No Arabic abstract
Nonlinear optical phenomena are widely used for the study of semiconductor materials. The paper presents an overview of experimental and theoretical studies of excitons by the method of optical second and third harmonics generation in various bulk semiconductors (GaAs, CdTe, ZnSe, ZnO, Cu$_2$O, (Cd,Mn)Te, EuTe, EuSe), and low-dimensional heterostructures ZnSe/BeTe. Particular attention is paid to the role of external electric and magnetic fields that modify the exciton states and induce new mechanisms of optical harmonics generation. Microscopic mechanisms of harmonics generation based on the Stark effect, the spin and orbital Zeeman effects, and on the magneto-Stark effect specific for excitons moving in an external magnetic field are considered. This approach makes it possible to study the properties of excitons and to obtain new information on their energy and spin structure that is not available when the excitons are investigated by linear optical spectroscopy. As a result of these studies, a large amount of information was obtained, which allows us to conclude on the establishing of a new field of research - exciton spectroscopy by the method of optical harmonics generation.
In this technical review we give an introduction to optical spectroscopy for layered materials as a powerful, non-invasive tool to access details of the electronic band structure and crystal quality. Potential applications in photonics and optoelectronics are based on our understanding of the light-matter interaction on an atomic monolayer scale. Here atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides, such as MoS2 and WSe2, are model systems for layered semiconductors with a bandgap in the visible region of the optical spectrum. They can be assembled to form heterostructures and combine the unique properties of the constituent monolayers. We review the working principles of micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy and optical absorption experiments. We discuss the physical origin of the main absorption and emission features in the optical spectra and how they can be tuned. We explain key-aspects of practical set-ups for performing experiments in different conditions such as variable temperatures or in applied magnetic fields and how parameters such as detection spot size and excitation laser wavelength impact the optical spectra. We describe the important influence of the direct sample environment, such as substrates and encapsulation layers, on the emission and absorption mechanisms. A survey of optical techniques that probe the coupling between layers and analyse carrier polarisation dynamics for spin- and valleytronics is provided.
Monolayers (MLs) of MoS2 and WSe2 are 2D semiconductors with strong, direct optical transitions that are governed by tightly Coulomb bound eletron-hole pairs (excitons). The optoelectronic properties of these transition metal dichalcogenides are directly related to the inherent crystal inversion symmetry breaking. It allows for efficient second harmonic generation (SHG) and is at the origin of chiral optical selections rules, which enable efficient optical initialization of electrons in specific K-valleys in momentum space. Here we demonstrate how these unique non-linear and linear optical properties can be combined to efficiently prepare exciton valley coherence and polarization through resonant pumping of an excited exciton state. In particular a new approach to coherent alignment of excitons following two-photon excitation is demonstrated. We observe a clear deviation of the excited exciton spectrum from the standard Rydberg series via resonances in SHG spectroscopy and two- and one-photon absorption. The clear identification of the 2s and 2p exciton excited states combined with first principle calculations including strong anti-screening effects allows us to determine an exciton binding energy of the order of 600 meV in ML WSe2.
Organic semiconductors exhibit properties of individual molecules and extended crystals simultaneously. The strongly bound excitons they host are typically described in the molecular limit, but excitons can delocalize over many molecules, raising the question of how important the extended crystalline nature is. Using accurate Greens function based methods for the electronic structure and non-perturbative finite difference methods for exciton-vibration coupling, we describe exciton interactions with molecular and crystal degrees of freedom concurrently. We find that the degree of exciton delocalization controls these interactions, with thermally activated crystal phonons predominantly coupling to delocalized states, and molecular quantum fluctuations predominantly coupling to localized states. Based on this picture, we quantitatively predict and interpret the temperature and pressure dependence of excitonic peaks in the acene series of organic semiconductors, which we confirm experimentally, and we develop a simple experimental protocol for probing exciton delocalization. Overall, we provide a unified picture of exciton delocalization and vibrational effects in organic semiconductors, reconciling the complementary views of finite molecular clusters and periodic molecular solids.
As device miniaturization approaches the atomic limit, it becomes highly desirable to exploit novel paradigms for tailoring electronic structures and carrier dynamics in materials. Elastic strain can in principle be applied to achieve reversible and fast control of such properties, but it remains a great challenge to create and utilize precisely controlled inhomogeneous deformation in semiconductors. Here, we take a combined experimental and theoretical approach to demonstrate that elastic strain-gradient can be created controllably and reversibly in ZnO micro/nanowires. In particular, we show that the inhomogeneous strain distribution creates an effective field that fundamentally alters the dynamics of the neutral excitons. As the basic principles behind these results are quite generic and applicable to most semiconductors, this work points to a novel route to a wide range of applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and photochemistry.
Magnetoelectroluminescence (MEL) of organic semiconductor has been experimentally tuned by adopting blended emitting layer consisting of both hole and electron transporting materials. A theoretical model considering intermolecular quantum correlation is proposed to demonstrate two fundamental issues: (1) two mechanisms, spin scattering and spin mixing, dominate the two different steps respectively in the process of the magnetic field modulated generation of exciton; (2) the hopping rate of carriers determines the intensity of MEL. Calculation successfully predicts the increase of singlet excitons in low field with little change of triplet exciton population.