Photoluminescence Enhancement by Surface-Plasmon Resonance: Recombination-Rate Theory and Experiments

Recombination rates were experimented with in colloidal mixtures of semiconductor/metal nanoparticles, and calculated as a function of semiconductor-metal distance. Radiative recombination rates were evaluated from the electrodynamical interactions between single-dipole emitter and a metal nanoparticle, according to Mertens' 2007 model. Nonradiative recombination rates were obtained from the energy-transfer rate from a single exciton to the surface-plasmon band (analogous to Govorov's theory). This research verified that quantum-efficiency calculation based on carrier dynamics matches well with photoluminescence experiments by surface-plasmon resonance.