Energy Transfer and Dynamics of the Mn 3d(5) Luminescence in Low Dimensional (Zn,Mn)S Nanostructures

Abstract

ZnS:Mn nanostructures with different morphology, i.e. wires and belts, have been studied by time resolved photoluminescence. The temporal evolution of the internal Mn2+(3d(5)) luminescence is measured over 4 orders of magnitude in intensity. The decay behavior shows a clear dependence on the morphology of the nanostructure, in particular, on the ratio between the average Mn ion killer center distance and the characteristic lateral size of the nanostructure. The non-exponential transients observed can be well described in the framework of a Forster-transfer at reduced dimensionality. We present an important step in resolving a longstanding controversy in the literature regarding the lifetime of the internal Mn2+ emission in ZnS nanoparticles.