TY - JOUR
T1 - Indirect-to-direct bandgap transition in GaP semiconductors through quantum shell formation on ZnS nanocrystals
AU - Shin, Hongjoo
AU - Hong, Doosun
AU - Cho, Hyunjin
AU - Jang, Hanhwi
AU - Kim, Geon Yeong
AU - Song, Kyeong Min
AU - Choi, Min Jae
AU - Kim, Donghun
AU - Jung, Yeon Sik
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Although GaP, a III-V compound semiconductor, has been extensively utilized in the optoelectronic industry for decades as a traditional material, the inherent indirect bandgap nature of GaP limits its efficiency. Here, we demonstrate an indirect-to-direct bandgap transition of GaP through the formation of quantum shells on the surface of ZnS nanocrystals. The ZnS/GaP quantum shell with a reverse-type I heterojunction, consisting of a monolayer-thin GaP shell grown atop a ZnS core, exhibits a record-high photoluminescence quantum yield of 45.4% in the violet emission range (wavelength = 409 nm), validating its direct bandgap nature. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that ZnS nanocrystals, as the growth platform for GaP quantum shells, play a crucial role in the direct bandgap formation through hybridization of electronic states with GaP. These findings suggest potential for achieving direct bandgaps in compounds that are constrained by their inherent indirect energy gaps, offering a strategy for tailoring energy structures to significantly improve efficiencies in optoelectronics and photovoltaics.
AB - Although GaP, a III-V compound semiconductor, has been extensively utilized in the optoelectronic industry for decades as a traditional material, the inherent indirect bandgap nature of GaP limits its efficiency. Here, we demonstrate an indirect-to-direct bandgap transition of GaP through the formation of quantum shells on the surface of ZnS nanocrystals. The ZnS/GaP quantum shell with a reverse-type I heterojunction, consisting of a monolayer-thin GaP shell grown atop a ZnS core, exhibits a record-high photoluminescence quantum yield of 45.4% in the violet emission range (wavelength = 409 nm), validating its direct bandgap nature. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that ZnS nanocrystals, as the growth platform for GaP quantum shells, play a crucial role in the direct bandgap formation through hybridization of electronic states with GaP. These findings suggest potential for achieving direct bandgaps in compounds that are constrained by their inherent indirect energy gaps, offering a strategy for tailoring energy structures to significantly improve efficiencies in optoelectronics and photovoltaics.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85204176805&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-024-52535-8
DO - 10.1038/s41467-024-52535-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 39284803
AN - SCOPUS:85204176805
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 15
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 8125
ER -