Interpretation of the dielectric spacer influence on ZnO/Ag luminescence

For the analysis of ZnO luminescence and the influence of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) on it, a simplified approach was proposed. This approach is based on the set of rate equations (SRE), which describes processes taking part in the luminescence. The behavior of the luminescence in this model is determined by parameters present in SRE. The proposed approach gives an opportunity for modeling the dependence of radiation intensity on the pumping level and to estimate the values of parameters in SRE. As a result, it is possible to make conclusions about the peculiarities of samples and investigated processes. A number of experimental facts can be explained using this SRE. In the present paper, the proposed approach was applied to the consideration of the insulating spacer's role in the ZnO/Ag system. It was shown that it is possible to interpret the experimental results using SRE, in which the values of some parameters depend on the spacer thickness. The proposed approach can be applied not only to ZnO-based structures, but also to other emitters.