Energy coupling processes in InGaN/GaN nanopillar light emitting diodes embedded with Ag and Ag/SiO2 nanoparticles

We synthesized Ag and Ag/SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and investigated the energy coupling processes between the localized surface plasmons of NPs and the active quantum well regions of nanopillar light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Nanopillar LEDs embedded with Ag NPs exhibited a decreased photoluminescence (PL) intensity, while the PL was markedly enhanced for Ag/SiO2 NP embedded nanopillar LEDs. Though the PL decay times decreased in both cases compared to the sample without NPs, the difference in observed optical behavior suggests that different types of energy coupling (EC) are involved.