Back Cover: Phys. Status Solidi RRL 5/2009

Graphical Abstract

On p. 166 ff. of the present issue of pss-RRL Jan-Peter Richters et al. describe the photoluminescence properties of ZnO nanowires which have been coated with thin metallic layers. The authors investigate coatings with Au, Al, Cu, In, and Ni and find the intensity of the visible defect luminescence of the nanowires to be increased while the surface excitonic emission band in the near UV is reduced. These results are independent of the type of metal used for the coating.

The cover picture shows a transmission electron microscopy image of a single ZnO nanowire coated with a 10 nm thick layer of Au and a schematic of the sample, as well as photoluminescence spectra for the coated and uncoated nanowires.