Recombination energy changes due to shell-like defects in Si/SiO2 quantum dots

The role of a shell-like interfacial layer on the ground state recombination energy of confined electrons and holes in Si/SiO2 quantum dots is addressed in this work. The depth of the interfacial confinement potential and nanocrystal diameter were investigated and we found that the dependence of the recombination energy on the quantum dot diameter is weakened by the presence of the interface defect.