Temperature dependence of the energy transfer from amorphous silicon nitride to Er ions

The 1.54 m photoluminescence and decay time of Er-doped amorphous silicon nitride films with different Si concentrations are studied in the temperature range of 4 to 320 K. The temperature quenching of the Er emission lifetime demonstrates the presence of nonradiative trap centers due to excess Si in the films. The temperature dependence and the dynamics of the energy coupling between amorphous silicon nitride and Er ions are investigated at different temperatures using two independent methods, which demonstrate phonon-mediated energy coupling. These results can lead to the engineering of more efficient Er-doped, Si-based light sources for on-chip nanophotonics applications. © 2009 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.3186062