Tuesday publication update! 📖 In this article, the authors looked at #ElectronicDeviceResearch using the #FusionAX system. These hybrid metal–semiconductor nanostructures materials, combining plasmonic and high-refractive-index materials, exhibit unique optical behaviors with potential applications in nanophotonics, integrated optics, and biophotonics. However, the intricate relationship between their internal microstructure and optical response remains an open question.
Using in situ STEM (HAADF & EDS), these authors tracked the thermal evolution (up to 500°C) of hybrid gold–silicon nanoparticles—gold NPs embedded with silicon nanograins. The research showed:
🔥 Material redistribution occurs inside the NP, reducing the number of Si nanograins, without altering the external shape.
📉 The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum narrows by up to 42% upon laser exposure and thermal treatment.
đź“Š Numerical analysis reveals a near-linear relationship between the spectral width of the enhancement factor and the S/V ratio of the plasmonic component.
These results establish a direct link between microstructure rearrangement and tunable optical properties, opening the door to reconfigurable silicon-based up-conversion light nanosources for advanced optical devices.
Want to read the entire paper?
Find it here!
https://www.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c02969
