Thermal activated energy transfer between luminescent states of Mn2+-doped ZnTe nanoparticles embedded in a glass matrix

Abstract

Zn_1−xMn_xTe nanocrystals (NCs), at various concentrations x, were successfully grown in a host glass matrix by the fusion method after appropriate annealing. Growth of these NCs was evidenced by optical absorption (OA), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. From the room temperature OA spectra, it was possible to observe the formation of two well defined, different sized groups of NCs, one attributed to quantum dots (QDs) and the other to bulk-like nanocrystals (NCs). XRD results have confirmed that the cubic zincblend structure of nanoparticles is not altered by the substitutional incorporation of Mn²⁺ ions into the ZnTe NCs. MFM images supported the OA spectra results and thus provided additional confirmation of the formation of Zn_1−xMn_xTe magnetic nanoparticles in the host glass matrix. The two groups of NCs were also observed in the PL spectra as well as deep defects attributed to the presence of oxygen centers in the electronic structure of the Zn_1−xMn_xTe NCs. Strong agreement between the fitting model, based on rate equation, and experimental PL intensity data at different temperatures demonstrates that this model adequately describes the energy transfer processes between the NCs and the defects of the Zn_1−xMn_xTe system at different temperatures.