Visible luminescence in Yb3+-doped gadolinium gallium garnets

In this paper, some results on visible luminescence performed on Yb3+-doped gadolinium gallium garnets under 165 and 940 nm excitation were presented. The upconversion luminescence was ascribed to Yb3+ cooperative luminescence and the presence of rare earth impurity ions. The gain cross-sections of Yb:GGG crystal as a function of excited-state population fraction P were studied. Emission spectra under 165 nm at 20 K showed there was no charge transfer luminescence in Yb:GGG. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth of high quality Cr, Yb codoped gadolinium gallium garnet (Gd3Ga5O12) crystal and its spectral properties

The Cr(0.1%),Yb(10%):GGG crystals have been grown by the Czochralski method. The chemical composition is: Yb0.33Gd2.47Cr0.005Ga5.2O12. There are no observed Yb3+ ions substituting Ga3+ ions, just like that of Yb:GGG crystals. The defects in Cr,Yb:GGG crystal were also investigated. The absorption and emission spectra of Cr,Yb:GGG crystal at room temperature have been measured. The 02 and H-2 annealing effect of Cr,Yb:GGG crystal have been compared. Cr3+ can greatly weak the visible luminescence of this crystal. The Cr-Yb-codoped crystals may be potential materials for compact, efficient, high stability LD pumped solid state lasers. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Codoping of magnesium with oxygen in gallium nitride nanowires

Codoping of p-type GaN nanowires with Mg and oxygen was investigated using first-principles calculations. The Mg becomes a deep acceptor in GaN nanowires with high ionization energy due to the quantum confinement. The ionization energy of Mg doped GaN nanowires containing passivated Mg-O complex decreases with increasing the diameter, and reduces to 300 meV as the diameter of the GaN nanowire is larger than 2.01 nm, which indicates that Mg-O codoping is suitable for achieving p-type GaN nanowires with larger diameters. The codoping method to reduce the ionization energy can be effectively used in other semiconductor nanostructures. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics.

Defects in gallium nitride nanowires: First principles calculations

Atomic configurations and formation energies of native defects in an unsaturated GaN nanowire grown along the [001] direction and with (100) lateral facets are studied using large-scale ab initio calculation. Cation and anion vacancies, antisites, and interstitials in the neutral charge state are all considered. The configurations of these defects in the core region and outermost surface region of the nanowire are different. The atomic configurations of the defects in the core region are same as those in the bulk GaN, and the formation energy is large. The defects at the surface show different atomic configurations with low formation energy. Starting from a Ga vacancy at the edge of the side plane of the nanowire, a N-N split interstitial is formed after relaxation. As a N site is replaced by a Ga atom in the suboutermost layer, the Ga atom will be expelled out of the outermost layers and leaves a vacancy at the original N site. The Ga interstitial at the outmost surface will diffuse out by interstitialcy mechanism. For all the tested cases N-N split interstitials are easily formed with low formation energy in the nanowires, indicating N-2 molecular will appear in the GaN nanowire, which agrees well with experimental findings.

Optical properties of aluminum-, gallium-, and indium-doped Bi4Ti3O12 thin films

Undoped and Al-, Ga-, and In-doped Bi4Ti3O12 thin films were prepared on fused quartz substrates by chemical solution deposition. Their microstructures and optical properties were investigated by x-ray diffraction and UV-visible-NIR spectrophotometer, respectively. The optical band-gap energies, Urbach energies, and linear refractive indices of all the films are derived from the transmittance spectrum. Following the single oscillator model, the dispersion parameters such as the average oscillator energy (E-0) and dispersion energy (E-d) are achieved. The energy band gap and refractive indices are found to decrease with introducing the dopants of Al, Ga, and In, which is useful for the band-gap engineering and optical waveguide devices. The refractive index dispersion parameter (E-0/S-0) increases and the chemical bonding quantity (beta) decreases in all the films compared with those of bulk. It is supposed to be caused by the nanosize grains in films. (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI 10.1063/1.3138813]

Structure and Electronic Properties of Saturated and Unsaturated Gallium Nitride Nanotubes

The atomic and electronic structures of saturated and unsaturated GaN nanotubes along the [001] direction with (100) lateral facets are studied using first-principles calculations. Atomic relaxation of nanotubes shows that appreciable distortion occurs in the unsaturated nanotubes. All the nanotubes considered, including saturated and unsaturated ones, exhibit semiconducting, with a direct band gap Surface states arisen from the 3-fold-coordinated N and Ga atoms at the lateral facets exist inside the bulklike band gap. When the nanotubes are saturated with hydrogen, these dangling bond bands are removed from the band gap, but the band gap decreases with increasing the wall thickness of the nanotubes.

Gallium antisite defect and residual acceptors in undoped GaSb

Undoped Ga-Sb samples were investigated by positron lifetime spectroscopy (PAS) and the coincident Doppler broadening (CDB) technique. PAS measurement indicated that there were monovacancy-type defects in undoped Ga-Sb samples, which were identified to be predominantly Ca vacancy (V-Ga) related defects by combining the CDB measurements. After annealing of these samples at 520 C, positron shallow trapping have been observed and should be due to Ga-Sb defects. Undoped Ga-Sb is intrinsically p-type having a residual carrier density of 10(16)-10(17) cm(-3). And the Ga-Sb antisite defects are stable in the (0), (1-) and (2-) charge states and act as a double acceptor. Thus, we infer that Ga-Sb antisite defects are the acceptor contributing to the p-type conduction for undoped samples. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Magnetism and luminescence evolution due to nitrogen doping in manganese-gallium oxide nanowires

We report a new method for large-scale production of GaMnN nanowires, by annealing manganese-gallium oxide nanowires in flowing ammonia at high temperature. Microstructure analysis indicates that the GaMnN nanowires have wurtzite GaN structure without Mn precipitates or Mn-related second phases. Magnetism evolution due to nitrogen doping in manganese-gallium oxide nanowires was evaluated by magnetic measurements. Magnetic measurement reveals that the magnetization increases with the increase of nitrogen concentration. Ferromagnetic ordering exists in the GaMnN nanowires, whose Curie temperature is above room temperature. Luminescence evolution was investigated by the cathodoluminesence measurement for a single nanowire and photoluminescence measurement in a temperature range between 10 and 300 K. Experimental results indicate that optical properties can be modulated by nitrogen doping in manganese-gallium oxide nanowires. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetism and photoluminescence in manganese-gallium oxide nanowires with monoclinic and spinel structures

Manganese-gallium oxide nanowires were synthesized via in situ Mn doping during nanowire growth using a vapor phase evaporation method. The microstructure and composition of the products were characterized via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The field and temperature dependence of the magnetization reveal the obvious hysteresis loop and large magnitude of Curie-Weiss temperature. The photoluminescence of the manganese-gallium oxide nanowires were studied in a temperature range between 10 and 300 K. A broad green emission band was observed which is attributed to the T-4(1)-(6)A(1) transition in Mn2+ (3d(5)) ions. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gallium vacancy and the residual acceptor in undoped GaSb studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy and photoluminescence

Positron lifetime, photoluminescence (PL), and Hall measurements were performed to study undoped p-type gallium antimonide materials. A 314 ps positron lifetime component was attributed to Ga vacancy (V-Ga) related defect. Isochronal annealing studies showed at 300 degreesC annealing, the 314 ps positron lifetime component and the two observed PL signals (777 and 797 meV) disappeared, which gave clear and strong evidence for their correlation. However, the hole concentration (similar to2x10(17) cm(-3)) was observed to be independent of the annealing temperature. Although the residual acceptor is generally related to the V-Ga defect, at least for cases with annealing temperatures above 300 degreesC, V-Ga is not the acceptor responsible for the p-type conduction. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Statistical investigation on morphology development of gallium nitride in initial growth stage

Morphology of Gallium Nitride (GaN) in initial growth stage was observed with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), It was found that the epilayer developed from islands to coalesced film. Statistics based on AFM observation was carried out to investigate the morphology characteristics. It was found that the evolution of height distribution could be used to describe morphology development. Statistics also clearly revealed variation of top-face growth rate among islands. Indium-doping effect on morphology development was also statistically studied. The roughening and smoothing behavior in morphology development was explained. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

X-ray diffraction analysis on gallium-indium interdiffusion in quantum dot superlattices

Thermal-induced interdiffusion in InAs/GaAs quantum dot superlattices is studied by high-resolution x-ray diffraction rocking curve and photoluminescence techniques. With increasing annealing temperatures, up to 300 meV a blueshift of the emission peak position and down to 16.6 meV a narrowing of the line width are found in the photoluminescence spectra, and respective intensity of the higher-order satellite peaks to lower-order ones in the x-ray rocking curves decreases. Dynamical theory is employed to simulate the measured x-ray diffraction data. Excellent agreement between the experimental curves and the simulations is achieved when the composition, thickness and stress variations caused by interdiffusion are taken into account. It is found that the significant In-Ga intermixing occurs even in the as-grown InAs/GaAs quantum dots. The estimated diffusion coefficient is 1.8 x 10(-17) cm(2) (.) s(-1) at 650 degreesC, 3.2 x 10(-17) cm(2 .) s(-1) at 750 degreesC, and 1.2 x 10(-14) cm(2 .) s(-1) at 850 degreesC.

Observation of "ghost" islands and surfactant effect of surface gallium atoms during GaN growth by molecular beam epitaxy

We observe "ghost" islands formed on terraces during homoepitaxial nucleation of GaN. We attribute the ghost islands to intermediate nucleation states, which can be driven into "normal" islands by scanning tunneling microscopy. The formation of ghost islands is related to excess Ga atoms on the surface. The excess Ga also affect island number density: by increasing Ga coverage, the island density first decreases, reaching a minimum at about 1 monolayer (ML) Ga and then increases rapidly for coverages above 1 ML. This nonmonotonic behavior points to a surfactant effect of the Ga atoms.

Improvement of the photoluminescence from gallium nitride layers grown by MBE with an additional incident indium flux

The effect of using an indium flux during the MBE growth of GaN layers was investigated. The properties of these layers were studied using electron probe microanalysis, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence. The optical properties of the GaN layers are shown to improve as compared with undoped GaN layers grown under nominally the same conditions but without an additional indium flux.