Temperature dependence of photoluminescence from CdSe nanocrystals embedded in silica matrix

In this work, CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in SiO₂ matrix were grown by radio frequency (RF)-sputtering technique. X-ray technique was used to characterise the structural properties of the system. The NC's size was estimated to be around 4±1 nm in diameter. The temperature dependence of the photoluminescence from the CdSe/SiO₂ system showed carriers thermal exchange between the NCs and deep defects in the matrix. The evolution of the excitonic energy emission with temperature is about 10 meV in the temperature range 15-295 K. This weak shift was explained by thermal mismatch between the matrix and the NCs.