Influence of Gold Nanoantennas on the Photoluminescence of Silicon Nanocrystals

Abstract

We study the influence of gold nanoantennas on the photoluminescence signal of silicon nanocrystals. Unlike bulk silicon, which only exhibits low photoluminescence at room temperature due to its indirect band gap, silicon nanocrystals have the advantage of producing strong and size-dependent photoluminescence. Here, we place gold nanoantennas on a layered system in which silicon nanocrystals are integrated. The nanoantennas are embedded in the layered system by subsequent overgrowth. We find that the photoluminescence signal can be manipulated ranging from attenuation to enhancement. Moreover, we investigate the impact of grating coupling and the number of antennas per antenna array on the amplification of the photoluminescence signal.