Abnormal blueshift of UV emission in single-crystalline ZnO nanowires

Single-crystalline ZnO nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by a facile vapor transport method. The good orientation and high crystal quality were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) measurements. Excitation-power-dependence photoluminescence spectra of ZnO NWs show that the UV emission displayed an evident blueshift with increasing excitation power and the corresponding energy shift might be as large as 10 meV. This anomalous phenomenon correlates to the band bending level caused by the surface built-in electric field due to the existence of substantial oxygen vacancies. By increasing the excitation power, the enhanced neutralization effect near the surface will reduce the built-in electric field and lead to a reduction of band bending which triggers the blueshift of the UV emission.