Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026

Well-aligned Vertically Oriented ZnO Nanorod Arrays and their Application in Inverted Small Molecule Solar Cells
Published on: April 25, 2018
Exciton localization and optical properties improvement in nanocrystal-embedded ZnO core-shell nanowires
Rui Chen1, Quan-Lin Ye, Tingchao He
1Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore.
Abstract:
We present a comparative investigation of the morphological, structural, and optical properties of vertically aligned ZnO nanowires (NWs) before and after high energy argon ion (Ar(+)) milling. It is found that the outer regions of the as-grown sample change from crystalline to amorphous, and ZnO core-shell NWs with ZnO nanocrystals embedded are formed after Ar(+) milling. Optical properties of the ZnO NWs have been investigated systematically through power and temperature dependent photoluminescence measurements, and the phenomenon of exciton localization as well as the relevant favorable photoluminescence characteristics is elucidated. Interestingly, under high density optical pumping at room temperature, coherent random lasing action is observed, which is ascribed to exciton localization and strong scattering. Our results on the unique optical properties of localized exciton in ZnO core-shell nanostructures shed light on developing stable and high-efficiency excitonic optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes and lasers.
Related Concept Videos
Photoluminescence: Applications
Insensitive Nuclei Enhanced by Polarization Transfer (INEPT)
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Non-Stoichiometric Defects
Photoluminescence: Fluorescence and Phosphorescence
A pair of electrons in a...

