Photoluminescence and transmission spectra of nanocrystalline GaAs_1-xSb_x embedded in silica films

The composite films of the nanocrystalline GaAs_1-xSb_x--SiO₂ have been successfully deposited on glass and GaSb substrates by radio frequency magnetron co-sputtering. The 10K photoluminescence (PL) properties of the nanocrystalline GaAs_1-xSb_x indicated that the PL peaks of the GaAs_1-xSb_x nanocrystals follow the quantum confinement model very closely. Optical transmittance spectra showed that there is a large blue shift of optical absorption edge in nanocrystalline GaAs_1-xSb_x--SiO₂ composite films, as compared with that of the corresponding bulk semiconductor, which is due to the quantum confinement effect.