Linear and nonlinear optical properties of excitons in semiconductor-dielectric quantum wires

The characteristic features of the absorption, luminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectra of InP nanocrystals crystallized in chrysotile asbestos nanotubes and CdS nanocrystals crystallized in hollow channels of a dielectric template have been explained in terms of exciton transitions in semiconductor-dielectric quantum wires. In these structures, the dielectric confinement effect leads to a considerable increase of the exciton binding energy-the Coulomb attraction between electron and hole is considerably enhanced as a result of the difference between the permittivities of the semiconductor and insulator. The kinetics of porous InP photoluminescence at high excitation by picosecond laser pulses has been explained by the slowing down of the intraband energy relaxation, collective exciton-exciton (electron) interaction and Auger recombination in nanostructures. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.