A study on the defects structure of colloidal ZnS using Ag surface plasmons

The effects of Ag surface plasmons (SPs) on the defects of ZnS are investigated. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnS on an Ag film show well resolved, enhanced, and red-shifted emissions compared to reference samples. The enhancement of the PL by the Ag layer is attributed to an enhanced energy transfer between overlapping band energies of ZnS by Ag SP. Based on the results, it is suggested that the PL emissions from defects can be enhanced and distinguished by SPs, which provide a direction for the application of SPs to characterize inorganic materials.