Temperature dependence of exciton-surface plasmon polariton coupling in Ag, Au, and Al films on In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N/GaN quantum wells studied with time-resolved cathodoluminescence

Journal Article · Wed Jan 28 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4906850· OSTI ID:22412983

Estrin, Y.; Keller, S.; DenBaars, S. P. ^[1]

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1. Electrical and Computer Engineering and Materials Departments, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93111 (United States)

The optical properties and coupling of excitons to surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in Ag, Au, and Al-coated In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N/GaN multiple and single quantum wells (SQWs) were probed with time-resolved cathodoluminescence. Excitons were generated in the metal coated SQWs by injecting a pulsed high-energy electron beam through the thin metal films. The Purcell enhancement factor (F{sub p}) was obtained by direct measurement of changes in the temperature-dependent radiative lifetime caused by the SQW exciton-SPP coupling. Three chosen plasmonic metals of Al, Ag, and Au facilitate an interesting comparison of the exciton-SPP coupling for energy ranges in which the SP energy is greater than, approximately equal to, and less than the excitonic transition energy for the InGaN/GaN QW emitter. A modeling of the temperature dependence of the Purcell enhancement factor, F{sub p}, included the effects of ohmic losses of the metals and changes in the dielectric properties due to the temperature dependence of (i) the intraband behavior in the Drude model and (ii) the interband critical point transition energies which involve the d-bands of Au and Ag. We show that an inclusion of both intraband and interband effects is essential when calculating the ω vs k SPP dispersion relation, plasmon density of states (DOS), and the dependence of F{sub p} on frequency and temperature. Moreover, the “back bending” in the SPP dispersion relation when including ohmic losses can cause a finite DOS above ω{sub sp} and lead to a measurable F{sub p} in a limited energy range above ω{sub sp}, which can potentially be exploited in plasmonic devices utilizing Ag and Au.

• OSTI ID: 22412983
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 4; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
CATHODOLUMINESCENCE
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
COUPLING
DENSITY OF STATES
DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
DISPERSION RELATIONS
EXCITONS
FILMS
GALLIUM NITRIDES
GOLD
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
LIFETIME
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMONS
POLARONS
QUANTUM WELLS
SILVER
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE