Near-band-edge recombinations in multiwalled boron nitride nanotubes: Cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements

Individual multiwall boron nitride nanotubes with diameters from 30 nm to 110 nm are shown to be efficient UV emitters by cathodoluminescence. Their luminescence does not evolve much in this diameter range, with dominant UV recombinations at about 230 nm. As a result, single nanotube properties can be obtained from experiments performed on ensembles of nanotubes. Such ensembles are studied by photoluminescence as a function of temperature 5 K‐300 K and by photoluminescence excitation experiments at 9 K. The results are discussed and compared with the related bulk material, hexagonal boron nitride. The strong luminescence recorded around 230 nm is attributed to excitonic effects, more precisely to excitons bound to the structural defects: dislocations, facets, which are observed along the walls.

[1]  A. Kanaev,et al.  Near band-gap photoluminescence properties of hexagonal boron nitride , 2008, 0804.2760.

[2]  Kenji Watanabe,et al.  Time-resolved photoluminescence in band-edge region of hexagonal boron nitride single crystals , 2008 .

[3]  C. Zhi,et al.  Isotope effect on band gap and radiative transitions properties of boron nitride nanotubes. , 2008, Nano letters.

[4]  O. Stéphan,et al.  Root-growth mechanism for single-walled boron nitride nanotubes in laser vaporization technique. , 2007, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[5]  D. Anglos,et al.  Photoluminescence of hexagonal boron nitride: Effect of surface oxidation under UV-laser irradiation , 2007, 0804.0764.

[6]  F. Ducastelle,et al.  Optical properties of multiwall boron nitride nanotubes , 2007 .

[7]  Annick Loiseau,et al.  Origin of the excitonic recombinations in hexagonal boron nitride by spatially resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy , 2007, 0707.0599.

[8]  Takashi Taniguchi,et al.  Synthesis of high-purity boron nitride single crystals under high pressure by using Ba-BN solvent , 2007 .

[9]  C. Zhi,et al.  Multi-walled boron nitride nanotubes composed of diverse cross-section and helix type shells , 2007 .

[10]  Annick Loiseau,et al.  Cathodoluminescence imaging and spectroscopy on a single multiwall boron nitride nanotube , 2007, cond-mat/0703337.

[11]  F. Ducastelle,et al.  Luminescence properties of hexagonal boron nitride: Cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements , 2007 .

[12]  M. Heben,et al.  Kinetics of PL quenching during single-walled carbon nanotube rebundling and diameter-dependent surfactant interactions. , 2006, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[13]  R. T. Williams,et al.  Exciton luminescence of boron nitride nanotubes and nano‐arches , 2006 .

[14]  M. Ishigami,et al.  Symmetry breaking in boron nitride nanotubes. , 2006, Physical review letters.

[15]  Kenji Watanabe,et al.  Effects of deformation on band-edge luminescence of hexagonal boron nitride single crystals , 2006 .

[16]  Dean J. Miller,et al.  Determination of chiral indices of individual single- and double-walled boron nitride nanotubes by electron diffraction , 2006 .

[17]  G. Seifert,et al.  Defective structure of BN nanotubes: from single vacancies to dislocation lines. , 2006, Nano letters.

[18]  Hongzhou Zhang,et al.  Growth and structure of prismatic boron nitride nanorods , 2006 .

[19]  S. Reich,et al.  Raman spectroscopy of single-wall boron nitride nanotubes. , 2006, Nano letters.

[20]  Y. Taniyasu,et al.  An aluminium nitride light-emitting diode with a wavelength of 210 nanometres , 2006, Nature.

[21]  C. Zhi,et al.  In situ electrical probing and bias-mediated manipulation of dielectric nanotubes in a high-resolution transmission electron microscope , 2006 .

[22]  C. Zhi,et al.  Purification of boron nitride nanotubes through polymer wrapping. , 2006, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[23]  C Colliex,et al.  Electron energy loss spectroscopy measurement of the optical gaps on individual boron nitride single-walled and multiwalled nanotubes. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[24]  L. Wirtz,et al.  Excitons in boron nitride nanotubes: dimensionality effects. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[25]  S. Louie,et al.  Excitons and many-electron effects in the optical response of single-walled boron nitride nanotubes. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[26]  C. Zhi,et al.  Effective precursor for high yield synthesis of pure BN nanotubes , 2005 .

[27]  C. Zhi,et al.  Phonon characteristics and cathodolumininescence of boron nitride nanotubes , 2005 .

[28]  S. Lebègue,et al.  Huge excitonic effects in layered hexagonal boron nitride. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[29]  K. Suganuma,et al.  Synthesis of huge boron nitride cages , 2005 .

[30]  Masa Ishigami,et al.  Observation of the giant stark effect in boron-nitride nanotubes. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[31]  F. Ducastelle,et al.  Optical transitions in single-wall boron nitride nanotubes. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[32]  I. Guy,et al.  Piezoelectricity in indium nitride , 2004 .

[33]  Takashi Taniguchi,et al.  Direct-bandgap properties and evidence for ultraviolet lasing of hexagonal boron nitride single crystal , 2004, Nature materials.

[34]  Y. Bando,et al.  New boron nitride whiskers: showing strong ultraviolet and visible light luminescence. , 2004, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[35]  Steven G. Louie,et al.  Tuning the electronic properties of boron nitride nanotubes with transverse electric fields: A giant dc Stark effect , 2004 .

[36]  E. Haller,et al.  Raman spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence of BN and BxCyNz nanotubes , 2004 .

[37]  L. Novotný,et al.  Simultaneous Fluorescence and Raman Scattering from Single Carbon Nanotubes , 2003, Science.

[38]  David L. Carroll,et al.  Tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy of multiwalled boron nitride nanotubes , 2003 .

[39]  C. Adelmann,et al.  Direct comparison of recombination dynamics in cubic and hexagonal GaN-AlN quantum dots , 2003 .

[40]  M. Radosavljevic,et al.  Electrical properties and transport in boron nitride nanotubes , 2003 .

[41]  J. Lefebvre,et al.  Bright band gap photoluminescence from unprocessed single-walled carbon nanotubes. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[42]  C. Voisin,et al.  Ultrafast carrier dynamics in single-wall carbon nanotubes. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[43]  Jörg Fink,et al.  Electronic structure of multiwall boron nitride nanotubes , 2003 .

[44]  M. L. D. L. Chapelle,et al.  Catalyst-free synthesis of boron nitride single-wall nanotubes with a preferred zig-zag configuration , 2001 .

[45]  Oliver Ambacher,et al.  Role of Spontaneous and Piezoelectric Polarization Induced Effects in Group-III Nitride Based Heterostructures and Devices , 1999 .

[46]  M. Eremets,et al.  Boron nitride nanotube growth defects and their annealing-out under electron irradiation , 1997 .

[47]  M. Eremets,et al.  Nanotubes in boron nitride laser heated at high pressure , 1996 .

[48]  F. Willaime,et al.  Boron nitride nanotubes with reduced numbers of layers synthesized by arc discharge. , 1996, Physical review letters.

[49]  Steven G. Louie,et al.  Boron Nitride Nanotubes , 1995, Science.

[50]  S. Louie,et al.  Stability and Band Gap Constancy of Boron Nitride Nanotubes , 1994 .

[51]  Cohen,et al.  Theory of graphitic boron nitride nanotubes. , 1994, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[52]  S. Iijima.  Helical microtubules of graphitic carbon , 1991, Nature.

[53]  G. Zimmerer.  Status report on luminescence investigations with synchrotron radiation at HASYLAB , 1991 .