Microphotoluminescence of individual ZnSe nanoribbons

• ZnSe nanoribbons were fabricated by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) route.
• Spatially resolved photoluminescence is studied in the μ-PL spectra and mappings.
• The DD related emission is researched to be attributed to the structure defects mainly located at the edges.
• The temperature dependent PL spectra demonstrate the carriers׳ transfer among the different defect states.

ZnSe nanoribbons were synthesized and characterized with microphotoluminescence (μ-PL) spectra and mappings. The μ-PL results show that the near band edge (BE) and the deep defect (DD) level related emissions are predominantly located at the central and the edge region of the ribbons, respectively. Combining with the HRTEM, the DD related emission is attributed to the structure defects mainly located at the edge of the ribbon. It is found that the DD related emission consists of three bands, centered at 635, 560 and 535 nm, respectively. The temperature dependent PL spectra further demonstrate that the carriers transfer among the different defect states through the thermally activated mechanism. The results provide more direct evidence about the origin of trap state related emissions in ZnSe nanostructures.