effect at low and moderately high forward biases; 2) heating effect at high biases. In the different regimes, the low-temperature EL spectra exhibit different spectral features which are discussed in detail

Determination of effective mass of heavy hole from phonon-assisted excitonic luminescence spectra in ZnO

Longitudinal optical (LO) phonon-assisted luminescence spectra of free excitons in high-quality ZnO crystal were investigated both experimentally and theoretically. By using the rigorous Segall–Mahan model based on the Green’s function, good agreement between the experimental emission spectra involving one or two LO phonons and theoretical spectra can be achieved when only one adjustable parameter (effective mass of heavy hole) was adopted. This leads to determination of the heavy-hole effective mass mh⊥ = (0.8 m0 and mh∥ = 5.0 m0) in ZnO. Influence of anisotropic effective masses of heavy holes on the phonon sidebands is also discussed.

Primary photoluminescence in as-neutron (electron) -irradiated n-type 6H-SiC

Low-temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy has revealed a series of features labeled S1, S2, S3 in n-type 6H-SiC after neutron and electron irradiation. Thermal annealing studies showed that the defects S1, S2, S3 disappeared at 500°C. However, the well-known D1 center was only detected for annealing temperatures over 700°C. This experimental observation not only indicated that the defects S1, S2, S3 were a set of primary defects and the D1 center was a kind of secondary defect, but also showed that the D1 center and the E1, E2 observed using deep level transient spectroscopy might not be the same type of defects arising from the same physical origin.

Slow oscillations in the low-temperature optical reflectance spectra of ZnO: Surface space-charge effect

Low-temperature optical reflectance spectra from (101¯0) surface of a ZnO crystalline rod were measured at near normal incidence. These spectra show slow oscillations which originate from the interference between lights reflected from the front surface and the second surface of a space-charge double layer formed on ZnO (101¯0). It is found that the oscillation period is linearly dependent on the wavelength of light. The expanding rate of the space-charge double layer is estimated to be 1.3nm∕min.

Fano resonance in phonon-assisted photoluminescence spectra of wide gap polar semiconductors

We report a photoluminescence observation of robust excitonic polarons due to strong coupling of exciton and longitudinal optical (LO) phonon as well as Fano-type interference in high quality ZnO crystal. At low enough temperatures, the strong coupling of excitons and LO phonons leads to not only traditional Stokes lines (SLs) but also up to second-order anti-Stokes lines (ASLs) besides the zero-phonon line (ZPL). The SLs and ASLs are found to be not mirror symmetric with respect to the ZPL, strongly suggesting that they are from different coupling states of exciton and phonons. It is more interesting that a new group of peaks, including a ZPL and several SLs, are observed. The observations can be explained with a newly developed theory in which this group is attributed to the ground excitonic polaron state and the other group is from the excited polaron states with LO phonon components partially decaying into environal phonon modes. Besides these spectral features showing the quasiparticle properties of exciton-phonon coupling system, the first-order SL is found to exhibit characteristic Fano lineshape, caused by quantum interference between the LO components of excitonic polarons and the environal phonons. These findings lead to a new insight into fundamental effects of exciton-phonon interaction.