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Santamaria L, Maddalena P, Lettieri S. An Instantaneous Recombination Rate Method for the Analysis of Interband Recombination Processes in ZnO Crystals. Materials (Basel) 2022; 15:ma15041515. [PMID: 35208053 PMCID: PMC8878150 DOI: 10.3390/ma15041515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) analysis is often performed to assess the qualitative features of semiconductor crystals using predetermined functions (e.g., double- or multi-exponentials) to fit the decays of PL intensity. However, in many cases—including the notable case of interband PL in direct gap semiconductors—this approach just provides phenomenological parameters and not fundamental physical quantities. In the present work, we highlight that within a properly chosen range of laser excitation, the TRPL of zinc oxide (ZnO) bulk crystals can be described with excellent precision with second-order kinetics for the total recombination rate. We show that this allows us to define an original method for data analysis, based on evaluating the “instantaneous” recombination rate that drives the initial slope of the decay curves, acquired as a function of the excitation laser fluence. The method is used to fit experimental data, determining useful information on fundamental quantities that appear in the second-order recombination rate, namely the PL (unimolecular) lifetime, the bimolecular recombination coefficient, the non-radiative lifetime and the equilibrium free-carrier concentration. Results reasonably close to those typically obtained in direct gap semiconductors are extracted. The method may represent a useful tool for gaining insight into the recombination processes of a charge carrier in ZnO, and for obtaining quantitative information on ZnO excitonic dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Santamaria
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Space Geodesy Center “G. Colombo”, 75100 Matera, Italy;
| | - Pasqualino Maddalena
- Dipartimento di Fisica “E. Pancini”, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II“, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Via Cupa Cintia 21, 80126 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Stefano Lettieri
- Istituto di Scienze Applicate e Sistemi Intelligenti “E. Caianiello”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-ISASI), Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Via Cupa Cintia 21, 80126 Napoli, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-081-676809
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Baranov D, Fieramosca A, Yang RX, Polimeno L, Lerario G, Toso S, Giansante C, Giorgi MD, Tan LZ, Sanvitto D, Manna L. Aging of Self-Assembled Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystal Superlattices: Effects on Photoluminescence and Energy Transfer. ACS Nano 2021; 15:650-664. [PMID: 33350811 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c06595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Excitonic coupling, electronic coupling, and cooperative interactions in self-assembled lead halide perovskite nanocrystals were reported to give rise to a red-shifted collective emission peak with accelerated dynamics. Here we report that similar spectroscopic features could appear as a result of the nanocrystal reactivity within the self-assembled superlattices. This is demonstrated by studying CsPbBr3 nanocrystal superlattices over time with room-temperature and cryogenic micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy. It is shown that a gradual contraction of the superlattices and subsequent coalescence of the nanocrystals occurs over several days of keeping such structures under vacuum. As a result, a narrow, low-energy emission peak is observed at 4 K with a concomitant shortening of the photoluminescence lifetime due to the energy transfer between nanocrystals. When exposed to air, self-assembled CsPbBr3 nanocrystals develop bulk-like CsPbBr3 particles on top of the superlattices. At 4 K, these particles produce a distribution of narrow, low-energy emission peaks with short lifetimes and excitation fluence-dependent, oscillatory decays. Overall, the aging of CsPbBr3 nanocrystal assemblies dramatically alters their emission properties and that should not be overlooked when studying collective optoelectronic phenomena nor confused with superfluorescence effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Baranov
- Nanochemistry Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Antonio Fieramosca
- CNR Nanotec, Institute of Nanotechnology, Via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
| | - Ruo Xi Yang
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Laura Polimeno
- CNR Nanotec, Institute of Nanotechnology, Via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica "E. de Giorgi", Università Del Salento, Campus Ecotekne, Via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
| | - Giovanni Lerario
- CNR Nanotec, Institute of Nanotechnology, Via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
| | - Stefano Toso
- Nanochemistry Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
- International Doctoral Program in Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Brescia 25121, Italy
| | - Carlo Giansante
- CNR Nanotec, Institute of Nanotechnology, Via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
| | - Milena De Giorgi
- CNR Nanotec, Institute of Nanotechnology, Via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
| | - Liang Z Tan
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Daniele Sanvitto
- CNR Nanotec, Institute of Nanotechnology, Via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
| | - Liberato Manna
- Nanochemistry Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
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Dai J, Xu C, Nakamura T, Wang Y, Li J, Lin Y. Electron-hole plasma induced band gap renormalization in ZnO microlaser cavities. Opt Express 2014; 22:28831-28837. [PMID: 25402122 DOI: 10.1364/oe.22.028831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We report electron-hole plasma (EHP) lasing in hexagonal ZnO microrods and thin nanobelts. Under the excitation of 325 nm line femtosecond pulsed laser, ultraviolet whispering-gallery mode (WGM) lasing was observed from hexagonal ZnO microrods. When EHP was formed at high excitation energy density, the center wavelength of the WGM lasing band presented a redshift from 387.5 nm to 397.5 nm, and the full width of half maximum (FWHM) of the WGM lasing band increased from 2.5 nm to 7 nm. Each lasing mode showed obvious blueshift and broadening. Such lasing characteristics were attributed to the band gap renormalization (BGR) due to the high carrier concentration at the EHP condition. In addition, EHP Fabry-Perot (F-P) mode lasing from thin ZnO nanobelt was also observed and discussed. According to the phenomenological BGR calculation with including the carrier density dependent screening effect, the values of the band gap of ZnO at different excitation energy densities were obtained, which agree well with the experimental results.
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Versteegh MAM, Vanmaekelbergh D, Dijkhuis JI. Room-temperature laser emission of ZnO nanowires explained by many-body theory. Phys Rev Lett 2012; 108:157402. [PMID: 22587281 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.108.157402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Are excitons involved in lasing in ZnO nanowires or not? Our recently developed and experimentally tested quantum many-body theory sheds new light on this question. We measured the laser thresholds and Fabry-Pérot laser modes for three radically different excitation schemes. The thresholds, photon energies, and mode spacings can all be explained by our theory, without invoking enhanced light-matter interaction, as is needed in an earlier excitonic model. Our conclusion is that lasing in ZnO nanowires at room temperature is not of excitonic nature, as is often thought, but instead is electron-hole plasma lasing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marijn A M Versteegh
- Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 1, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands
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