Estimates of photoluminescence efficiencies in GaN nanowires at high injection levels from steady-state photoluminescence measurements

Photoluminescence (PL) efficiencies were estimated for individual silicon‐doped GaN nanowires grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). Steady‐state PL measurements reveal efficiencies that depend on excitation intensity, temperature, and nanowire morphology. While many nanowires had their best efficiencies at base temperature (T ∼ 4 K), some nanowires, given sufficient excitation intensities, had best efficiencies at elevated temperatures (T ∼ 100 K). Room‐temperature internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of PL was as high as 33 ± 5%. These steady‐state results corroborate with time‐resolved PL measurements reported earlier, and both methods can aid in optimizing the growth and processing of nanowires for future applications in nanoscale optoelectronics. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)