Temperature Dependence of Photoluminescence from Silver Nanoparticles

• DOI: 10.1007/s11468-013-9601-3
• Publication Date: 2013-07-19T04:51:17Z
• Authors: Oleg A. Yeshchenko; Illya S. Bondarchuk; Mykhaylo Yu. Losy...; Alexandr A. Alexe...
• Keywords: Silver nanoparticle; Quantum yield

Strong temperature dependence of surface plasmon enhanced photoluminescence from silver nanoparticles embedded in a silica host matrix has been observed. The quantum yield of photoluminescence increases as the temperature decreases. Such an effect has been rationalized as being the result of an increase in the plasmonic enhancement factor as a consequence of the decrease in the plasmon damping constant. The decrease in the damping constant is due to a reduction in the electron–phonon scattering rate with the decrease in temperature. The temperature dependence of the photoluminescence quantum yield is stronger for small nanoparticles which reflects the strengthening of electron–phonon coupling in silver nanoparticles with a decrease of their size.