Spectroscopy of single silicon nanoparticles

Confocal microscopy has been performed on silicon nanoparticles prepared by gas-phase methods and electrochemical etching (single particles), respectively. Spectral line narrowing has been obtained for single particles. Spectra are in agreement with interstellar extended red emission (ERE) when properly choosing size distributions. Independent of preparation techniques, both types show similar behaviour with respect to (partly reversible in the dark) photobleaching accompanied by spectral red shifts on timescales of seconds upon 514 nm laser irradiation.