Energy transfer mechanism and Auger effect in Er{sup 3+} coupled silicon nanoparticle samples

Journal Article · Wed Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3476286· OSTI ID:21476447

Pitanti, A ^[1]; Navarro-Urrios, D; Garrido, B ^[2]; Prtljaga, N; Daldosso, N; Pavesi, L ^[1]; Gourbilleau, F; Rizk, R ^[3]

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1. Department of Physics, Nanoscience Laboratory, University of Trento, via Sommarive 14, Trento 38100 (Italy)
2. Dept. Electronica, MIND-IN2UB, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona, CAT (Spain)
3. CIMAP, UMR CEA/CNRS/ENSICAEN/Univ. CAEN, No. 6252 ENSICAEN, 6 Boulevard Marechal Juin, 14050 Caen Cedex 4 (France)

We report a spectroscopic study about the energy transfer mechanism among silicon nanoparticles (Si-np), both amorphous and crystalline, and Er ions in a silicon dioxide matrix. From infrared spectroscopic analysis, we have determined that the physics of the transfer mechanism does not depend on the Si-np nature, finding a fast (<200 ns) energy transfer in both cases, while the amorphous nanoclusters reveal a larger transfer efficiency than the nanocrystals. Moreover, the detailed spectroscopic results in the visible range here reported are essential to understand the physics behind the sensitization effect, whose knowledge assumes a crucial role to enhance the transfer rate and possibly employing the material in optical amplifier devices. Joining the experimental data, performed with pulsed and continuous-wave excitation, we develop a model in which the internal intraband recombination within Si-np is competitive with the transfer process via an Auger electron-''recycling'' effect. Posing a different light on some detrimental mechanism such as Auger processes, our findings clearly recast the role of Si-np in the sensitization scheme, where they are able to excite very efficiently ions in close proximity to their surface.

• OSTI ID: 21476447
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 108, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3476286; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
AUGER EFFECT
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELECTRONS
ENERGY TRANSFER
ERBIUM
ERBIUM IONS
EXCITATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
NANOSTRUCTURES
PARTICLES
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON
SILICON OXIDES
SURFACES
VISIBLE RADIATION
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
FERMIONS
IONS
LEPTONS
LUMINESCENCE
MATERIALS
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTON EMISSION
RADIATIONS
RARE EARTHS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY