Dynamics of strongly degenerate electron-hole plasmas and excitons in single InP nanowires.

Journal article

Low-temperature time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy is used to probe the dynamics of photoexcited carriers in single InP nanowires. At early times after pulsed excitation, the photoluminescence line shape displays a characteristic broadening, consistent with emission from a degenerate, high-density electron-hole plasma. As the electron-hole plasma cools and the carrier density decreases, the emission rapidly converges toward a relatively narrow band consistent with free exciton emission from the InP nanowire. The free excitons in these single InP nanowires exhibit recombination lifetimes closely approaching that measured in a high-quality epilayer, suggesting that in these InP nanowires, electrons and holes are relatively insensitive to surface states. This results in higher quantum efficiencies than other single-nanowire systems as well as significant state-filling and band gap renormalization, which is observed at high electron-hole carrier densities.

Authors: Titova, L; Hoang, T; Yarrison-Rice, J; Jackson, H; Kim, Y

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Nano letters
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 11
• Pages: 3383-3387
• Publication date: 2007-11-01
• DOI: 10.1021/nl071733l
• EISSN: 1530-6992
• ISSN: 1530-6984
• Language: English
• Keywords: Time Factors; Semiconductors; Metal Nanoparticles; Electrons; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nanotechnology; Phosphines; Silicon; Light; Indium