Erbium Ion Luminescence of Silicon Nanocrystal Layers in a Silicon Dioxide Matrix Measured under Strong Optical Excitation

Abstract

The photoluminescence (PL) spectra and kinetics of erbium-doped layers of silicon nanocrystals dispersed in a silicon dioxide matrix (nc-Si/SiO 2 ) are studied. It was found that optical excitation of nc-Si can be transferred with a high efficiency to Er 3+ ions present in the surrounding oxide. The efficiency of energy transfer increases with increasing pumping photon energy and intensity. The process of Er 3+ excitation is shown to compete successfully with nonradiative recombination in the nc-Si/SiO 2 structures. The Er 3+ PL lifetime was found to decrease under intense optical pumping, which implies the establishment of inverse population in the Er 3+ system. The results obtained demonstrate the very high potential of erbium-doped nc-Si/SiO 2 structures when used as active media for optical amplifiers and light-emitting devices operating at a wavelength of 1.5 μ m. © 2005 Pleiades Publishing, Inc.