Spatially and angularly resolved cathodoluminescence study of single ZnO nanorods

Single ZnO nanorods were studied with cathodoluminescence at high spatial and angular resolution. A newly developed luminescence detector consisting a fiber probe controlled by a nano-manipulator is attached to a scanning electron microscope to carry out the cathodoluminescence measurements. Excitonic emission from the sidewalls and redshifted near band edge emission guided along the nanorod axis are observed as the fiber probe axis is aligned to be perpendicular and parallel to the nanorod axis, respectively, demonstrating the angular resolving power of the experimental setup and waveguiding behavior of the nanorods. High spatial resolution cathodoluminescence measurement shows that the near band edge emission can propagate parallel and perpendicular to the nanorod axis and an increased propagation distance results in more redshift of the guided luminescence. In addition, the high spatial resolution and temperature dependent cathodoluminescence measurements demonstrate the important role of free exciton-longitudinal optical phonon interaction in the waveguiding behavior and the propagation of the near band edge emission in ZnO nanorods.