The excitonic resonance in semiconductor-metal nano-hybrids

TL;DR

This study investigates how metallic segments in semiconductor-metal nano-hybrids affect excitonic resonances, revealing minor effects in neutral matchstick structures and significant redshifts in core-shell configurations.

Contribution

It introduces a configuration interaction approach to analyze excitonic effects in nano-hybrids, accounting for electron-hole interactions and metallic influences.

Findings

Metallic NPs minimally affect excitons in neutral matchstick structures.

Charged metallic NPs cause significant redshift and spatial separation of excitons.

Core-shell structures exhibit tens of meV redshift in exciton energy.

Abstract

We use a configuration interaction approach within the envelope function approximation to study the nature of the excitonic resonance in nano-hybrids, composite nanoparticles (NPs) combining a semiconducting and a metallic segment in contact. With reference to recent experimental reports, we specifically study CdS-based nanorods with metallic NPs deposited at the tips (matchstick) or metallic coatings (core-shell). The excitonic states are computed taking into account both the renormalization of the electron-hole interaction and self-energy effects induced by the the metallic segment on the electron-hole pair, as well as by the dielectric environment, through an induced charge numerical approach. In neutral matchstick structures the metal NP has only a minor influence (~1 meV) on the excitonic states. When the metallic NP is charged the exciton becomes rapidly redshifted and spatially indirect. In contrast, in neutral core-shell structures the exciton energy redshifts by tens of meV