Initial photoluminescence decay rates in amorphous phosphorus

• Published in: Solid state communications Vol. 63; no. 6; pp. 481 - 484
• Main Authors: Phillips, R.T., Sobiesierski, Z., Toner, W.T., Barr, J.R.M., Langley, A.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.1987; Elsevier
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Photoluminescence; Physics; Picosecond; Time resolution; Temperature; Defect level; Charge carrier recombination; Photoluminescence; Phosphorus; Amorphous state; Experimental study; Low temperature; Luminescence decay
• ISSN: 0038-1098; 1879-2766
• DOI: 10.1016/0038-1098(87)90275-4

Previous measurements of the photoluminescence of amorphous phosphorus have not been able to distinguish between two models of the time-dependent shift of the emission energy of the early radiative recombination. This may arise from recombination of carriers trapped at charged defects or from thermalisation of a carrier in a tail of localised states. The present work extends the time resolution of the luminescence measurement to ≈50 ps which enables a distinction to be made between the two models. The initial decay rates for luminescence in the photon energy ranges 1.45 – 1.6 and 1.45 – 1.85 eV are the same to within ≈1% at 4 K, which supports the assignment of the recombination to carriers trapped at oppositely charged intrinsic defects. The temperature dependence of the initial decay follows the empirical law ν( T) = ν 1 + ν 0 exp( T T 0) with ν 1 = 8.6 × 10 8 s -1, ν 0 = 3.7 × 10 8 s -1 and T 0 = 104 K. A temperature-dependent branching between two radiative channels is proposed in order to reconcile these observations with earlier work.