Structural and luminescence properties of Eu-doped ZnO nanorods fabricated by a microemulsion method

• Published in: Applied physics letters Vol. 86; no. 25; pp. 253106 - 253106-3
• Main Authors: Ishizumi, Atsushi, Kanemitsu, Yoshihiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Institute of Physics 20-06-2005
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.1952576

We have studied photoluminescence (PL) properties of Eu-doped ZnO (ZnO:Eu) nanorods fabricated by a microemulsion method. The ZnO:Eu nanorods have a hexagonal crystal structure and exhibit a sharp luminescence due to the intra-
4
f
transitions of
Eu
3
+
ions. The excitation energy and temperature dependence of the PL intensity show that the
Eu
3
+
-related PL efficiency is determined by the energy relaxation process of excited
Eu
3
+
ions, rather than by the energy transfer process from ZnO nanorods to
Eu
3
+
ions. The energy transfer and luminescence processes in ZnO:Eu nanorods are discussed.