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Updated: May 10, 2026
08:45
Fabrication of Spatially Confined Complex Oxides
Published on: July 1, 2013
Stress-to-Light Conversion in an Earth-Abundant Oxide Semiconductor
Tomoki Uchiyama1,2, Koki Otonari2, Reona Omori2
1Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
Summary
Sustainable zinc oxide (ZnO) now emits near-infrared (NIR) light under stress. Defect engineering creates a p-type state, enabling stress-driven light emission for new photonic applications.
Area of Science:
- Solid-state physics
- Materials science
- Photonics
Background:
- Stress-to-light conversion is a key photonic function.
- Zinc oxide (ZnO) is earth-abundant, sustainable, and has favorable semiconductor properties.
- Realizing this function in simple, sustainable materials remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate stress-induced near-infrared (NIR) luminescence in defect-engineered zinc oxide (ZnO).
- To overcome the intrinsic n-type conductivity of ZnO for photonic applications.
- To explore coupled electronic and structural effects for novel light-emitting functionalities.
Main Methods:
- Defect engineering of ZnO by partial substitution of Zn2+ with Li+ or Na+ to stabilize a p-type state.
- Characterization of stress-induced NIR luminescence.
- Investigation of ferroelectric properties linked to electronic and structural changes.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated strong NIR luminescence in defect-engineered ZnO under elastic stress.
- Achieved a stable p-type ZnO, overcoming its native n-type character.
- Observed coupled electronic and structural effects, including ferroelectricity, enabling stress-driven light emission.
Conclusions:
- Established a novel, sustainable, rare-earth-free platform for NIR photonics using defect-engineered ZnO.
- Highlighted a previously unrecognized light-emitting function in a simple oxide lattice.
- Opened scalable opportunities for self-powered biophotonic signaling and infrastructure health monitoring.
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