Optical properties of Zn_1-xMg_xO nanorods using catalysis-driven molecular beam epitaxy

We report on the optical properties of (Zn,Mg)O nanorods grown by catalyst-driven molecular beam epitaxy. The process is site-specific, as single crystal (Zn,Mg)O nanorod growth is realized via nucleation on Ag films or islands that are deposited on a SiO₂-terminated Si substrate surface. Growth occurs within a flux of Zn, Mg, and O₂/O₃ mixture at substrate temperatures of 400-500 °C. With the addition of Mg, the nanorod morphology becomes more uniform relative to the pure ZnO nanomaterials synthesized under similar conditions. The (Zn,Mg)O nanorods are cylindrical, exhibiting diameters of 15-40 nm and lengths in excess of 1 μm. The (Zn,Mg)O nanorods exhibit a strong photoluminescence response, showing a slight shift to shorter wavelengths due to Mg incorporation.