Observation of strongly enhanced photoluminescence from inverted cone-shaped silicon nanostuctures

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that inverted cone-shaped silicon nanostructures exhibit a 200-fold increase in photoluminescence due to unique leaky whispering gallery modes, enabling enhanced and tunable NIR emission.

Contribution

It introduces a novel inverted silicon nanocone geometry that sustains high-Q leaky modes, significantly boosting photoluminescence compared to traditional nanowires.

Findings

200-fold enhancement in luminescence from SiNCs

Presence of high-Q leaky whispering gallery modes

Control over emission peaks through geometry design

Abstract

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) attached to a wafer substrate are converted to inversely tapered silicon nanocones (SiNCs). After excitation with visible light, individual SiNCs show a 200-fold enhanced integral band-to-band luminescence as compared to a straight SiNW reference. Furthermore, the reverse taper is responsible for multifold emission peaks in addition to the relatively broad nearinfrared (NIR) luminescence spectrum. A thorough numerical mode analysis reveals that unlike a SiNW the inverted SiNC sustains a multitude of leaky whispering gallery modes. The modes are unique to this geometry and they are characterized by a relatively high quality factor ($Q = 1300$) and a low mode volume ($0.2 < ({\lambda}/n_{eff})^3 < 4$). In addition they show a vertical out coupling of the optically excited NIR luminescence with a numerical aperture as low as 0.22. Estimated Purcell factors $F_p \propto Q/V_m$ of these modes can explain the enhanced luminescence in individual emission peaks as compared to the SiNW reference. Investigating the relation between the SiNC geometry and the mode formation leads to simple design rules that permit to control the number and wavelength of the hosted modes and therefore the luminescent emission peaks.