Handbook of Luminescent Semiconductor Materials

Photoluminescence spectroscopy is an important approach for examining the optical interactions in semiconductors and optical devices with the goal of gaining insight into material properties. With contributions from researchers at the forefront of this field, Handbook of Luminescent Semiconductor Materials explores the use of this technique to study semiconductor materials in a variety of applications, including solid-state lighting, solar energy conversion, optical devices, and biological imaging. After introducing basic semiconductor theory and photoluminescence principles, the book focuses on the optical properties of wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as AlN, GaN, and ZnO. It then presents research on narrow-bandgap semiconductors and solid-state lighting. The book also covers the optical properties of semiconductors in the nanoscale regime, including quantum dots and nanocrystals. This handbook explains how photoluminescence spectroscopy is a powerful and practical analytical tool for revealing the fundamentals of light interaction and, thus, the optical properties of semiconductors. The book shows how luminescent semiconductors are used in lasers, photodiodes, infrared detectors, light-emitting diodes, solid-state lamps, solar energy, and biological imaging.