Exciton-exciton annihilation and biexciton stimulated emission in graphene nanoribbons.
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ABSTRACT: Graphene nanoribbons display extraordinary optical properties due to one-dimensional quantum-confinement, such as width-dependent bandgap and strong electron-hole interactions, responsible for the formation of excitons with extremely high binding energies. Here we use femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to explore the ultrafast optical properties of ultranarrow, structurally well-defined graphene nanoribbons as a function of the excitation fluence, and the impact of enhanced Coulomb interaction on their excited states dynamics. We show that in the high-excitation regime biexcitons are formed by nonlinear exciton-exciton annihilation, and that they radiatively recombine via stimulated emission. We obtain a biexciton binding energy of ? 250 meV, in very good agreement with theoretical results from quantum Monte Carlo simulations. These observations pave the way for the application of graphene nanoribbons in photonics and optoelectronics.
SUBMITTER: Soavi G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4800436 | biostudies-literature | 2016
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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