Recent Advances on Carrier and Exciton Self-Trapping in Strontium Titanate: Understanding the Luminescence Emissions

Abstract

An up-to-date review on recent results for self-trapping of free electrons and holes, as well as excitons, in strontium titanate (STO), which gives rise to small polarons and self-trapped excitons (STEs) is presented. Special attention is paid to the role of carrier and exciton self-trapping on the luminescence emissions under a variety of excitation sources with special emphasis on experiments with laser pulses and energetic ion-beams. In spite of the extensive research effort, a definitive identification of such localized states, as well as a suitable understanding of their operative light emission mechanisms, has remained lacking or controversial. However, promising advances have been recently achieved and are the objective of the present review. In particular, significant theoretical advances in the understanding of electron and hole self-trapping are discussed. Also, relevant experimental advances in the kinetics of light emission associated with electron-hole recombination have been obtained through time-resolved experiments using picosecond (ps) laser pulses. The luminescence emission mechanisms and the light decay processes from the self-trapped excitons are also reviewed. Recent results suggest that the blue emission at 2.8 eV, often associated with oxygen vacancies, is related to a transition from unbound conduction levels to the ground singlet state of the STE. The stabilization of small electron polarons by oxygen vacancies and its connection with luminescence emission are discussed in detail. Through ion-beam irradiation experiments, it has recently been established that the electrons associated with the vacancy constitute electron polaron states (Ti3+) trapped in the close vicinity of the empty oxygen sites. These experimental results have allowed for the optical identification of the oxygen vacancy center through a red luminescence emission centered at 2.0 eV. Ab-initio calculations have provided strong support for those experimental findings. Finally, the use of Cr-doped STO has offered a way to monitor the interplay between the chromium centers and oxygen vacancies as trapping sites for the electron and hole partners resulting from the electronic excitation.

Optically Controllable 2D Material/Complex Oxide Heterointerface

“…Note that the PL peak position is consistent with the red illumination band caused by oxygen vacancies in STO film. [ 38 ] These results validate our model for describing the photodetection behavior of the MoTe 2 /a‐STO heterostructure.…”

Real-Time Identification of Oxygen Vacancy Centers in LiNbO3 and SrTiO3 during Irradiation with High Energy Particles

“…A large fraction of the recent reports on oxide perovskites is related to SrTiO 3 [28], where the recent experimental and theoretical information has improved our understanding of the structure and behavior of oxygen vacancies. They are considered to be responsible for some outstanding properties of SrTiO 3 such as an insulating metal transition, superconductive behavior, and photocatalytic properties [3,47].…”

“…However, the generation, identification, and characterization of the defect centers is a difficult subject and involves a complex set of challenges that has been a matter of controversy. A number of works have been dealing with oxygen vacancy models [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. A large variety of experimental techniques have been used to generate and investigate oxygen vacancy centers.…”

Photoinduced electronic and ionic effects in strontium titanate

“…Pontes et al further found that amorphous thin films show an intense room temperature photoluminescence peak, that is absent for crystalline films. A more detailed overview of several of the mentioned photoluminescence effects is given by Crespillo et al [123]. In addition to the studies presented here, literature is also available for a variety of further doping materials, structural modifications and treatment techniques, used to alter the photoluminescence behaviour of STO.…”