Exciton-phonon interaction in PbI2 revealed by Raman and photoluminescence studies using excitation light overlapping the fundamental absorption edge

Enhancement at low temperatures of the Raman scattering excited by laser light situated near the edge of the fundamental absorption band is often encountered when studying nanoscale structures. Theory devoted to this phenomenon has established that it originates in an exciton-phonon interaction process, known as the Frohlich interaction, Such a phenomenon was observed in PbI2. The experimental data conclude that the enhancement of the Raman emission results from: (i) an optical excitation near edge of fundamental absorption band; (ii) it is conditioned by the existence of excitonic PL; (iii) its occurrence is different over stokes and anti-stokes Raman branches as result of the different overlapping of the Raman spectral range and the excitonic PL band profile; and (iv) it appears more intense in micrometric powders or in bulk crystalline material. These data are interpreted as stimulated Raman effect resulting from the mixing of the pump laser light and the excitonic light. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.