ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Synthesis and optical characterization of ZnO nanowires for nanolaser applications

Oğuzhan Taştan, Gökhan Sarp, and Şerife Saçmacı

Nanotechnology Research Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey

E-mail: sacmaci@erciyes.edu.tr

Received: 12 August 2025  Accepted: 27 November 2025

Abstract:

ZnO nanowires were successfully synthesized via a low-temperature hydrothermal method. Comprehensive structural and morphological characterization confirmed the formation of high-quality nanowires. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed a pure, highly crystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure with a strong preferential growth orientation along the (002) plane. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) showed uniform nanowires with average diameters and lengths of 80–120 nm and ~ 2–3 μm, respectively. For optical studies, the nanowires were dispersed in chloroform and deposited onto silica substrates via spin coating. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy at room temperature exhibited a strong near-band-edge (NBE) emission peak at ~ 380 nm and a broad visible deep-level emission (DLE) band centered at ~ 650 nm, associated with oxygen vacancies. Under optical pumping with a mode-locked Ti: sapphire laser (266 nm, 150 fs pulses), the samples exhibited amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) at 393 nm with a remarkably low threshold of 28.3 W/cm². These outstanding optical properties, particularly the low ASE threshold and strong excitonic emission, demonstrate the significant potential of the synthesized ZnO nanowires as gain media for efficient ultraviolet nanolasers and other integrated photonic devices.

Keywords: ZnO nanowires; Nanolaser; Hydrothermal synthesis; Photoluminescence

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04565-9

Chemical Papers 80 (3) 2967–2981 (2026)