Strong near infrared photoluminescence from Sn doped Cu2O

Photoluminescence (PL) is a direct embodiment of photoelectric characteristics of a material. In this work, tin (Sn) doped cuprous oxide (Cu2O) Cu2O:Sn was prepared through mixing copper oxide (CuO) and tin sulfide (SnS) and annealing in nitrogen. By optimizing the mole ratios of CuO to SnS and annealing temperature, a new and strong near infrared PL (842 nm) was observed at room temperature in the prepared polycrystalline Cu2O:Sn. The 842 nm luminescence can be ascribed to the transition of carriers from Sn impurity level to the valence band edge of Cu2O. The results indicate that Cu2O:Sn has good photoelectric properties and Sn doping of Cu2O is a promising approach to improve the performance of Cu2O photoelectric devices.