Plasmonic layers based on Au-nanoparticle-doped TiO2 for optoelectronics: structural and optical properties.

The anti-reflective effect of dielectric coatings used in silicon solar cells has traditionally been the subject of intensive studies and practical applications. In recent years the interest has permanently grown in plasmonic layers based on metal nanoparticles, which are shown to increase light trapping in the underlying silicon. In the present work we have combined these two concepts by means of in situ synthesis of Au nanoparticles in a dielectric matrix (TiO2), which is commonly used as an anti-reflective coating in silicon solar cells, and added the third element: a 10–20% porosity in the matrix. The porosity is formed by means of a controllable wet etching by low concentration HF. As …

High accuracy Raman measurements using the Stokes and anti-Stokes lines

We show that by measuring the separation between the Stokes and anti-Stokes peaks excited by two different laser lines we obtain a very precise determination of absolute phonon energies. The method is useful for measuring small changes of these energies with strain, temperature, laser power, etc. It doubles the changes and avoids the necessity of using the reference lines in the Raman spectra. The method can be applied for the determination of phonon deformation potentials, for the characterization of strained heteroepitaxial layers, and for micro-Raman analysis of strain in silicon integrated circuits. We give examples of phonon shifts in Si, Ge, GaAs, InAs, and GaP as a function of applie…

Polymer Halide Perovskites-Waveguides Integrated in Nanocellulose as a Wearable Amplifier-Photodetector System

Semiconductor organometallic halide (CH 3 NH 3 PbX 3 , X=Cl, Br, I) perovskites (MHP) have emerged as a very high promising material for optoelectronics. Their large absorption coefficients, high electronic mobilities, excellent quantum yield of emission at room temperature and tunable band-gap with the composition resulted in a new generation of photovoltaics and electronic devices. In this work, HPVK materials are successfully incorporated on a nanocellulose (NC) substrate with the intention to exploit the interesting properties of HPVK materials to construct wearable devices. In particular, a bilayer Poly(methyl methacrylate) /HPVK deposited on NC resulted in a suitable waveguide to demo…

Different regimes of electronic coupling and their influence on exciton recombination in vertically stacked InAs/InP quantum wires

8 páginas, 8 figuras.

Size dependent carrier thermal escape and transfer in bimodally distributed self assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

We have investigated the temperature dependent recombination dynamics in two bimodally distributed InAs self assembled quantum dots samples. A rate equations model has been implemented to investigate the thermally activated carrier escape mechanism which changes from exciton-like to uncorrelated electron and hole pairs as the quantum dot size varies. For the smaller dots, we find a hot exciton thermal escape process. We evaluated the thermal transfer process between quantum dots by the quantum dot density and carrier escape properties of both samples. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Surface modification of all-inorganic lead halide perovskite nanocrystals

Abstract Newly emerged all-inorganic lead halide perovskite nanocrystals have shown unprecedented optical properties for a variety of display applications. Their superior optical properties over traditional semiconductor nanocrystals have opened a new paradigm in luminescent materials research. Because of their defect tolerance, the photoluminescent quantum yield of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals can reach near-unity. However, the ionic character of these nanocrystals causes extreme lability, which deteriorates its structural and optical properties. Moreover, the binding ability of surface ligands are quite weak and thus easily desorb during conventional purification techniques. Despit…

Consequences of the spatial localization on the exciton recombination dynamics in InGaP/GaAs heterostructures

5 páginas, 4 figuras.

Properties of silicon integrated photonic lenses: bandwidth, chromatic aberration, and polarization dependence

We analyze the properties of silicon integrated photonic lenses based on scattering optical elements. The devices have been inverse- designed by combining genetic algorithms and the multiple scattering theory. These lenses are able to focus an infrared plane wave front on a position freely determined during the design stage. The nanofabricated silicon integrated lenses have proved effective over a large range of wave- lengths, measured to be of the order of 100 nm. The lenses show chromatic aberration, with a displacement of the position of the focus mea- sured to be higher than 1.5 μm when the wavelength varies from 1500 to 1600 nm. Moreover, we analyze the polarization of the focused beam…

Temperature dependent optical properties of stacked InGaAs/GaAs quantum rings

4 páginas, 3 figuras, 2 tablas.-- MADICA 2006 Conference, Fifth Maghreb-Europe Meeting on Materials and their Applicatons for Devices and Physical, Chemical and Biological Sensors

Optical Properties of Self-Assembled GaxIn1-xAs/InP Quantum Wires

Temperature dependent photoluminescence studies have been carried out on several samples containing self-assembled Ga x In 1-x As/InP quantum wires. A red-shift of the emission wavelength is observed when increasing the Ga content in the alloy, but the overall optical quality decreases. In the case of x = 0.15, the photoluminescence is not sensible to temperature and the emission band is conserved until room temperature is reached, which could be explained if the nanostructures are considered to be almost amorphous.

Development of self-assembled bacterial cellulose–starch nanocomposites

Abstract A bioinspired bottom-up process was developed to produce self-assembled nanocomposites of cellulose synthesized by Acetobacter bacteria and native starch. This process takes advantage of the way some bacteria extrude cellulose nanofibres and of the transport process that occurs during the gelatinization of starch. Potato and corn starch were added into the culture medium and partially gelatinized in order to allow the cellulose nanofibrils to grow in the presence of a starch phase. The bacterial cellulose (BC)–starch gels were hot pressed into sheets that had a BC volume fraction higher than 90%. During this step starch was forced to further penetrate the BC network. The self-assem…

Manipulating spontaneous emission of the CsPbI3 Perovskite NCs using hybrid (HMM-Mie resonator) structures

Different strategies towards the deterministic coupling of a single Quantum Dot to a photonic crystal cavity mode

In this work we show two different procedures of fabrication aiming towards the systematic positioning of single InAs quantum dots (QDs) coupled to a GaAs photonic crystal (PC) microcavity. The two approaches are based on the molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth of site-controlled QDs (SCQDs) on pre-patterned structures. The PC microcavity (PCM) is introduced previous or after the growth, on each case. We demonstrate the InAs SCQD nucleation on pre-patterned PCMs and a method to perform the QD nucleation respect to an etched ruler that is used to position the PC structure after growth. For both types of structures, we have carried out microphotoluminescence (µPL) spectroscopy experiments a…

Nanotexturing To Enhance Photoluminescent Response of Atomically Thin Indium Selenide with Highly Tunable Band Gap.

Brotons-Gisbert, Mauro et al.

A Novel Method Of Measuring Light Absorption On A Self-Assembled Single Quantum Dot

Abstract. We present a novel method by wich excitonic interband optical transitions within single InAs self-assembled quantum dots can be directly observed in a transmission experiment. Due to the extremely high resolution of the tecnique, individual peaks associated to single exciton absorption resonances in single quantum dots can be spectrally resolved. Using this technique we investigate the oscillator strength, homogeneous linewidth and fine structure splitting in a collection of such individual resonances.

Initial stages of self-assembled InAs/InP(001) quantum wire formation

4 páginas, 2 figuras.-- PACS codes: 78.67.Lt; 68.65.La; 68.37.Ps.-- Comunicación oral presentada a la 14ª International Conference on Molecular Beam Epitaxy - MBE XIV celebrada en Tokio (Japón) del 3 al 8 de Septiembre de 2006.

Birefringent porous silicon membranes for optical sensing

In this work anisotropic porous silicon is investigated as a material for optical sensing. Birefringence and sensitivity of the anisotropic porous silicon membranes are thoroughly studied in the framework of Bruggeman model which is extended to incorporate the influence of environment effects, such as silicon oxidation. The membranes were also characterized optically demonstrating sensitivity as high as 1245 nm/RIU at 1500 nm. This experimental value only agrees with the theory when it takes into consideration the effect of silicon oxidation. Furthermore we demonstrate that oxidized porous silicon membranes have optical parameters with long term stability. Finally, we developed a new model …

On the anomalous Stark effect in a thin disc-shaped quantum dot

The effect of a lateral external electric field F on an exciton ground state in an InAs disc-shaped quantum dot has been studied using a variational method within the effective mass approximation. We consider that the radial dimension of the disc is very large compared to its height. This situation leads to separating the excitonic Hamiltonian into two independent parts: the lateral confinement which corresponds to a two-dimensional harmonic oscillator and an infinite square well in the growth direction. Our calculations show that the complete description of the lateral Stark shift requires both the linear and quadratic terms in F which explains that the exciton possess nonzero lateral dipo…

Photoconductivity and optical properties of silicon coated by thin TiO2 film in situ doped by Au nanoparticles

Light trapping enhancement by plasmonic-active metal nanoparticles (NPs) is believed to be a promising approach to increase silicon-based solar cell efficiency. Therefore, we investigated TiO2 films in situ doped by Au NPs (TiO2:AuNPs) deposited by spin coating on a silicon substrate. Photoconductivity and optical properties of the TiO2:AuNPs/Si structures were studied in comparison with those of TiO2/Si reference samples. We found that an introduction of the 40–50 nm diameter AuNPs into the antireflective TiO2 layer deteriorates the antireflection properties and decreases the external yield of photogeneration of charge carriers. This is due to an increase of the layer reflection in the red…

Purcell-enhancement of the radiative PL decay in perylenediimides by coupling with silver nanoparticles into waveguide modes

In this work, an interesting approach to enhance the coupling between excitons and plasmons is proposed by integrating highly luminescent perylenediimides (PDIs) and Ag metal nanoparticles (MNPs) in the core of a multilayer dielectric waveguide. The combination of the weak plasmonic coupling and the high scattering of MNPs gives rise to a significant improvement of the PDI photoluminescence and Purcell factor (PF) in forward-scattering geometry. Furthermore, when the PDI-MNP system is used as the core of a multilayer waveguide, a Purcell factor enhancement larger than 10 is observed, which is explained by an increase in the exciton-plasmon coupling under the light confinement in the wavegui…

Laser-Ablation-Induced Synthesis of SiO2-Capped Noble Metal Nanoparticles in a Single Step

Here we describe a simple, powerful technique based on the laser ablation of a target immersed in a water solution of a metal salt. With this method, nanoparticles of different metals and alloys can be processed very quickly. Both the target and the salt solution can be chosen to produce metal nanoparticles of different sizes, surface-oxidized nanoparticles (silica-silver, for example), or even more complex structures to be defined by the researcher on one or more steps because the technique combines the advantages of both physical and chemical methods. We have applied this technique to the fabrication of inert silica-metal (silver, gold, and silver-gold) nanoparticles with a strong surface…

Au-ZnO Nanocomposite Films for Plasmonic Photocatalysis

Nanocomposites based on plasmonic nanoparticles and metal-oxide semiconductors are emerging as promising materials for conversion of solar energy into chemical energy. In this work, a Au–ZnO nanocomposite film with notably enhanced photocatalytic activity is successfully prepared by a single-step process. Both ZnO and Au nanoparticles are synthesized in situ during baking of the film spin-coated from a solution of Zn(CH3COO)2 and HAuCl4. Furthermore, it is shown that this precursor solution can be formulated as a nanoink for the generation of micropatterns by microplotter printing, opening the way for the miniaturization of devices with enhanced properties for photocatalysis, optoelectronic…

Excitonic absorption and Urbach's tail in bismuth sulfide single crystals

The absorption coefficient of bismuth sulfide single crystals has been measured through more than four orders of magnitude and in the range of energies from 1.25 to 1.70 eV. A detailed study as a function of temperature has been carried out from 29 to 300 K. An Urbach tail for low values of absorption has been found. This tail and its temperature evolution fit the expression for ionic materials. An excitonic region appears at low temperature and the shape of the exciton peak is Gaussian, which corresponds to a strong exciton-phonon coupling. The exciton binding energy is estimated (28±3 meV) and then the energy gap at 29 K is obtained (Eg=1.523±0.003 eV). The fundamental electronic transiti…

Optical contrast of 2D InSe on SiO2/Si and transparent substrates using bandpass filters

The particular optical and electronic properties recently reported for 2D InSe depict this 2D material as being very versatile for future electronic and optoelectronic devices with tunable and optimized functionalities. For its fundamental study and the development of practical applications, rapid and accurate identification methods of atomically thin InSe are essential. Here, we demonstrate an enhancement of the optical contrast between InSe nanosheets and the underlying SiO2/Si substrate by illuminating with a 40 nm wide bandpass filter centered at 500 nm. Moreover, we study the optical contrast of 2D InSe on transparent substrates. Our results suggest that a good optical contrast is achi…

Optical properties of acceptor–exciton complexes in ZnO/SiO2 quantum dots

Abstract The binding energy E b of the acceptor–exciton complex (A − ,X) as a function of the radius (or of the impurity position of the acceptor) and the normalized oscillator strength of (A − ,X) in spherical ZnO quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a SiO 2 matrix are calculated using the effective-mass approximation under the diagonalzation matrix technique, including a three-dimensional confinement of the carrier in the QD and assuming a finite depth. Numerical results show that the binding energy of the acceptor–exciton complexes is particularly robust when the impurity position of the acceptor is in the center of the ZnO QDs. It has been clearly shown from our calculations that these physic…

Tuning optical/electrical properties of 2D/3D perovskite by the inclusion of aromatic cation

The employment of bulky aliphatic cations in the manufacture of moisture-stable materials has triggered the development and application of 2D/3D perovskites as sensitizers in moisture-stable solar cells. Although it is true that the moisture stability increases, it is also true that the photovoltaic performance of 2D/3D PVK materials is severely limited owing to quantum and dielectric confinement effects. Accordingly, it is necessary the synthesis and deep optical characterization of materials with an adequate management of dielectric contrast between the layers. Here, we demonstrate the successful tuning of dielectric confinement by the inclusion of a conjugated molecule, as a bulky cation…

Molecularly Imprinted Silver Nanocomposites for Explosive Taggant Sensing

Laser ablation of a silicon target in chloroform: formation of multilayer graphite nanostructures

With the use of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy methods of analysis we show that the laser ablation of a Si target in chloroform (CHCl3) by nanosecond UV pulses (40 ns, 355 nm) results in the formation of about 50–80 nm core–shell nanoparticles with a polycrystalline core composed of small (5–10 nm) Si and SiC mono-crystallites, the core being coated by several layers of carbon with the structure of graphite (the shell). In addition, free carbon multilayer nanostructures (carbon nano-onions) are also found in the suspension. On the basis of a comparison with similar laser ablation experiments implement…

Charge control in laterally coupled double quantum dots

4 figuras, 4 páginas.-- PACS number(s): 78.67.Hc, 73.21.La, 78.55.Cr

Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) of lithium niobate aperiodically poled during growth

In the present work, aperiodically poled lithium niobate (APPLN) was grown, along the a-axis, by the off-centred Czochraski method. The domain formation has been triggered by rare earth doping, using in this case Er3+ and Yb3+ ions. The growth conditions were selected in order to obtain a modulated domain distribution. SNOM measurements have been performed with a Nanonics Imaging Ltd model MultiView 200 TM working in non-contact tapping mode.

Short photoluminescence lifetimes in vacuum-deposited ch3nh3pbI3 perovskite thin films as a result of fast diffusion of photogenerated charge carriers

It is widely accepted that a long photoluminescence (PL) lifetime in metal halide perovskite films is a crucial and favorable factor, as it ensures a large charge diffusion length leading to a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) in solar cells. It has been recently found that vacuumevaporated CH3NH3PbI3 (eMAPI) films show very short PL lifetimes of several nanoseconds. The corresponding solar cells, however, have high photovoltage (>1.1 V) and PCEs (up to 20%). We rationalize this apparent contradiction and show that eMAPI films are characterized by a very high diffusion coefficient D, estimated from modeling the PL kinetics to exceed 1 cm2/s. Such high D values are favorable for long di…

Shallow-donor impurities in indium selenide investigated by means of far-infrared spectroscopy.

Shallow impurities in n-type indium selenide (InSe) have been investigated by means of Fourier-transform spectroscopy in the far-infrared region. Three electric dipole transitions have been identified: 1s-2${\mathit{p}}_{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$, 1s-2${\mathit{p}}_{0}$, and 1s-3${\mathit{p}}_{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$, corresponding to electrons bound to native donors and tin-, silicon-, and chlorine-related donors, whose ionization energies (17.6, 18.1, 18.8, and 19 meV, respectively) have been determined through the Guerlach-Pollmann model. That model was also used to calculate the oscillator strengths of those dipole transitions, and then to estimate the shallow-donor concentr…

Enhancing the photocatalytic properties of PbS QD solids: the ligand exchange approach.

Surface engineering of nanomaterials is a promising tool towards the design of new materials for conversion of solar energy into chemical energy. In this work, we examine the influence of ligand exchange on the photocatalytic performance of solution-processed PbS films. We test different ligands such as oleylamine (OAm), 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT), 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI). The study demonstrates that PbS films capped with MPA and EDT exhibit 3.5-fold enhanced photocatalytic performance for the photodecomposition of methyl orange upon sunlight exposure. Both band energy alignment and charge carrier transport have a strong impact on the generation of r…

Recent advances in synthesis, surface chemistry of cesium lead-free halide perovskite nanocrystals and their potential applications

Abstract Cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as a key material for optoelectronic applications owing to their outstanding optical properties and easy synthesis in solution. Nowadays, the scientific community is facing a daring challenge toward the synthesis of lead-free perovskite NCs with high stability and excellent optical properties for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices with enhanced performance. In this sense, cesium lead-free halide perovskites (CsLFHPs) are demonstrated as extremely less susceptible toward oxygen and moisture and suitable candidates for long-term device applications. Thus, synthesis and identification of CsLFHP NCs essentially need u…

Engineering light emission of two-dimensional materials in both the weak and strong coupling regimes

Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) materials have promising applications in optoelectronics, photonics, and quantum technologies. However, their intrinsically low light absorption limits their performance, and potential devices must be accurately engineered for optimal operation. Here, we apply a transfer matrix-based source-term method to optimize light absorption and emission in 2D materials and related devices in weak and strong coupling regimes. The implemented analytical model accurately accounts for experimental results reported for representative 2D materials such as graphene and MoS2. The model has been extended to propose structures to optimize light emission by exciton recombination in…

Real-time polarimetric optical sensor using macroporous alumina membranes.

We report on the demonstration of real-time refractive index sensing within 60 μm thick free-standing macroporous alumina membranes with pore diameters of 200 nm. The free-standing macroporous alumina membranes allow the analytes to flow through the pores for targeted delivery, resulting in fast sensing responses. The polarimetric measurement platform exploits the optical anisotropy of the membranes in monitoring the refractive index variations of the analytes that fill the pores, providing highly sensitive and real-time measurements. The experimental characterization of the membranes' birefringence at wavelengths of 808, 980, and 1500 nm showed a decrease in birefringence for shorter wavel…

Exciton kinetics and luminescence in disordered InxGa 1-xP/GaAs quantum wells

Trabajo presentado en el 7th International Workshop on Nonlinear Optics and Excitation Kinetics in Semiconductors, NOEKS 2003, celebrado en Karlsruhe (Alemania), del 23 al 28 de febrero de 2003

Role of Self-Absorption in the Photoluminescence Waveguided along CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals Thin Films

During the last years, perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have been intensively studied as nanomaterials with excellent light absorption/emission properties. For example, PNCs have been successfully applied in solar cells, where the high absorption coefficient above the band gap increases the conversion efficiencies; or in optical sources, where the high quantum yield of emission at room temperature allows a low threshold of stimulated emission. In this scenario, an optical waveguide represents a suitable platform to enhance their electrooptical properties and to integrate different photonic functionalities. However, propagation of light along close packed films of PNCs is usually restricted to…

The effect of reducing dimensionality on the excitonic recombination in InAs/InP heterostructures

In this work we study the exciton recombination of InAs/InP self-organized quantum dots by means of photolumincscence (PL) as a function of temperature and excitation density. Well defined islands, spatially separated in most cases, and with different size distribution, make localized exciton recombination the dominant contribution to the PL spectrum. From our experimental results, we propose the co-existence of two types of islands, one with small height whose contribution to the PL spectra is important in samples with low InAs coverage (below two monolayers), and the properly 3D islands, whose dimensions and sheet concentration increase with the InAs coverage. Good quality structures are …

Energy of excitons and acceptor–exciton complexes to explain the origin of ultraviolet photoluminescence in ZnO quantum dots embedded in a SiO2 matrix

Abstract Assuming finite depth and within the effective mass approximation, the energies of exciton states and of the acceptor–exciton complexes confined in spherical ZnO quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a SiO2 matrix are calculated using a matrix procedure, including a three-dimensional confinement of carrier in the QDs. This theoretical model has been designed to illustrate the two emission bands in the UV region observed in our experimental Photoluminescence spectrum (PL), with the first emission band observed at 3.04 eV and attributed to the bound ionized acceptor–exciton complexes, and the second one located at 3.5 and assigned to the free exciton. Our calculations have revealed a good a…

Synthesis and Physical Stability of Novel Au-Ag@SiO<SUB>2</SUB> Alloy Nanoparticles

The present study describes the synthesis of nanoparticles of silver-gold alloys and with their electrokinetic and spectroscopic characterisation. The synthesis was made in two steps. In the first step silver nanoparticles coated with silica (Ag@SiO2) were synthesised using a novel method assisted by laser ablation. The second step consisted on the introduction of KAuCl4 in the colloidal solution of Ag@ SiO2 nanoparticles in order to obtain silica-coated silver-gold alloy nanoparticles. The changes of colour and mean diameter of Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles caused by the introduction of the gold salt were found dependent on its concentration. Upon increasing (KAuCl4) the diameter of nanoparticles …

Two-Color Single-Photon Emission from In As Quantum Dots: Toward Logic Information Management Using Quantum Light

In this work, we propose the use of the Hanbury-Brown and Twiss interferometric technique and a switchable two-color excitation method for evaluating the exciton and noncorrelated electron-hole dynamics associated with single photon emission from indium arsenide (InAs) self-assembled quantum dots (QDs). Using a microstate master equation model we demonstrate that our single QDs are described by nonlinear exciton dynamics. The simultaneous detection of two-color, single photon emission from InAs QDs using these nonlinear dynamics was used to design a NOT AND logic transference function. This computational functionality combines the advantages of working with light/photons input/output device…

Structural and chemical characterization of CdSe-ZnS core-shell quantum dots

Abstract The structural and compositional properties of CdSe-ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) with a sub-nm shell thickness are analyzed at the atomic scale using electron microscopy. QDs with both wurtzite and zinc blende crystal structures, as well as intermixing of the two structures and stacking faults, are observed. High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy suggests the presence of a lower atomic number epitaxial shell of irregular thickness around a CdSe core. The presence of a shell is confirmed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Despite the thickness irregularities, the optical properties of the particles, such as photoluminescence and quantum…

Ultrafast Carrier Redistribution in Single InAs Quantum Dots Mediated by Wetting-Layer Dynamics

Optical studies of single self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been a topic of intensive investigation over the past two decades. Due to their solid-state nature, their electronic and optical emission properties are affected by the particular crystal structure as well as many-body-carrier interactions and dynamics. In this work, we use a master equation for microstates (MEM) model to study the carrier capture and escape from single QDs under optical nonresonant excitation and under the influence of a two-dimensional (2D) carrier reservoir (the wetting layer). This model reproduces carrier dynamics from power-dependent and time-resolved microphotoluminescence experiments . Du…

Amplified Spontaneous Emission in Thin Films of CsPbX3 Perovskite Nanocrystals

During the last years, Metal Halide Perovskites (MHPs) have attracted special attention as an efficient conversion films for photovoltaics, or excellent gain media to construct optical sources. In spite of the fact that most of the works have been focussed on CH 3 NH 3 PbX 3 (X=Cl, Br, I) polycrystalline thin films, MHP can be also synthesized as colloidal nanocrystals. In particular, caesium lead halide perovskite CsPbX 3 nanocrystals (NCs) revealed extraordinary properties for optoelectronics. With a high quantum yield of emission (>90%) at room temperature and linewidths less than 100 meV, CsPbX 3 NCs have demonstrated favourable characteristics for active photonics. Indeed, thin films o…

Exciton and multiexciton optical properties of single InAs/GaAs site-controlled quantum dots

We have studied the optical properties of InAs site-controlled quantum dots (SCQDs) grown on pre-patterned GaAs substrates. Since InAs nucleates preferentially on the lithography motifs, the location of the resulting QDs is determined by the pattern, which is fabricated by local oxidation nanolithography. Optical characterization has been performed on such SCQDs to study the fundamental and excited states. At the ground state different exciton complex transitions of about 500 μeV linewidth have been identified and the fine structure splitting of the neutral exciton has been determined (≈65 μeV). The observed electronic structure covers the demands of future quantum information technologies.…

Optical switching of quantum states inside self-assembled quantum dots

Abstract Photoluminescence and excitation of photoluminescence spectroscopy have been performed for two kinds of single InAs self-assembled quantum dots grown on GaAs. The presence of unintentional impurities (donors and acceptors) offers the possibility to switch from negative to positively charged excitons by selectively exciting impurity related optical transitions.

Time resolved emission at 1.3 μm of a single InAs quantum dot by using a tunable fibre Bragg grating

Photoluminescence and time resolved photoluminescence from single metamorphic InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) emitting at 1.3 mu m have been measured by means of a novel fibre-based characterization set-up. We demonstrate that the use of a wavelength tunable fibre Bragg grating filter increases the light collection efficiency by more than one order of magnitude as compared to a conventional grating monochromator. We identified single charged exciton and neutral biexciton transitions in the framework of a random population model. The QD recombination dynamics under pulsed excitation can be understood under the weak quantum confinement potential limit and the interaction between carriers at the …

Parallel Recording of Single Quantum Dot Optical Emission Using Multicore Fibers

Single Indium Arsenide Quantum Dot emission spectra have been recorded using a four-core, crosstalk-free, multicore fiber placed at the collection arm of a confocal microscope. We developed two different measurement set-ups depending on the relative configuration of the excitation and collection spots. In the single-matched mode, the emission from the excited area is collected by a single core in the multicore fiber, whereas the three remaining cores capture the emission from neighboring, non-excited areas. This procedure allows for the recording of the Quantum Dot emission from carrier diffusion between sample positions separated by more than 6 μm. In the multiple-matched mode, the ex…

Influence of the InAs coverage on the phonon-assisted recombination in InAs/GaAs quantum dots

6 páginas, 3 figuras.

Single Photon Emission from Site-Controlled InAs Quantum Dots Grown on GaAs(001) Patterned Substrates

5 páginas, 5 figuras.

Localized surface plasmon resonance sensor based on Ag-PVA nanocomposite thin films

In this work we demonstrate the use of nanocomposite thin films of poly(vinyl alcohol) with embedded silver NPs for chemosensing purposes. Silver NPs are in situ synthesized inside polyvinyl alcohol during the bake step of the formation of a nanocomposite thin film. The polymer in the nanocomposite provides an appropriate chemical and electromagnetic environment for metal NPs in order to interact with and hence detect the chemical species. A limit of detection below 20 nM is found when detecting 2-mercaptoethanol as the analyte, when measuring spectral changes (peak wavelength, linewidth and intensity) in the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance. Potential qualitative and semi-quantitative s…

Single-Exciton Amplified Spontaneous Emission in CsPbX3 (X = Br, I) Perovskite Nanocrystals

Free spectral range enlargement by selective suppression of optical modes in photonic crystal L7 microcavities

We show an enlargement in the free spectral range (FSR) of the emission spectra of a L7 photonic crystal microcavity (PCM). The FSR enlargement is achieved by the selective modal suppression of the second cavity mode. The selective suppression is made by introducing two nano-inclusions in specific sites within the defect region that forms the cavity. We have demonstrated the suppression of the second mode of the L7-PCM, and a significant increase in the FSR of the fundamental mode. The method provides an alternative to engineer the modal structure of a photonic crystal microcavity. The large FSR-value might improve the emission properties of light sources based on photonic crystal structure…

Plasmonic optical sensors printed from Ag–PVA nanoinks

In this paper we report on the use of a nanocomposite based on silver nanoparticles embedded in PVA as a plasmonic optical sensor to detect and quantify trace amounts of amines in gas and water, respectively. The transduction mechanism of the sensor is based on the changes of the LSPR band of Ag NPs when analyte molecules are chemisorbed on their surface. The Ag–PVA sensors are fabricated by means of a high-precision microplotter, a direct-write technology developed for printing materials from solution. The nanoink is formulated with a metal precursor (AgNO3) and a polymer (PVA) using an adequate mixture of solvents to meet the rheological requirements for the fluid dispensing process. The …

Photovoltaics: Photonic Crystal-Driven Spectral Concentration for Upconversion Photovoltaics (Advanced Optical Materials 4/2015)

Size self-filtering effect in vertical stacks of InAs/InP self-assembled quantum wires

3 páginas, 2 figuras.-- PACS: 73.21.Hb; 78.55.Cr; 78.67.Lt.-- Proceedings of the International Conference on Superlattices, Nano-structures and Nano-devices ICSNN 2002.

Sub-critical InAs layers on metamorphic InGaAs for single quantum dot emission at telecom wavelengths

We report on the design, the growth by MBE and the optical and morphological characterization of metamorphic InAs/InGaAs quantum dots (QD) with a density low enough to allow single dot characterization without the need of complex litographic steps to isolate single QDs. InAs sub-critical coverages were deposited on InxGa1-xAs metamorphic buffers (MBs) and the transition from 2D growth to 3D island nucleation was monitored by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). We discuss the fundamental differences of the sub-critical growth method compared with the Stranski-Krastanow one, also by considering available theoretical models. AFM confirmed that the density of QDs can be control…

Excitation power dependence of the Purcell effect in photonic crystal microcavity lasers with quantum wires

The Purcell effect dependence on the excitation power is studied in photonic crystal microcavity lasers embedding InAs/InP quantum wires. In the case of non-lasing modes, the Purcell effect has low dependence on the optical pumping, attributable to an exciton dynamics combining free and localized excitons. In the case of lasing modes, the influence of the stimulated emission makes ambiguous the determination of the Purcell factor. We have found that this ambiguity can be avoided by measuring the dependence of the decay time on the excitation power. These results provide insights in the determination of the Purcell factor in microcavity lasers. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Effect of alkali metal nitrate treatment on the optical properties of CsPbBr3 nanocrystal films

Abstract Colloidal cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are fabricated as densely packed thin films using doctor blade method through a layer-by-layer assembly approach. It is found that the optical properties of the CsPbBr3 NC films are significantly improved after a ligand exchange of oleic acid (OA) and oleylamine (OAm) by sodium and potassium nitrate in ethyl acetate. Ligand-induced surface defects are passivated by the sodium and potassium cations and nitrate, which leads to the improvement in photoluminescence (PL) and life-time properties. Compared with pristine OAm-OA capped CsPbBr3 NC film, Alkali-metal nitrate salts treated films are showing higher PL intens…

The effect of quantum size confinement on the optical properties of PbSe nanocrystals as a function of temperature and hydrostatic pressure

A study based on photoluminescence and absorption measurements as a function of temperature and pressure for PbSe nanocrystals with sizes in the range 3–13 nm reveals the influence of size quantum confinement on the observed variation. In the case of the temperature variation, the effective bandgap changes from showing a positive rate of change to showing a negative one (for a quantum dot 3 nm in diameter), which can be accounted for by incorporating a linear variation of the carrier effective masses into a simple calculation of the exciton ground state in the quantum dot. In the case of the pressure variation, we observe a clear inverse correlation between the absolute value of the pressur…

Photonic effect study on polystyrene 3D-photonic crystals at near-field range: dependence on the wavelength and on the lattice parameter

3D-photonic crystals (opals) based on polystyrene (PS) colloidal nanospheres are being characterized by scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). These crystals offer a huge potential for controlling both the spontaneous emission of embedded light sources and the propagation of light itself.

Continuum and discrete excitation spectrum of single quantum rings

Photoluminescence and excitation of the photoluminescence spectroscopy has been performed in single InGaAs self-assembled quantum rings embedded in a field effect structure device. To determine their electronic structure, bias-dependent optical transitions have been analyzed both, for individual quantum rings, and for the averaged ensemble. Our results are compared with a theoretical model, and also with results reported by other authors studying similar nanostructures.

Gain Dynamics after Ultrashort Pulse Trains in Quantum Dot based Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

We study the gain dynamics in QD-based SOAs after excitation with fs-pulse trains of up to THz repetition rates. A complete ground-state gain recovery is found for 200 GHz repetition rates and injection currents around 90 mA.

Ultrafast Gain Recovery in Quantum Dot based Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

Summary form only given. The limiting factor in ultrahigh bit rate amplification is the ultrafast population recovery in the resonant level, which is mainly limited by carrier capture and relaxation processes in the QD. We use pump-probe measurements resonant to the QDs confined states energies (ground and excited state) to investigate the response to a four fs-pulse train of 1 THz repetition rate. A deep insight about the capture process implied is then obtained, and direct capture from the wetting layer is identified as the dominant mechanism in the high current regime.

A fluorescent layered oxalato-based canted antiferromagnet

We report the synthesis and characterization of the first fluorescent oxalato-based canted antiferromagnet. Compound [DOC][MnFe(C2O4)3] (1) (DOC = 3,3'-diethyloxacarbocyanine) combines the well-known canted antiferromagnetic [MnFe(C2O4)3]- honeycomb layers with a fluorescent cationic cyanine-type fluorescent dye. Besides the expected spin canted antiferromagnetic order in the oxalato layer at ca. 29 K, we show the key role played by the anionic oxalato lattice in the optical properties of the cation since it provides isolation of dye cations in the hexagonal cavities of the oxalato-based matrix. The emission of the DOC+ dye shows a redshift and a broadening of the emission as well as an inc…

Electrical and photovoltaic properties of indium‐tin‐oxide/p‐InSe/Au solar cells

Conditions for efficiency improvement and optimization in indium‐tin‐oxide/p‐indium‐selenide solar cells are discussed in this paper. This aim is achieved by using low‐resistivity p‐indium‐selenide and by incorporating a back‐surface‐field contact. This contact is insured by a p‐indium selenide/gold barrier whose rectifying behavior is explained through the complex impurity structure of p‐indium‐selenide. Electrical and photovoltaic properties of the cells are also reported. The efficiency parameters under AM1 simulated conditions have been improved up to 32 mA/cm2 for the short‐circuit current density, 0.58 V for the open‐circuit voltage, and 0.63 for the filling factor. As a result, solar…

Au-PVA Nanocomposite Negative Resist for One-Step Three-Dimensional e-Beam Lithography

Au nanoparticles are synthesized in situ upon the electron beam exposure of a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) thin film containing Au(III). The e-beam-irradiated areas are insoluble in water (negative-tone resist), and Au-PVA nanocomposite patterns with a variable profile along the structure can be thus generated (3D lithography) in a single step. A local characterization of the generated patterns is performed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and UV-vis localized surface plasmon resonance microspectroscopy. This characterization confirms the presence of crystalline nanoparticles and aggregates.

Hydrodynamic IL10 Gene Transfer in Human Colon: Results from an "EX VIVO" Study with Potential Clinical Application in Crohn's Disease.

Background: The aim of this work is to evaluate the efficacy of hydrodynamic venous IL10 gene delivery to "ex vivo" human colon segments and to determine its potential interest in Crohn's disease treatment. Methods: Twenty human colon segments were obtained from surgical resections. Hydrodynamic transfection through the main vein of the pedicle with 50 mL of hIL10 plasmid (20 mu g/mL) solution was performed on 13 of them. Tissue sections were cultured and DNA, RNA, and protein copies were determined after 1, 2, and 4 days. Data obtained were compared with 6 nontransfected specimens. Finally, 1 specimen was injected with gold nanoparticles, and their distribution was examined under electron …

Competition between carrier recombination and tunneling in quantum dots and rings under the action of electric fields

6 páginas, 3 figuras.-- Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Physics of Light-Matter Coupling in Nanostructures.

Homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening in single perovskite nanocrystals investigated by micro-photoluminescence

Abstract Metal halides with perovskite crystalline structure have given rise to efficient optoelectronic and photonic devices. In the present work, we have studied the light emission properties of single CsPbBr3 and CsPbI3 semiconductor perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs), as the basis for a statistical analysis of micro-photoluminescence (micro-PL) spectra measured on tens of them. At room temperature, the linewidth extracted from PL spectra acquired in dense films of these nanocrystals is not very different from that of micro-PL measured in single nanocrystals. This means that the homogeneous linewidth due to exciton-phonon interaction is comparable or larger than the inhomogeneous effect asso…

Absorption spectroscopy of single InAs self-assembled quantum dots

Abstract Excitonic transitions of single InAs self-assembled quantum dots were directly measured at 4.2 K in an optical transmission experiment. We use the Stark effect in order to tune the exciton energy of a single quantum dot into resonance with a narrow-band laser. With this method, sharp resonances in the transmission spectra are observed. The oscillator strengths as well as the homogeneous line widths of the single-dot optical transitions are obtained. A clear saturation in the absorption is observed at modest laser powers.

Continuous wave dual-wavelength operation at 1048 and 1386 nm in Nd<sup>3+</sup>:LaBGeO<inf>5</inf> for yellow laser light generation

We present results on simultaneous oscillation in continuous-wave at 1048 and 1386 nm in Nd3+:LaBGeO5 crystal. LaBGeO5 is a nonlinear positive uniaxial crystal with potential application for intracavity generation of yellow laser radiation at 597 nm. Due to the different cross section in both laser channels, simultaneous oscillation is achieved by axial hole burning in a standing wave (linear cavity). It is concluded that a stable output laser spectrum is obtained for an absorbed pump power of 700 mW. A laser competition with alternating single-channel and dual-channel oscillation at different pump regimes was observed in the experiments.

Integration of a perovskite-based amplifier and photodetector system in rigid and solid substrates

During the last years, organometallic lead halide perovskites (LHP) have been widely studied as outstanding materials for photovoltaics and photonics applications [1] . These emerging semiconductors are fabricated by cheap and straightforward solution process techniques on polycrystalline film of the compound CH 3 NH 3 PbX 3 (X=Cl, Br, I). Their outstanding properties of these films include large absorption coefficients above the bandgap, high electronic mobilities, high quantum yield of emission at room temperature or tunable band-gap with the composition [1] . In this work, we exploit the excellent light emitting and photodetection properties of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 thin films to integrate a w…

Type II narrow double barrier quantum well structures : Γ-X coupling and interface effects

Photoluminescence (PL), PL excitation and time resolved PL experiments have been performed on Al0.42Ga0.58As/AlAs/GaAs symmetric double barrier quantum wells (DBQW) with only one or two AlAs monolayers constituting the intermediate barriers. In agreement with the envelope function predictions we show that such DBQW's undergo a type I - type II transition when the GaAs thickness is reduced below 7 and 5 monolayers for 2 and 1 AlAs molecular planes respectively. In type II configuration the PL decay time is found to be strongly dependent on the energy difference between AlAs Xz - and GaAs Γ - electron confined states and the coupling parameter of the Γ and Xz valleys can be deduced (4.2 meV o…

Long-Lived Luminescence and Slow Carrier Diffusion in Metal Halide Perovskites as a result of Multiple Trapping and De-Trapping by Shallow Non-Quenching Traps

Correlation between optical properties and barrier composition in InxGa1−xP/GaAs quantum wells

9 páginas, 11 figuras.

Luminescent CdSe Quantum Dot Arrays for Rapid Sensing of Explosive Taggants

Chemical sensors based on fluorescent quantum dots have attracted intense interest because of their excellent optical and electronic properties compared to the routinely employed fluorescent organic dyes. This study reports a CdSe QD-polymer-based luminescent chemosensor, which is based on an array containing either green-emitting or red-emitting CdSe QDs embedded in polycaprolactone as a polymer host matrix. We evaluate the sensing capability of the nanocomposites by exposing both sensors to vapors of explosive taggants, explosive-like molecules, and some common solvents. Both nanocomposites exhibit a very fast response time of <30 s. The limit of detection of the sensors for 3-nitrotoluen…

Polarimetric Plasmonic Sensing with Bowtie Nanoantenna Arrays

We propose a polarimetric plasmonic biosensor based on bowtie nanoantenna array transducers. Through numerical simulations, based on the finite element method (FEM), we study the phase retardation between the components of light polarized parallel and perpendicular to the major axis of the bowties within the arrays. From a design for high volumetric sensitivity at a wavelength of 780 nm, sensitivities ∼5 rad/RIU is obtained, corresponding to a detection limit of ∼10−7 when using a polarimetric readout platform. Similarly, surface sensitivity of the same array is evaluated by simulating the phase retardation changes induced by the coverage of bioreceptors and analytes of the metallic nanostr…

Strongly-coupled PbS QD solids by doctor blading for IR photodetection

Solution-processed QD solids are emerging as a novel concept for high-performance optoelectronic devices. In this work, doctor blading is proposed for the fabrication of strongly-coupled QD solids from a PbS nanoink for photodetection at telecom wavelengths. The key step of this procedure is the solid-state ligand exchange, which reduces the interparticle distance and increases the carrier mobility in the resulting strongly-coupled QD solid. This is accomplished by replacing the original long oleylamine molecules by shorter molecules like 3-mercaptopropionic acid, as confirmed by FTIR, TGA and XPS. Further, a detailed investigation with XPS confirms the air-stability of the QD solids and th…

Thermal activated carrier transfer between InAs quantum dots in very low density samples

In this work we develop a detailed experimental study of the exciton recombination dynamics as a function of temperature on QD-ensembles and single QDs in two low density samples having 16.5 and 25 dots/¼m2. We corroborate at the single QD level the limitation of the exciton recombination time in the smallest QDs of the distribution by thermionic emission (electron emission in transient conditions). A portion of these emitted carriers is retrapped again in other (larger) QDs, but not very distant from those emitting the carriers, because the process is limited by the diffusion length at the considered temperature.

Optimization of semiconductor halide perovskite layers to implement waveguide amplifiers

Semiconductor organometallic halide (CH 3 NH 3 PbX 3 , X=Cl, Br, I) perovskites (HPVK) have been emerged as a potential gain media to construct a new generation of active photonic devices. Indeed, during the last three years a significant effort has been carried out to implement HPVK-based optical amplifiers or lasers with improved quality factors. In particular, minimization of the threshold of stimulated emission has been an important concern to decrease the power consumption, and hence to enhance the performances of the device. For this purpose strategies include a suitable integration of the semiconductor in a photonic structure, or the optimization of the material. Here we propose a no…

Production of nanometer-size GaAs nanocristals by nanosecond laser ablation in liquid.

This paper reports the formation and characterization of spherical GaAs quantum dots obtained by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation in a liquid (ethanol or methanol). The produced bare GaAs nanoparticles demonstrate rather narrow size distribution which depends on the applied laser power density (from 4.25 to 13.9 J/cm 2 in our experiments) and is as low as 2.5 nm for the highest power used. The absolute value of the average diameter also decreases significantly, from 13.7 to 8.7 nm, as the laser power increases in this interval. Due to the narrow nanoparticle size dispersion achieved at the highest laser powers two absorption band edges are clearly distinguishable at about 1.72 and 3.15 eV w…

Patterning of Conducting Polymers Using UV Lithography: The in-Situ Polymerization Approach

We report on the in-situ polymerization of 3T with Cu(ClO4)2 inside several host polymers such as Novolak-based negative-tone photoresist, polystyrene (PS), poly(4-vinylphenol) (P4VP), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and poly(4-vinylphenol)-co-(methyl methacrylate) (P4VP-co-MMA) to form an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN). Conducting IPN films in the order of 10–4–150 S/cm are obtained depending on the specific IPN composition. Moreover, the convenience of this synthetic approach has been demonstrated using a commercially available negative-tone photoresist based on Novolak as a host polymer. Novolak photoresist was properly formulated with 3T and Cu(ClO4)2 to preserve as far as pos…

Optical Contrast and Raman Spectroscopy Techniques Applied to Few-Layer 2D Hexagonal Boron Nitride

The successful integration of few-layer thick hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) into devices based on two-dimensional materials requires fast and non-destructive techniques to quantify their thickness. Optical contrast methods and Raman spectroscopy have been widely used to estimate the thickness of two-dimensional semiconductors and semi-metals. However, they have so far not been applied to two-dimensional insulators. In this work, we demonstrate the ability of optical contrast techniques to estimate the thickness of few-layer hBN on SiO2/Si substrates, which was also measured by atomic force microscopy. Optical contrast of hBN on SiO2/Si substrates exhibits a linear trend with the number of h…

Size filtering effect in vertical stacks of In(Ga)As/GaAs self-assembled quantum rings

3 páginas, 3 figuras.

Inhomogeneous Broadening of Photoluminescence Spectra and Kinetics of Nanometer-Thick (Phenethylammonium)2PbI4 Perovskite Thin Films: Implications for Optoelectronics

An outstanding potentiality of layered two-dimensional (2D) organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites (2DHPs) is in the development of solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. In 2DHPs, an exciton is localized in an atomically thin lead(II) halide inorganic layer of sub-nanometer thickness as in a quantum well sandwiched between organic layers as energetic and dielectric barriers. In previous years, versatile optical characterization of 2DHPs has been carried out mainly for thin flakes of single crystals and ultrathin (of the order of 20 nm) polycrystalline films, whereas there is a lack of optical characterization of thick (hundreds of nanometers) polycrystalline films, fundament…

Halide perovskite amplifiers integrated in polymer waveguides

Semiconductor organometallic halide perovskites (CH 3 NH 3 PbX 3 , X=Cl, Br, I) (HPVK) have emerged as a new promising material able to improve the optoelectronic technology performance. Although this material has mostly been applied to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic devices, it also shows amazing properties for photonic applications. In particular, HPVK exhibits high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (up to 70%) at room temperature together with a tunable band-gap controlled by its chemical composition. In addition, since HPVKs is deposited in solution at room conditions, it can be easily incorporated in different photonic structures to efficiently exploit its emission propertie…

Tunable light emission by exciplex state formation between hybrid halide perovskite and core/shell quantum dots: Implications in advanced LEDs and photovoltaics

A perovskite–quantum dot exciplex has been detected, opening a broad range of possibilities for advanced optoelectronic devices.

Integrated Optical Amplifier-Photodetector on a Wearable Nanocellulose Substrate

Flexible optoelectronics has emerged as an outstanding platform to pave the road toward vanguard technology advancements. As compared to conventional rigid substrates, a flexible technology enables mechanical deformation while maintaining stable performance. The advantages include not only the development to novel applications, but also the implementation of a wearable technology directly in contact with a curved surface. Here the monolithic integration of a perovskite‐based optical waveguide amplifier together with a photodetector on a nanocellulose substrate is shown to demonstrate the feasibility of a stretchable signal manipulation and receptor system fabricated on a biodegradable mater…

Isolated self-assembled InAs/InP(001) quantum wires obtained by controlling the growth front evolution

6 páginas, 5 figuras. In this work we explore the first stages of quantum wire (QWR) formation studying the evolution of the growth front for InAs coverages below the critical thickness, θc, determined by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Our results obtained by in situ measurement of the accumulated stress evolution during InAs growth on InP(001) show that the relaxation process starts at a certain InAs coverage θRθR this ensemble of isolated nanostructures progressively evolves towards QWRs that cover the whole surface for θ = θc. These results allow for a better understanding of the self-assembling process of QWRs and enable the study of the individual properties of In…

Single step deposition of an interacting layer of a perovskite matrix with embedded quantum dots

Hybrid lead halide perovskite (PS) derivatives have emerged as very promising materials for the development of optoelectronic devices in the last few years. At the same time, inorganic nanocrystals with quantum confinement (QDs) possess unique properties that make them suitable materials for the development of photovoltaics, imaging and lighting applications, among others. In this work, we report on a new methodology for the deposition of high quality, large grain size and pinhole free PS films (CH3NH3PbI3) with embedded PbS and PbS/CdS core/shell Quantum Dots (QDs). The strong interaction between both semiconductors is revealed by the formation of an exciplex state, which is monitored by p…

High-resolution electron-beam patternable nanocomposite containing metal nanoparticles for plasmonics

Polymer nanocomposites containing noble metal nanoparticles are promising materials for plasmonic applications. In this paper, we report on a high-resolution negative-tone nanocomposite resist based on poly(vinyl alcohol) where silver nanoparticles and nanopatterns are simultaneously generated by electron-beam lithography. Our results indicate nanostructures with a relatively high concentration of nanoparticles and, consequently, an electromagnetic coupling among the nanoparticles. Therefore, the patternable nanocomposite described in this work may be a suitable material for future plasmonic circuitry.

A novel method of nanocrystal fabrication based on laser ablation in liquid environment

Abstract Metal nanoparticles can be prepared by a novel technique that consists of the laser ablation of a solid target immersed in a water solution of a metal salt. Silicon was chosen as the most adequate target to synthesize silver and gold nanoparticles from a water solution of either AgNO3 or HAuCl4. The influence of both the silver nitrate concentrations and the irradiation time of the Si target on the optical properties of the Au and Ag nanoparticles have been investigated. The crystalline nature of the metal nanoparticles has been determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Average size and particle size distribution have been measured by means of TEM. The absorbance spectra show the char…

Photonic Crystal‐Driven Spectral Concentration for Upconversion Photovoltaics

The main challenge for applying upconversion (UC) to silicon photovoltaics is the limited amount of solar energy harvested directly via erbium-based upconverter materials (24.5 W m–2). This could be increased up to 87.7 W m–2 via spectral concentration. Due to the nonlinear behavior of UC, this could increase the best UC emission by a factor 13. In this paper, the combined use of quantum dots (QDs)—for luminescent down-shifting—and photonic crystals (PCs)—for reshaping the emission—to achieve spectral concentration is shown. This implies dealing with the coupling of colloidal QDs and PC at the high-density regime, where the modes are shifted and broadened. In the first fabricated all-optica…

Phonon Deformation Potentials from Raman Measurements on Semiconductor Membranes

Thickness identification of atomically thin InSe nanoflakes on SiO2/Si substrates by optical contrast analysis

Abstract Single layers of chalcogenide semiconductors have demonstrated to exhibit tunable properties that can be exploited for new field-effect transistors and photonic devices. Among these semiconductors, indium selenide (InSe) is attractive for applications due to its direct bandgap in the near infrared, controllable p- and n-type doping and high chemical stability. For its fundamental study and the development of practical applications, rapid and accurate identification methods of atomically thin nanosheets are essential. Here, we employ a transfer matrix approach to numerically calculate the optical contrast between thin InSe flakes and commonly used SiO2/Si substrates, which nicely re…

Continuous-wave dual-wavelength operation at 1062 and 1338nm in Nd3+:YAl3(BO3)4 and observation of yellow laser light generation at 592nm by their self-sum-frequency-mixing

Abstract We report simultaneous oscillation in continuous wave at 1062 and 1337 nm in a Nd 3+ :YAl 3 (BO 3 ) 4 nonlinear crystal associated to the infrared laser channels 4 F 3/2  →  4 I 11/2 and 4 F 3/2  →  4 I 13/2 of Nd 3+ . Generation of yellow laser light at 592 nm produced by Type I self-sum-frequency-mixing of both fundamental infrared laser waves is observed under non-optimal phase matching conditions.

Recycled Photons Traveling Several Millimeters in Waveguides Based on CsPbBr 3 Perovskite Nanocrystals

Reabsorption and reemission of photons, or photon recycling (PR) effect, represents an outstanding mechanism to enhance the carrier and photon densities in semiconductor thin films. This work demonstrates the propagation of recycled photons over several mm by integrating a thin film of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals into a planar waveguide. An experimental set-up based on a frequency modulation spectroscopy allows to characterize the PR effect and the determination of the effective decay time of outcoupled photons. A correlation between the observed photoluminescence redshift and the increase of the effective decay time is demonstrated, which grows from 3.5 to near 9 ns in the best device. A stochast…

Phase-Sensitive Detection for Optical Sensing With Porous Silicon

We report on a photonic sensor with an ultralow limit of detection (LoD) based on a phase interrogation readout scheme together with an anisotropic porous silicon (PSi) membrane. First, the fabrication of porous free-standing membranes from medium doped (100) surface oriented silicon, with pore diameters suitable for the infiltration of biomolecules, around 50 nm, is reported. Then, the phase interrogation scheme for characterizing the PSi membranes is presented whose results show that while volumetric sensitivity increases with the membrane thickness, the resolution in the birefringence measurements decrease dramatically due to depolarization effects. The best LoD was found to be equal to …

Effect of reactive ion beam etching on the photoluminescence of CdTe epitaxial layers

http://link.aip.org/link/?JAPIAU/103/056108/1

Highly Anisotropic Wave Propagation in All-Dielectric Active Waveguides

In this communication, we integrate an active planar waveguide on a birefringent substrate to show experimental evidence of a selective propagation of the spontaneous emission into the propagating. An anisotropic response with significantly-reduced directional excitation along the optic axis as compared with its perpendicular direction is observed. We additionally provide a theoretical modal analysis of the planar microstructure, which is in good agreement with our experimental results.

Vertical stacks of small InAs/GaAs self-assembled dots: resonant and non-resonant excitation

4 páginas, 2 figuras.-- PACS: 78.67.Hc; 73.21.La; 78.55.Cr.-- Proceedings of the International Conference on Superlattices, Nano-structures and Nano-devices ICSNN 2002.

Novel patternable and conducting metal-polymer nanocomposites: a step towards advanced mutlifunctional materials

In this work, we present a novel patternable conducting nanocomposite containing gold nanoparticles. Here, the in-situ polymerization of 3T is carried out using HAuCl 4 as oxidizing agent inside PMMA as host matrix. During the bake step, the gold salt is also reduced from Au(III) to Au(0) generating Au nanoparticles in the interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) system. We found that this novel multifunctional resist shows electrical conductivity and plasmonic properties as well as potential patterning capability provided by the host matrix. The resulting nanocomposite has been investigated by TEM and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Electrical characterization was also conducted for different concentra…

Three-dimensional axisymmetric cloak based on the cancellation of acoustic scattering from a sphere.

This Letter presents the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of a directional threedimensional acoustic cloak for airborne sound. The cloak consists of 60 concentric acoustically rigid tori surrounding the cloaked object, a sphere of radius 4 cm. The major radii and positions of the tori along the symmetry axis are determined using the condition of complete cancellation of the acoustic field scattered from the sphere. They are obtained through an optimization technique that combines genetic algorithm and simulated annealing. The scattering cross section of the sphere with the cloak, which is the magnitude that is minimized, is calculated using the method of fundamental so…

Surface plasmon-polariton amplifiers

Propagation of surface plasmons at metal surfaces is receiving much interest nowadays because of its broad range of potential applications, like subwavelength photonics or biosensing. Although plasmonic devices achieve unique properties, surface plasmons suffer from high attenuation because of the absorption losses in the metal. This limitation can be overcome by providing the material adjacent to the metal with optical gain. Under these conditions, absorption losses are compensated and the propagation length of the plasmon is significantly increased. In this work, a review of plasmonic amplifiers is presented. To this end, the state of the art of such devices and the propagation characteri…

Efficient Optical Amplification in a Sandwich-Type Active-Passive Polymer Waveguide Containing Perylenediimides

Polymer waveguides doped with luminescent materials serve as a suitable flexible platform for active elements (lasers and amplifiers) in on-chip optical circuits. However, at present, the best parameters (lowest thresholds) achieved with these devices are obtained with the use of the stripe excitation technique in the framework of which external illumination of an active material along the whole length of the waveguide is realized that is not convenient for the waveguide on-chip integration and requires high peak energies due to the large excitation area. In the present work, an elegant method is proposed to overcome this obstacle and provide efficient active material pumping along the whol…

UV-patternable nanocomposite containing CdSe and PbS quantum dots as miniaturized luminescent chemo-sensors

In this study, a novel multifunctional hybrid polymer-based luminescent material, particularly formulated for photolithography, was developed, fabricated and tested as a miniaturized chemosensor. This nanocomposites were formulated with either luminescent CdSe (for the visible) or PbS (for the near-IR) colloidal QDs embedded in a polyisoprene-based photoresist (PIP). We checked the sensing capability of the nanocomposite by exposing 1 cm2 CdSe nanocomposite patterns to vapours of some analyte solutions such as 2-mercaptoethanol (MET) and ethylenediamine (EDA). The transduction mechanism of the sensor is based on changes of the QD photoluminescence (PL) when molecules are adsorbed on the QD …

Structural quality of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskites for photovoltaic applications analyzed by electron microscopy techniques

Scalable heterogeneous synthesis of metallic nanoparticles and aggregates with polyvinyl alcohol

Here we report on a new route to synthesize colloidal silver and gold nanoparticles, potentially scalable for massive nanoparticle-production. This method is based on the microwave-assisted heterogeneous reduction of the metal salts with polyvinylalcohol. The reaction is carried out in alcohols, which are non-solvents for polyvinylalcohol. Nanoparticles can be very easily separated by filtration. The reaction kinetics are extremely fast. Size-controlled formation of nanoparticle agglomerates is accomplished with a seed-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles upon MW exposure.

Simulation of surface-modified porous silicon photonic crystals for biosensing applications

In this work realistic biosensing structures based on the integration of porous silicon photonic crystals with polymer coating technology are presented. Microcavities and rugate filters are chosen as the photonic crystal configuration. The deposition of a polymer layer on the pore walls of these structures is proposed to improve the selectivity and sensitivity of the sensing function. A complete effective refractive index model including the polymer layer, the target and external effects like silicon oxidation has been developed in order to accurately simulate the structures. It is expected that the proposed structures could be used as low cost, highly integrated and highly sensitive biolog…

Continuous-Flow Synthesis of Orange Emitting Sn(II)-Doped CsBr Materials

An ongoing demand toward lead-free all-inorganic cesium metal halide perovskites has presented Sn(II) as an ideal substitute of Pb(II) for applications in optoelectronic devices. The major concern regarding Sn(II) is the instability due to the ambient oxidation to Sn(IV). To expand the scope of traditional perovskite and analogues, herein the synthesis and optical performance of Sn(II)-doped CsBr, a new material formed by interstitial doping of Sn(II) into the CsBr matrix, are reported for the first time. This material is prepared following an antisolvent mediated recrystallization method using a continuous flow reactor, which is beneficial for scaling up the production compared to traditio…

Temperature Sensor Based on Colloidal Quantum Dots PMMA Nanocomposite Waveguides

In this paper, integrated temperature sensors based on active nanocomposite planar waveguides are presented. The nanocomposites consist of cadmium selenide (CdSe) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrix. When the samples are heated in a temperature range from 25$^{circ}{rm C}$ to 50 $^{circ}{rm C}$, the waveguided photoluminescence of QDs suffers from a strong intensity decrease, which is approximately quadratic dependent on temperature. Moreover, the wavelength peak of the waveguided emission spectrum of CdTe-PMMA shows a blue shift of 0.25 ${rm nm}/^{circ}{rm C}$, whereas it remains constant in the case of CdSe-PMMA. A temperature…

Enhancement of the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells, LEDs, and Optical Amplifiers by Anti-Solvent Additive Deposition

The efficiency of perovskite optoelectronic devices is increased by a novel method; its suitability for perovskite solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and optical amplifiers is demonstrated. The method is based on the introduction of organic additives during the anti-solvent step in the perovskite thin-film deposition process. Additives passivate grain boundaries reducing non-radiative recombination. The method can be easily extended to other additives.

Three-dimensional electrons and two-dimensional electric subbands in the transport properties of tin-dopedn-type indium selenide: Polar and homopolar phonon scattering

Electron-scattering mechanisms in n-type indium selenide doped with different amounts of tin are studied by means of the Hall effect (30--300 K) and photo-Hall effect (300 K). The electron mobility at room temperature is found to increase with the free-electron concentration in samples with low tin content. The same behavior is observed when the electron concentration increases due to thermal annealing or photogeneration. That is explained through the presence of two kinds of free electrons contributing to the charge transport along the layers: high-mobility three-dimensional (3D) electrons in the conduction band, and low-mobility two-dimensional electrons in the electric subbands. These 2D…

Toward Metal Halide Perovskite Nonlinear Photonics.

The possibility of controlling light using the nonlinear optical properties of photonic devices opens new points of view in information and communications technology applications. In this Perspective, we review and analyze the potential role of metal halide perovskites in a framework different from their usual one in photovoltaic and light-emitting devices, namely, the one where they can play as nonlinear photonic materials. We contextualize this new role by comparing the few extant results on their nonlinear optical properties to those of other known nonlinear materials. As a result of this analysis, we provide a vision of future developments in photonics that can be expected from this new…

Near-field scanning optical microscopy to study nanometric structural details of LiNbO3 Zn-diffused channel waveguides

A near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) is used to perform structural and optical characterization of the surface layer after Zn diffusion in a channel waveguide fabricated on lithium niobate. A theoretical approach has been developed in order to extract refractive index contrast from NSOM optical transmission measurements (illumination configuration). As a result, different solid phases present on the sample surface can be identified, such as ZnO and ZnNb2O6. They appear like submicrometric crystallites aligned along the domain wall direction, whose origin can be ascribed to some strain relaxation mechanism during the annealing process after Zn diffusion. Jose.Canet-Ferrer@uv.es

Optical Amplification in Hollow-Core Negative-Curvature Fibers Doped with Perovskite CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals

| openaire: EC/H2020/820423/EU//S2QUIP We report a hollow-core negative-curvature fiber (HC-NCF) optical signal amplifier fabricated by the filling of the air microchannels of the fiber with all-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs). The optimum fabrication conditions were found to enhance the optical gain, up to +3 dB in the best device. Experimental results were approximately reproduced by a gain assisted mechanism based on the nonlinear optical properties of the PNCs, indicating that signal regeneration can be achieved under low pump powers, much below the threshold of stimulated emission. The results can pave the road of new functionalities of the HC-NCF with PNCs, such as op…

Signal Amplification in CsPbBr3 Nanoparticle-Doped Photonic Crystal Fibers

Nanoparticles (NPs) have been proved for various photonic and optoelectronic applications with superior performance. Doping holey-fibers with colloidal NPs is an idea with precedents in the optical literature. For example, CdZnS/ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) based lasers at visible wavelengths [1, 2]; and PbS QDs doped fiber amplifiers operating at telecommunication wavelengths [3]. In this paper we harness the potential of photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) doped with chemically synthesized CsPbBr 3 Colloidal-NPs [4] to demonstrate gain functionalities in all-fiber optical microdevices.

Oscillator strength reduction induced by external electric fields in self-assembled quantum dots and rings

We have carried out continuous wave and time resolved photoluminescence experiments in self-assembled In(Ga)As quantum dots and quantum rings embedded in field effect structure devices. In both kinds of nanostructures, we find a noticeable increase of the exciton radiative lifetime with the external voltage bias that must be attributed to the field-induced polarizability of the confined electron hole pair. The interplay between the exciton radiative recombination and the electronic carrier tunneling in the presence of a stationary electric field is therefore investigated and compared with a numerical calculation based on the effective mass approximation.

SNOM study of ferroelectric domains in doped LiNbO3 crystals

Abstract This work shows a study of the periodic ferroelectric domains formed in LiNbO3 crystals doped with rare earths by means of scanning near field optical microscopy (SNOM) technique. It has been observed periodic structures associated with ferroelectric domains with an unexpected high value of the optical contrast working under reflectance SNOM mode. From Raman-Nath diffraction patterns, a refractive index modulation of Δ n ∼ 1 0 − 4 has been calculated. These results were correlated with the ferroelectric periodic domains obtained by the SNOM technique. A light waveguide effects along the ferroelectric domains is suggested to explain the high reflectance contrast observed in SNOM exp…

Temperature dependence of the effective mobility edge and recombination dynamics of free and localized excitons in InGaP/GaAs quantum wells

3 páginas, 1 figura.-- Comunicación presentada al Proceedings of the International Conference on Superlattices, Nano-structures and Nano-devices ICSNN 2002 o-structures and Nano-devices ICSNN 2002.

Exciton Gas Compression and Metallic Condensation in a Single Semiconductor Quantum Wire

4 páginas, 5 figuras.-- PACS numbers: 78.67.Lt, 71.30.+h, 71.35. -y.-- Comunicación presentada a la International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors (ICPS) celebrada en Rio de Jqaneiro (Brasil/2008).

Facile laser-assisted synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles covered by a carbon shell with tunable luminescence

We report a one-step strategy at ambient conditions for the production of hybrid inorganic core–carbon shell nanoparticles by means of pulsed laser ablation of inorganic targets (LiNbO3, Au, and Si) in hydrocarbon liquids such as toluene and chloroform. The core of these spherical nanoparticles consists of the target material, whereas the shells are carbon structures (multilayer graphite-type carbon and amorphous carbon), which are formed due to the thermal decomposition of the organic liquid in contact with hot inorganic nanoparticles ejected from the bulk target. These carbon shells emit photoluminescence in the blue-green spectral region and the obtained luminescence, in which the lumine…

High spatial resolution mapping of individual and collective localized surface plasmon resonance modes of silver nanoparticle aggregates: correlation to optical measurements

Non-isolated nanoparticles show a plasmonic response that is governed by the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) collective modes created by the nanoparticle aggregates. The individual and collective LSPR modes of silver nanoparticle aggregated by covalent binding by means of bifunctional molecular linkers are described in this study. Individual contributions to the collective modes are investigated at nanometer scale by means of energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy and compared to ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. It is found that the aspect ratio and the shape of the clusters are the two main contributors to the low-energy collective modes.

Transmission properties at microwave frequencies of two-dimensional metallic lattices

The transmission properties of different metallic photonic lattices (square and rectangular) have been experimentally studied. A numerical algorithm based on time domain finite differences has been used for simulating these photonic structures. The introduction of defects in the two-dimensional metallic lattice modifies its transmission spectrum. If metal rods are eliminated from (or added to) the lattice, extremely narrow peaks are observed at some particular frequencies below (or above) the band pass edge. Vicente.Such@uv.es ; Enrique.Navarro@uv.es

Optical Optimization of the TiO2 Mesoporous Layer in Perovskite Solar Cells by the Addition of SiO2 Nanoparticles

In this work, SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were integrated into the mesoporous TiO2 layer of a perovskite solar cell to investigate their effect on cell performance. Different concentrations of SiO2/ethanol have been combined in TiO2/ethanol to prepare pastes for the fabrication of the mesoporous layer with which perovskite solar cells have been fabricated. Addition of SiO2 NPs of 50 and 100 nm sizes produces an enhancement of cell performance mainly because of an improvement of the photocurrent. This increment is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions based on light scattering induced by dielectric SiO2 NPs. The samples using modified scaffolds with NPs also present a significant l…

All-Optical Fiber Hanbury Brown & Twiss Interferometer to study 1300 nm single photon emission of a metamorphic InAs Quantum Dot

[EN] New optical fiber based spectroscopic tools open the possibility to develop more robust and efficient characterization experiments. Spectral filtering and light reflection have been used to produce compact and versatile fiber based optical cavities and sensors. Moreover, these technologies would be also suitable to study N-photon correlations, where high collection efficiency and frequency tunability is desirable. We demonstrated single photon emission of a single quantum dot emitting at 1300 nm, using a Fiber Bragg Grating for wavelength filtering and InGaAs Avalanche Photodiodes operated in Geiger mode for single photon detection. As we do not observe any significant fine structure s…

Stroboscopic Space Tag for Optical Time-Resolved Measurements with a Charge Coupled Device Detector

Time-resolved measurements are extensively employed in the study of light–matter interaction at the nanoscale such as the exciton dynamics in semiconductors or the ultrafast intraband transitions in metals. Importantly, single-photon correlation, quantum state tomography, and other techniques devoted to the characterization of quantum optics systems rely on time-resolved experiments, whose resolution which is bound to the time response of the detector and related electronics. For this reason, multiplexing or beam deflection techniques have been recently proposed to overcome the detector resolution and thus measure the final photon distribution characteristics. Taking advantage of both strat…

Crystalline-Size Dependence of Dual Emission Peak on Hybrid Organic Lead-Iodide Perovskite Films at Low Temperatures

In this work, we have investigated the crystalline-size dependence of optical absorption and photoluminescence emission of CH3NH3PbI3 films, which is necessary to identify the potential practical applications of the gadgets based on perovskite films. This study was carried out at low temperatures to minimize the extra complexity induced by thermal effects. The purpose was to clarify the origin of the dual emission peak previously reported in the literature. We found that the grain size is responsible for the appearance or disappearance of this dual emission on CH3NH3PbI3 at low temperatures, whereas we have inferred that the thickness of the perovskite layer is a much more important factor …

Purcell Enhancement and Wavelength Shift of Emitted Light by CsPbI3 Perovskite Nanocrystals Coupled to Hyperbolic Metamaterials

Manipulation of the exciton emission rate in nanocrystals of lead halide perovskites (LHPs) was demonstrated by means of coupling of excitons with a hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) consisting of alternating thin metal (Ag) and dielectric (LiF) layers. Such a coupling is found to induce an increase of the exciton radiative recombination rate by more than a factor of three due to the Purcell effect when the distance between the quantum emitter and HMM is nominally as small as 10 nm, which coincides well with the results of our theoretical analysis. Besides, an effect of the coupling-induced long wavelength shift of the exciton emission spectrum is detected and modeled. These results can be of i…

Color Tuning and White Light by Dispersing CdSe, CdTe, and CdS in PMMA Nanocomposite Waveguides

In this paper, active nanocomposite waveguides based on the dispersion of CdS, CdTe, and CdSe colloidal quantum dots (QDs) in PMMA are proposed. Their propagation properties are studied as a function of the concentration of nanoparticles in the polymer using the variable length stripe method. When the three nanostructures are dispersed in the same film, the structure is able to waveguide the three basic colors: red (CdSe), green (CdTe), and blue (CdS), it being possible to engineer any waveguided color by an appropriate choice of the filling factor of each QD in the PMMA matrix. For this purpose, it is important to take into account reabsorption effects and the F&#x00F6;rster energy transfe…

Novel Method of Preparation of Gold-Nanoparticle-Doped TiO2 and SiO2 Plasmonic Thin Films: Optical Characterization and Comparison with Maxwell-Garnett Modeling

SiO2 and TiO2 thin films with gold nanoparticles (NPs) are of particular interest as photovoltaic materials. A novel method for the preparation of spin-coated SiO2–Au and TiO2–Au nanocomposites is presented. This fast and inexpensive method, which includes three separate stages, is based on the in situ synthesis of both the metal-oxide matrix and the Au NPs during a baking process at relatively low temperature. It allows the formation of nanocomposite thin films with a higher concentration of Au NPs than other methods. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy studies revealed a homogeneous distribution of NPs over the film volume along with their narrow size distribution. The optica…

Exciton, biexciton and trion recombination dynamics in a single quantum dot under selective optical pumping

Continuous wave- and time-resolved micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy has been performed on single InAs self-assembled quantum dots grown on GaAs. The presence of residual impurities (donors and acceptors) in samples with low dot density opens the possibility to switch from trion to neutral exciton states inside quantum dots by selective optical pumping. We propose a microstate model to describe the recombination dynamics of all the excitonic especies (neutral exciton, positive/negative trion and biexciton) under the considered optical pumping conditions when increasing the excitation power. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Carrier recombination in InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots under resonant excitation conditions

5 páginas, 4 figuras.-- PACS: 73.21.La;73.63.Kv;78.55.Cr;78.67.Hc;S7.12.-- Trabajo presentado en la 7th International Conference on Optics and Excitons in Confined Systems (OECS7).

Effect of carrier transfer on the PL intensity in self-assembled In (Ga) As/GaAs quantum rings

We present results concerning the carrier transfer between In(Ga)As quantum rings in a stacked multilayer structure, which is characterised by a bimodal size distribution. This transfer of carriers explains the observed temperature behaviour of diode lasers based on that kind of stacked layer structures. The inter-ring carrier transfer can be possible by phonon assisted tunnelling from the ground state of the smallring family towards the big-ring family of the bimodal size distribution. This process is thermally activated in the range 40–80 K.

Scanning probe microscopies applied to the study of the domain wall in a ferroelectric crystal.

Summary Scanning near-field optical microscopy is capable of measuring the topography and optical signals at the same time. This fact makes this technique a valuable tool in the study of materials at nanometric scale and, in particular, of ferroelectric materials, as it permits the study of their domains structure without the need of chemical etching and, therefore, not damaging the surface (as will be demonstrated later). We have measured the scanning near-field optical microscopy transmission, as well as the topography, of an RbTiOPO4 single crystalline slab, which exhibits two different of macroscopic ferroelectric domains. A chemical selective etching has been performed to distinguish b…

Polymer waveguide couplers based on metal nanoparticle–polymer nanocomposites

In this work Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) are incorporated into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) waveguides to develop optical couplers that are compatible with planar organic polymer photonics. A method for growing AuNPs (of 10 to 100 nm in size) inside the commercially available Novolak resist is proposed with the intention of tuning the plasmon resonance and the absorption/scattering efficiencies inside the patterned structures. The refractive index of the MNP-Novolak nanocomposite (MNPs: noble metal nanoparticles) is carefully analysed both experimentally and numerically in order to find the appropriate fabrication conditions (filling factor and growth time) to optimize the scattering cross…

Inhibition of light emission from the metastable tetragonal phase at low temperatures in island-like films of lead iodide perovskites

Photonic applications based on halide perovskites, namely CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3), have recently attracted remarkable attention due to the high efficiencies reported for photovoltaic and light emitting devices. Despite these outstanding results, there are many temperature-, laser excitation power-, and morphology-dependent phenomena that require further research to be completely understood. In this work, we have investigated in detail the nature of exciton optical transitions and recombination dynamics below and above the orthorhombic/tetragonal ('O'-/'T'-) temperature phase transition (∼150 K) depending on the material continuity (continuous-like) or discontinuity (island-like) in MAPbI3 films…

Exciton recombination dynamics inInAs∕InPself-assembled quantum wires

In this work we investigate the exciton recombination dynamics in InAs/ InP semiconductor self-assembled quantum wires, by means of continuous wave and time resolved photoluminescence. The continuous wave photoluminescence results seem to indicate that the temperature quenching of the emission band seems to be more probably due to unipolar thermal escape of electrons towards the InP barrier. On the other hand, the analysis of time resolved photoluminescence reveals that the temperature dependence of the radiative and nonradiative recombination times is mainly determined by the dynamics of excitons localized by disorder shigh energy tail of the PL bandd and strongly localized slow energy tai…

Electrical control of a laterally ordered InAs/InP quantum dash array

5 páginas, 5 figuras.

MWP true time delay implemented in PbS-SU8 waveguides

Es presenta un nou tipus de dispositiu de retard en temps real de microones (TTD) basat en la dispersió de punts quàntics col·loïdals PbS (QD) en el fotoresist SU8 disponible comercialment. Amb aquest propòsit, els nanocompostos PbS-SU8 s’integren en una plataforma de silici en forma de guies d’ones de cresta. Quan aquestes estructures es bomben a longituds d’ona per sota de l’interval de banda dels PbS QD, es realitza un desplaçament de fase en un senyal de microones transmès òpticament (a 1550 nm) i, per tant, es produeix un retard temporal. A més, es milloren els resultats mitjançant la implementació d’una nova guia d’ones de doble capa de cresta composta per un nanocompost PbS-SU8 i una…

Optical studies of gap, hopping energies, and the Anderson-Hubbard parameter in the zigzag-chain compoundSrCuO2

We have investigated the electronic structure of the zig-zag ladder (chain) compound ${\mathrm{SrCuO}}_{2}$ combining polarized optical absorption, reflection, photoreflectance, and pseudo-dielectric-function measurements with the model calculations. These measurements yield an energy gap of 1.42 eV (1.77 eV) at 300 K along (perpendicular to) the Cu-O chains. We have found that the lowest-energy gap, the correlation gap, is temperature independent. The electronic structure of this oxide is calculated using both the local-spin-density approximation with gradient correction method and the tight-binding theory for the correlated electrons. The calculated density of electronic states for noncor…

Optical transitions and excitonic recombination in InAs/InP self-assembled quantum wires

InAs self-assembled quantum wire structures have been grown on InP substrates and studied by means of photoluminescence and polarized-light absorption measurements. According to our calculations, the observed optical transitions in each sample are consistent with wires of different heights, namely from 6 to 13 monolayers. The nonradiative mechanism limiting the emission intensity at room temperature is related to thermal escape of carriers out of the wires.

Charge Transport in Trap-Sensitized Infrared PbS Quantum-Dot-Based Photoconductors: Pros and Cons

Control of quantum-dot (QD) surface chemistry offers a direct approach for the tuning of charge-carrier dynamics in photoconductors based on strongly coupled QD solids. We investigate the effects of altering the surface chemistry of PbS QDs in such QD solids via ligand exchange using 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI). The roll-to-roll compatible doctor-blade technique was used for the fabrication of the QD solid films as the photoactive component in photoconductors and field-effect phototransistors. The ligand exchange of the QD solid film with MPA yields superior device performance with higher photosensitivity and detectivity, which is due to less dark cur…

Random population model to explain the recombination dynamics in single InAs/GaAs quantum dots under selective optical pumping

18 páginas, 3 tablas, 9 figuras.-- et al.

Emission properties of single InAs/GaAs quantum dot pairs and molecules grown in GaAs nanoholes

Trabajo presentado a la "11th International Conference on Optics of Excitons in Confined Systems" (OECS), celebrada en en Madrid (España) del 7 al 11 de Septiembre de 2009.

Low temperature mobilities of 2-D electrons in indium selenide: Neutral and ionized impurity scattering

Abstract Low temperature mobility of 2-D electrons in indium selenide is calculated, taking into account neutral and ionized impurity scattering. Two-dimensional electric subbands are originated due to quantum size effects, at both sides of thin ϵ-polytype layers, separated by two stacking faults from the bulk γ-InSe. Ionized impurities are in the ϵ-layer and then, spatially separated from 2-D electrons. Neutral impurities are adsorbed to stacking faults in the ϵ-γ interface. A relaxation time for dipole-like neutral impurity scattering is deduced. Calculated mobilities are compared to previous experimental results and the areal concentration of the neutral impurities is so estimated. The i…

Single-Exciton Amplified Spontaneous Emission in Thin Films of CsPbX3 (X = Br, I) Perovskite Nanocrystals

CsPbX3 perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have emerged as an excellent material for stimulated emission purposes, with even more prospective applications than conventional colloidal quantum dots. However, a better understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) is required to achieve more ambitious targets (lasing under continuous wave optical or electrical excitation). Here, we establish the intrinsic mechanisms underlying ASE in PNCs of three different band gaps (CsPbBr3, CsPbBr1.5I1.5, and CsPbI3). Our characterization at cryogenic temperatures does not reveal any evidence of the biexciton mechanism in the formation of ASE. Instead, the measured …

Molecular-mediated assembly of silver nanoparticles with controlled interparticle spacing and chain length

In the present work, we report on a one-pot method for the assembly of noble metal nanoparticles with tunable optical properties, assembly length and interparticle spacing. The synthetic colloidal route is based on the covalent binding among OH-terminated silver nanoparticles by means of dicarboxylic acids with a defined molecular length. As a result, the initially symmetric plasmon band of silver nanoparticles splits into two plasmonic modes when nanoparticles are assembled due to the strong near-field plasmon coupling. We noticed a very good correlation between the plasmon wavelength shift and the interparticle spacing that is represented by the universal scaling law of the surface plasmo…

Preparation and processing of nanocomposites of all-inorganic lead halide perovskite nanocrystals

Abstract Solution processed all-inorganic trihalide perovskite nanocrystals are potential materials for the fabrication of future generation optoelectronic devices. However, the surface of the perovskite nanocrystals should be encapsulated to prevent degradation. Because of their stability under ambient conditions, nanocomposites of perovskite nanocrystals have been intensively researched for display applications. Perovskite nanocrystals dispersion or growth in a polymer matrix imparts structural stability and influences the optical properties, preventing effects such as halide migration. Developing flexible, high-performance lighting devices through perovskite nanocomposites will need to b…

Mechanisms of Spontaneous and Amplified Spontaneous Emission in CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Thin Films Integrated in an Optical Waveguide

In this paper, the physical mechanisms responsible for optical gain in ${\mathrm{CH}}_{3}{\mathrm{NH}}_{3}{\mathrm{Pb}\mathrm{I}}_{3}$ (MAPI) polycrystalline thin films are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Waveguide structures composed by a MAPI film embedded in between PMMA and silica layers are used as an efficient geometry to confine emitted light in MAPI films and minimize the energy threshold for amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). We show that photogenerated exciton density at the ASE threshold is as low as $(2.4\ensuremath{-}12)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{16}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, which is below the Mott transition den…

Photoluminescence waveguiding in CdSe and CdTe QDs–PMMA nanocomposite films

In this paper, active planar waveguides based on the incorporation of CdSe and CdTe nanocrystal quantum dots in a polymer matrix are demonstrated. In the case of doping the polymer with both types of quantum dots, the nanocomposite film guides both emitted colors, green (550 nm, CdTe) and orange (600 nm, CdSe). The optical pumping laser can be coupled not only with a standard end-fire coupling system, but also directing the beam to the surface of the sample, indicating a good absorption cross-section and waveguide properties. To achieve these results, a study of the nanocomposite optical properties as a function of the nanocrystal concentration is presented and the optimum conditions are fo…

Controlled type-I–type-II transition in GaAs/AlAs/AlxGa1−xAs double-barrier quantum wells

We show that the insertion of extremely narrow AlAs layers in double-barrier GaAs/AlAs/${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$As quantum wells results in a variety of electronic configurations, thus providing a powerful tool for tailoring the electronic transitions in GaAs heterostructures. In particular, the transition from type-I to type-II recombination is shown to occur in correspondence with variations by a single monolayer in the thickness of the AlAs and/or GaAs layers. Drastic changes in the recombination lifetimes are correspondingly observed; at the same time, the photoluminescence efficiency is found to be almost independent of the type-I-…

Enhanced Nonlinear Optical Coefficients of MAPbI3 Thin Films by Bismuth Doping

The poor photostability under ambient conditions of hybrid halide perovskites has hindered their recently explored promising nonlinear optical properties. Here, we show how Bi3+ can partially substitute Pb2+ homogeneously in the commonly studied MAPbI3, improving both environmental stability and photostability under high laser irradiation. Bi content around 2 atom % produces thin films where the nonlinear refractive (n2) and absorptive coefficients (β), which modify the refractive index (Δn) of the material with light fluence (I), increase up to factors of 4 and 3.5, respectively, compared to undoped MAPbI3. Higher doping inhibits the nonlinear parameters; however, the samples show higher f…

Quantum size confinement in gallium selenide nanosheets: band gap tunability versus stability limitation

Abstract Gallium selenide is one of the most promising candidates to extend the window of band gap values provided by existing two-dimensional semiconductors deep into the visible potentially reaching the ultraviolet. However, the tunability of its band gap by means of quantum confinement effects is still unknown, probably due to poor nanosheet stability. Here, we demonstrate that the optical band gap band of GaSe nanosheets can be tuned by ∼120 meV from bulk to 8 nm thick. The luminescent response of very thin nanosheets (&lt;8 nm) is strongly quenched due to early oxidation. Oxidation favors the emergence of sharp material nanospikes at the surface attributable to strain relaxation. Simul…

Real-time polarimetric biosensing using macroporous alumina membranes

We report the first demonstration of real-time biosensing in free standing macroporous alumina membranes. The membranes with their 200 nm diameter pores are ideal candidates for biosensing applications where fast response times for small sample volumes are needed as they allow analytes to flow through the pores close to the bioreceptors immobilized on the pores walls. A bulk refractive index sensitivity of 5.2x10 -6 refractive index units was obtained from signal responses to different concentrations of NaCl solutions flowing through the pores. Finally, after functionalizing the alumina pore surfaces with an epoxysilane and then spotting it with β-Lactoglobulin protein, the interactions bet…

The effect of high-In content capping layers on low-density bimodal-sized InAs quantum dots

[EN] The structural and morphological features of bimodal-sized InAs/(In) GaAs quantum dots with density in the low 10(9) cm(-2) range were analyzed with transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy and were related to their optical properties, investigated with photoluminescence and time-resolved photoluminescence. We show that only the family of small quantum dots (QDs) is able to emit narrow photoluminescence peaks characteristic of single-QD spectra; while the behavior of large QDs is attributed to large strain fields that may induce defects affecting their optical properties, decreasing the optical intensity and broadening the homogeneous linewidth. Then, by using a rat…

Metal-polymer nanocomposite resist: a step towards in-situ nanopatterns metallization

In this work we propose an alternative method for the fabrication of metal micro/nanostructures from metal-polymer nanocomposite resists and their subsequent electroless metallization. The process consists of three simple steps: 1. Fabrication of micro or nanopatterns by lithography or any other direct printing technologies (inkjet or microplotter printing...), 2. In-situ synthesis of metal nanoparticle during a post-bake step and 3. Non-electrochemical metallization of nanocomposite patterns. The novelty of our approach is that both Ag and Au nanoparticles are embedded into the polymer pattern and act as seeds for the reduction of Ag(I) when immersed into a solution of the corresponding pr…

Lateral induced dipole moment and polarizability of excitons in a ZnO single quantum disk

The lateral Stark shift of an exciton confined in a single ZnO quantum thin disk of radius R was calculated using a variational approach within the two bands effective mass approximation. It is shown that the exciton has a non negligible induced dipole moment when an external electric field is applied mainly for electron-hole separation below to the 3D excitonic Bohr radius. The behavior of the exciton lateral Stark shift proves the existence of an important correlation between the polarizability and the induced dipole moment.

Two-Dimensional Indium Selenide for Sulphur Vapour Sensing Applications

Surface-to-volume ratio in two-dimensional (2D) materials highlights among their characteristics as an inherent and intrinsic advantage taking into account their strong sensitivity to surface effects. For this reason, we have proposed in this work micromechanically exfoliated 2D nanosheets of InSe as an optical vapour sensor. As a proof of concept, we used 2-mercaptoethanol as the chemical analyte in vapour phase to monitor the change of the InSe photoluminescence (PL) before and after exposure to the analyte. For short vapour exposure times (at low analyte concentration), we found a PL enhancement of InSe nanosheets attributed to the surface localization of Se defects. For long vapour expo…

MWP phase shifters integrated in PbS-SU8 waveguides

[EN] We present new kind of microwave phase shifters (MPS) based on dispersion of PbS colloidal quantum dots (QDs) in commercially available photoresist SU8 after a ligand exchange process. Ridge PbS-SU8 waveguides are implemented by integration of the nanocomposite in a silicon platform. When these waveguides are pumped at wavelengths below the band-gap of the PbS QDs, a phase shift in an optically conveyed (at 1550 nm) microwave signal is produced. The strong light confinement produced in the ridge waveguides allows an improvement of the phase shift as compared to the case of planar structures. Moreover, a novel ridge bilayer waveguide composed by a PbS-SU8 nanocomposite and a SU8 passive…

Structural characterization of bulk and nanoparticle lead halide perovskite thin films by (S)TEM techniques.

Lead halide (APbX3) perovskites, in polycrystalline thin films but also perovskite nanoparticles (NPs) has demonstrated excellent performance to implement a new generation of photovoltaic and photonic devices. The structural characterization of APbX3 thin films using (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM) techniques can provide valuable information that can be used to understand and model their optoelectronic performance and device properties. However, since APbX3 perovskites are soft materials, their characterization using (S)TEM is challenging. Here, we study and compare the structural properties of two different metal halide APbX3 perovskite thin films: bulk CH3NH3PbI3 prep…

Ag and Au/DNQ-novolac nanocomposites patternable by ultraviolet lithography: a fast route to plasmonic sensor microfabrication

In this work we report on a method to synthesize Ag–Au nanoparticles/polymer nanocomposite patterns by UV lithography. The photoresists are based on DNQ-novolac as the polymer matrix, and Ag(I) and Au(III) salts as the nanoparticle precursors. After UV lithography, silver and gold nanoparticles are in situ synthesized inside the polymer patterns during a post bake. The resulting structured nanocomposite shows a characteristic absorbance spectrum related to the plasmon frequency of the synthesized noble metal NPs. This method represents a fast, simple and low-cost approach to the formation of extended polymer patterns with embedded silver or gold NPs. Moreover, it is a mechanism to position …

Mapping the plasmonic response of gold nanoparticles embedded in TiO2thin films

We present the mapping of the plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles that are embedded in a TiO2 thin film deposited over two different substrates, glass and silicon. An improved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) imaging technique was used to extract plasmon maps with nanometre resolution. Several representative cases of randomly dispersed NPs have been examined to carefully evaluate surrounding effects on the optical response of such nanostructured material. Data were compared to analytical calculations and showed good agreement. These results validate previous structural and far-field optical results and provide a clear description of the optical phenomena that take place at a …

Multilayers of CdSe/CdS/ZnCdS Core/Wings/Shell Nanoplatelets Integrated in a Polymer Waveguide

In this work, fabrication of multilayers of colloidal CdSe/CdS/ZnCdS core/wings/shell nanoplatelets (NPls) on solid substrates by layer-by-layer deposition technology is successfully demonstrated for the first time. Integration of multilayers of nanoplatelets into polymeric waveguide resulted in strong dichroism in absorption and polarization effects in photoluminescence with preferable absorption and emission of TE (horizontal) mode that evidences about in-plane orientation of NPls relative to the planar waveguide. The propagation of the excitation and emission light along the waveguide was thoroughly investigated both theoretically and experimentally for different number of NPl layers.

Propagation length enhancement of surface plasmon polaritons in gold nano-/micro-waveguides by the interference with photonic modes in the surrounding active dielectrics

Abstract In this work, the unique optical properties of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), i.e. subwavelength confinement or strong electric field concentration, are exploited to demonstrate the propagation of light signal at 600 nm along distances in the range from 17 to 150 μm for Au nanostripes 500 nm down to 100 nm wide (30 nm of height), respectively, both theoretically and experimentally. A low power laser is coupled into an optical fiber tip that is used to locally excite the photoluminescence of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) dispersed in their surroundings. Emitted light from these QDs is generating the SPPs that propagate along the metal waveguides. Then, the above-referred propagat…

Metasurfaces for colour printing

We present a theoretical analysis and experimental evidences of metasurfaces based on particle resonators that achieve bright-field colour prints. We created pixels that support individual colours, miniaturized and juxtaposed at the optical diffraction limit. Different strategies are followed to offer the flexibility of using both transmitting and epi (reflective) white light sources. We discuss their potential applications in large-volume colour printing via nanoimprint lithography.

Highly-sensitive anisotropic porous silicon based optical sensors

The modeling, fabrication and characterization of PSi fabricated from both (110) and (100) surface oriented silicon for optical sensing is thoroughly reported. First, based on the generalized Bruggeman method, the birefringence and sensitivity of the fabricated membranes were calculated as a function of the fabrication parameters such as porosity and pore sizes; and external effects, such as the pores surface oxidation. Thereafter we report on the fabrication of PSi membranes from (110) and (100) surface oriented silicon with pore sizes in the range of 50 - 80 nm, and the characterization of their birefringence using a polarimetric setup. Their sensitivities were determined by filling the p…

High‐temperature behavior of impurities and dimensionality of the charge transport in unintentionally and tin‐doped indium selenide

A systematic study of the electron transport and shallow impurity distribution in indium selenide above room temperature or after an annealing process is reported by means of far‐infrared‐absorption and Hall‐effect measurements. Evidences are found for the existence of a large concentration of deep levels (1012–1013 cm−2), related to impurities adsorbed to stacking faults in this material. Above room temperature impurities can migrate from those defect zones and then become shallow in the bulk. The subsequent large increase of 3D electrons can change the dimensionality of the electron transport, which in most cases was 2D. The temperature dependence of the resistivity parallel to the c axis…

Pressure dependence of photoluminescence of InAs/InP self-assembled quantum wires

6 páginas, 4 figuras, 1 tabla.-- PACS 62.50.+ p, 73.21.Hb, 78.55.Cr, 78.67.Lt, 81.15.Hi, 81.16.Dn

Optical properties of different polymer thin films containing in situ synthesized Ag and Au nanoparticles

Here we report on the in situ synthesis of Ag and Au nanoparticles inside several polymer matrixes by solid-state chemical reduction of a metallic salt. Poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI), poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), novolak, poly(4-vinylphenol) (P4VP), poly(4-vinylphenol)-co-(methyl methacrylate) (P4VP-co-MMA) and poly(styrene-co-allyl alcohol) (PS-co-AA) were able to reduce Ag(I) and Au(III) to the corresponding nanoparticles during the baking process. The nanoparticle diameters of Ag and Au were found to range from 2 to 25 nm. TEM also indicated a uniform distribution of nanoparticles embedded in the thin film. This approach is suitable for controlling t…

Integration of solution processed materials in polymer waveguides

Active solution processed nanomaterials have emerged as a very high promising candidates for photonic applications. The reason of this arises from the facts that they exhibit high quantum yield emission at room temperature and wavelength tunability, other than their processing involves easy and cheap fabrication techniques and a versatile integration on different substrates. In this way, active properties of different solution processed materials, as colloidal quantum dots, organic dyes and rare earth nanoparticles, have been exploited to demonstrate spontaneous emission or optical modulation in photonic devices. However, in spite of such an attractiveness of these nanomaterials, little has…

Enhanced optical response of InSe nanosheet devices decorated with CsPbX3 (X = I, Br) perovskite nanocrystals

Abstract The combination of several two-dimensional materials opens the door for the creation of cooperative nanodevices with functionalities that complement to each other and even compensate the weaknesses of the individual components. Two-dimensional indium selenide (InSe) shows one of the largest tunability bandgap found in two-dimensional materials with application in optoelectronics. However, the intrinsic out-of-plane luminescent dipolar nature limits its implementation in devices operating in vertical configuration. All-inorganic CsPbX3 (X = Br, I) cubic nanoparticles offer high absorption and emission quantum yields and great integrability with two-dimensional materials. Combining t…

Dielectric and plasmonic waveguides based on quantum dots embedded in polymers

espanolEn este trabajo se propone una revision de la implementacion de guias de onda activas basadas en la dispersion de puntos cuanticos coloidales (QDs) en polimeros. Para ello, guias de onda planas fueron fabricadas embebiendo distintos tipos de nanoestructuras semiconductoras con emision en el visible e infrarrojo (CdS, CdTe, CdSe, PbS) en PMMA, encontrandose las condiciones optimas para el guiado de su fotoluminiscencia y sus propiedades de ganancia y atenuacion. Si varios tipos de puntos son dispersados en la misma capa se propagan varios colores, siendo posible obtener luz blanca con las proporciones adecuadas de rojo, verde y azul. Asimismo, el guiado puede ser mejorado si una cubie…

Plasmonic versus catalytic effect of gold nanoparticles on mesoporous TiO2 electrodes for water splitting

a b s t r a c t Solar water splitting with metal oxide semiconductors constitutes a promising approach to the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy stored in the atomic bonds of hydrogen molecules. In the present study, we evaluate the effect of the presence of Au nanoparticles on the photoelectrochemical behaviour of mesoporous TiO2 to photo-oxidize water. We observe that the presence of Au nanoparticles leads to enhanced photocurrents for water oxidation and we explore the origin of this enhancement by optical and electrochemical characterization techniques. Our results indicate that although the Au nanoparticles are responsible for a localized surface plasmonic resonance effect…

Polymer/Perovskite Amplifying Waveguides for Active Hybrid Silicon Photonics

The emission properties of hybrid halide perovskites are exploited to implement a stable and very low power operation waveguide optical amplifier integrated in a silicon platform. By optimizing its design with a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) encapsulation, this novel photonic device presents a net gain of around 10 dB cm−1 and 3–4 nm linewidth with an energy threshold as low as 2 nJ pulse−1 and exhibiting no degradation after one year. This work was supported by Generalitat Valenciana (Project No. ISIC/2012/008), the Universitat Jaume I (Project No. 12I361.01/1), Spanish MINECO (Projects Nos. MAT2013-47192-C3-1-R and TEC2014-53727-C2-1-R) and EU-NAVOLCHI (Project No. 288869).

Silicon Nanocrystals Produced by Nanosecond Laser Ablation in an Organic Liquid

Small (3−5 nm in diameter following HRTEM images) Si nanocrystals were produced in a two-stage process including (1) nanosecond laser ablation of a Si target in an organic liquid (chloroform) that results in formation of big composite polycrystalline particles (about 20−100 nm average diameter) and (2) ultrasonic post-treatment of Si nanoparticles in the presence of HF. The post-treatment is responsible for disintegration of the composite Si particles, release of small individual nanocrystals, and reduction of their size due to HF-induced etching of Si oxide. The downshift and broadening of the ∼520 cm−1 Raman phonon band of the small Si nanocrystals with respect to the bulk Si Raman band i…

Delayed Luminescence in Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals

The mechanism responsible for the extremely long photoluminescence (PL) lifetimes observed in many lead halide perovskites is still under debate. While the presence of trap states is widely accepted, the process of electron detrapping back to the emissive state has been mostly ignored, especially from deep traps as these are typically associated with nonradiative recombination. Here, we study the photophysics of methylammonium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) with a photoluminescence quantum yield close to unity. We show that the lifetime of the spontaneous radiative recombination in PNCs is as short as 2 ns, which is expected considering the direct bandgap character of perovskit…

In-situ synthesis of thiophene-based multifunctional polymeric networks with tunable conductivity and high photolithographic performance

Abstract Design of novel multifunctional polymeric materials combining electrically conducting properties with patterning capability is a significant challenge in materials science. Herein, we report on the synthesis of multifunctional interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN) by the in-situ oxidative polymerization of thiophene-based monomers with Cu(ClO 4 ) 2 inside a novolac-based photoresist. The resulting IPNs show conductivities up to 20 S/cm depending on the monomer properties. Among them, 3,3‴-Dihexyl-2,2’:5′,2’’:5″,2‴-quaterthiophene (DH4T) is chosen because it has the largest conjugation length and excellent solubility in organic solvents. Moreover, it renders a low percolation thre…

Interpretation of the photoluminescence decay kinetics in metal halide perovskite nanocrystals and thin polycrystalline films

Abstract In this paper we present critical analysis of different points of view on interpretation of the photoluminescence (PL) decay kinetics in lead halide perovskites prepared in the form of well passivated nanocrystals (PNCs) or thin polycrystalline layers. In addition to the literature data, our own measurements are also considered. For PNCs, a strong dependence of the PL lifetimes on the type of passivating ligand was observed with a consistently high PL quantum yield. It is shown that such ligand effects, as well as a decrease in the PL lifetime with decreasing temperature, are well qualitatively explained by the phenomenological model of thermally activated delayed luminescence, in …

Size and emission wavelength control of InAs/InP quantum wires

5 páginas, 5 figuras, 1 tabla.-- Comunicación presentada al E-MRS 2004 Spring Meeting celebrado en Estrasburgo (Francia) Mayo del 2004.

Ligand-Length Modification in CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals and Bilayers with PbS Quantum Dots for Improved Photodetection Performance

Nanocrystals surface chemistry engineering offers a direct approach to tune charge carrier dynamics in nanocrystals-based photodetectors. For this purpose, we have investigated the effects of altering the surface chemistry of thin films of CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals produced by the doctor blading technique, via solid state ligand-exchange using 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). The electrical and electro-optical properties of photovoltaic and photoconductor devices were improved after the MPA ligand exchange, mainly because of a mobility increase up to 5 &times

Size control of InAs∕InP(001) quantum wires by tailoring P∕As exchange

The size and emission wavelength of self-assembled InAs∕InP(001) quantum wires (QWrs) is affected by the P∕As exchange process. In this work, we demonstrate by in situ stress measurements that P∕As exchange at the InAs∕InP interface depends on the surface reconstruction of the InAs starting surface and its immediate evolution when the arsenic cell is closed. Accordingly, the amount of InP grown on InAs by P∕As exchange increases with substrate temperature in a steplike way. These results allow us to engineer the size of the QWr for emission at 1.3 and 1.55 μm at room temperature by selecting the range of substrate temperatures in which the InP cap layer is grown.

Extrinsic Effects on the Optical Properties of Surface Color Defects Generated in Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is a wide-band gap van der Waals material able to host light-emitting centers behaving as single photon sources. Here, we report the generation of color defects in hBN nanosheets dispersed on different kinds of substrates by thermal treatment processes. The optical properties of these defects have been studied using microspectroscopy techniques and far-field simulations of their light emission. Using these techniques, we have found that subsequent ozone treatments of the deposited hBN nanosheets improve the optical emission properties of created defects, as revealed by their zero-phonon linewidth narrowing and reduction of background emission. Microlocalized co…

Morphological Characterisation of Bacterial Cellulose-Starch Nanocomposites

Acetobacter sp. growing medium was modified in order to produce bacterial cellulose (BC) nanocomposites using a bottom-up technique that allowed starch to be introduced into the cellulose network. The BC-starch mats were hot-pressed to obtain nanocomposites sheets. Morphological characterisation was carried out using Atomic Force Microscopy and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy. The images obtained from microscopy were then processed using image analysis. Network properties, such as mesh size and fibre orientation were characterised. Fracture surfaces of these new nanocomposites were analysed.

Resist-based silver nanocomposites synthesized by lithographic methods

In this work, the formation of silver metal nanoparticles inside a negative-tone resist based on poly(vinyl alcohol) is achieved by electron beam lithography. The chemistry of this sensitive resist allows the production of nanoparticles as well as the polymer crosslinking by the electron radiation. Due to the presence of the silver nanoparticles, the final composite exhibits a plasmonic behavior, which was characterized by measuring the absorbance. The lithographic properties of the resist have been characterized. The technique has also been exported to UV lithography, where silver nanoparticles are obtained inside the polymeric patterns after optical lithography.

Chip-to-chip plasmonic interconnects and the activities of EU project NAVOLCHI

In this paper, the chip-to-chip interconnection architecture adopted by the EU-project NAVOLCHI are discussed. The plasmonic physical layer consisting of a plasmonic nanoscale laser, a modulator, an amplifier and a detector is introduced. Current statuses of the plasmonic devices are reviewed.

Band Alignments in InxGa1–xP/GaAs Heterostructures Investigated by Pressure Experiments

6 páginas, 3 figuras.

Optical properties of an exciton bound to an ionized impurity in ZnO/SiO2 quantum dots

Abstract The energy of the ground and the excited states for the exciton and the binding energy of the acceptor–donor exciton complexes ( A − , X ) and ( D + , X ) as a function of the radius for an impurity position located in the center in the spherical ZnO quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a SiO2 matrix are calculated using the effective mass approximation under the diagonalzation matrix technique, including a three-dimensional confinement of carrier in the QD and assuming a finite depth. Numerical results show that the binding energy of the acceptor–donor exciton complexes is very sensitive to the quantum dot size. These results could be particularly helpful since they are closely related …

Applications in nanophotonics of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals

Exciton recombination in self-assembled InAs/GaAs small quantum dots under an external electric field

5 páginas, 3 figuras.-- PACS: 73.63.Kv; 78.55.Cr; 78.67.Hc; S7.12.-- Trabajo presentado en la 7th International Conference on Optics and Excitons in Confined Systems (OECS7).

Continuous Broadband MWP True-Time Delay with PbS-PMMA and -SU8 waveguides

[EN] A new microwave true-time delay (TTD) photonic unit based on the dispersion of PbS colloidal quantum dots (QDs) in a Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and the SU8 photoresist is presented. With this aim, the PbS-PMMA and PbS-SU8 nanocomposites are integrated on a silicon platform in the form of a planar and ridge waveguides, respectively. When PbS QDs on those structures are pumped below their band-gap, a phase shift and a temporal delay in an optically conveyed (at 1550 nm) microwave signal is performed. The results of these devices show potential benefits over current TTD technologies, since the proposed photonic waveguide structures allows real-time adjustment of the temporal delay by …