Effects of alloying and localized electronic states on the resonant Raman spectra of Zn1−xMgxO nanocrystals

Using resonant Raman spectroscopy, the authors report on the alloying effect and localization of electronic states in Zn1−xMgxO (x<0.15) nanostructures with average sizes in the range of 20–150nm. Anomalous intensity enhancement of the second-order longitudinal optical phonon has been observed, which is due to Fröhlich interaction via the localized exciton as the resonant intermediate electronic states. The alloying-induced disorder due to Mg incorporation led to the enhancement of exciton localization as well as the asymmetric broadening of longitudinal optical phonon line shape. The composition in ZnMgO could be determined by the first-order longitudinal optical phonon frequency via a bowinglike quadratic fit. This simple relationship is in perfect match to the modified random-element-isodisplacement model and provides a nondestructive approach to probe the quantitative composition distributions in wurtzite ZnMgO alloy system.