Donor-acceptor pair recombination in AgIn5S8 single crystals

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of AgIn5S8 single crystals were investigated in the 1.44-1.91 eV energy region and in the 10-170 K temperature range. The PL band was observed to be centered at 1.65 eV at 10 K and an excitation intensity of 0.97 W cm(-2). The redshift of this band with increasing temperature and with decreasing excitation intensity was observed. To explain the observed PL behavior, we propose that the emission is due to radiative recombination of a donor-acceptor pair, with an electron occupying a donor level located at 0.06 eV below the conduction band, and a hole occupying an acceptor level located at 0.32 eV above the valence band. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics.