Plasmon-Exciton interactions in ZnO/AuNPs heterostructure film for high photoconductivity

This work investigated the plasmon-exciton interactions between the AuNPs and ZnO in ZnO/AuNPs heterostructure film. The elemental, structural, and morphological properties confirm the successful building of ZnO/AuNPs heterostructure film. The shifting of the plasmonic resonance band as well as absorption edge of the absorption coefficient spectra into the red region is attributed to the strong interface damping of the surface plasmons due to the interaction with the excitons in ZnO. Irradiated the ZnO/AuNPs heterostructure film by blue light generates plasmonic electrons, and these electrons interact with the excitonic states in ZnO, which increases the electrical conductivity. UV light irradiating the ZnO/AuNPs heterostructure film generates the electron-hole pair within the ZnO film and interacts with the free electrons in AuNPs, increasing the electrical conductivity. Finally, ZnO/AuNPs heterostructure film can be used in several potential applications, including high-performance UV-photodetectors, photoactive layers in solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and energy storage devices.