Growth temperature dependence of exciton lifetime in wurtzite InP nanowires grown on silicon substrates

InP nanowires grown on silicon substrate are investigated using time-resolved spectroscopy. A strong modification of the exciton lifetime is observed (from 0.11 to 1.2 ns) when the growth temperature is increased from 340 degrees C to 460 degrees C. This strong dependence is not related to the density of zinc-blende insertions in the wurtzite nanowires or to the wurtzite exciton linewidth. The excitation power dependence of the lifetime and linewidth is investigated, and these results allow us to interpret the growth temperature dependence on the lifetime as a consequence of the reduction of the surface recombination velocity with the growth temperature. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3674985]