Erbium-doped silicon nanocrystal structures and their possible applications in light-emitting optoelectronic devices

Studies into the photoluminescence properties of silicon nanocrystal ensembles prior to and after their doping with erbium show that the optical excitation energy of the nanocrystals is practically completely transferred to the Er$^{3+}$ ions that subsequently emit light at a wavelength of 1.5 fxm, intense optical pumping causing population inversion in the ions. The possibility of using the structures under study in lasers and optical amplifiers integrated with the silicon technology is discussed.