Kinetics of pulse-induced photoluminescence from a semiconductor quantum dot

Quantum theory of electroabsorption in semiconductor nanocrystals

We develop a simple quantum-mechanical theory of interband absorption by semiconductor nanocrystals exposed to a dc electric field. The theory is based on the model of noninteracting electrons and holes in an infinitely deep quantum well and describes all the major features of electroabsorption, including the Stark effect, the Franz-Keldysh effect, and the field-induced spectral broadening. It is applicable to nanocrystals of different shapes and dimensions (quantum dots, nanorods, and nanoplatelets), and will prove useful in modeling and design of electrooptical devices based on ensembles of semiconductor nanocrystals.

Controlling luminescent silicon nanoparticle emission produced by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation: role of interface defect states and crystallinity phase

In this study, we provide a systematic study on the origin of green and blue emission from luminescent silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) synthesized in water using a nanosecond pulsed laser ablation methodology.

Giant Optical Activity of Quantum Dots, Rods, and Disks with Screw Dislocations

For centuries mankind has been modifying the optical properties of materials: first, by elaborating the geometry and composition of structures made of materials found in nature, later by structuring the existing materials at a scale smaller than the operating wavelength. Here we suggest an original approach to introduce optical activity in nanostructured materials, by theoretically demonstrating that conventional achiral semiconducting nanocrystals become optically active in the presence of screw dislocations, which can naturally develop during the nanocrystal growth. We show the new properties to emerge due to the dislocation-induced distortion of the crystal lattice and the associated alteration of the nanocrystal's electronic subsystem, which essentially modifies its interaction with external optical fields. The g-factors of intraband transitions in our nanocrystals are found comparable with dissymmetry factors of chiral plasmonic complexes, and exceeding the typical g-factors of chiral molecules by a factor of 1000. Optically active semiconducting nanocrystals-with chiral properties controllable by the nanocrystal dimensions, morphology, composition and blending ratio-will greatly benefit chemistry, biology and medicine by advancing enantiomeric recognition, sensing and resolution of chiral molecules.

Level anticrossing of impurity states in semiconductor nanocrystals

The size dependence of the quantized energies of elementary excitations is an essential feature of quantum nanostructures, underlying most of their applications in science and technology. Here we report on a fundamental property of impurity states in semiconductor nanocrystals that appears to have been overlooked—the anticrossing of energy levels exhibiting different size dependencies. We show that this property is inherent to the energy spectra of charge carriers whose spatial motion is simultaneously affected by the Coulomb potential of the impurity ion and the confining potential of the nanocrystal. The coupling of impurity states, which leads to the anticrossing, can be induced by interactions with elementary excitations residing inside the nanocrystal or an external electromagnetic field. We formulate physical conditions that allow a straightforward interpretation of level anticrossings in the nanocrystal energy spectrum and an accurate estimation of the states' coupling strength.

Carrier transfer and thermal escape in CdTe/ZnTe quantum dots

We report on the carrier transfer and thermal escape in CdTe/ZnTe quantum dots (QDs) grown on a GaAs substrate. The significant emission-energy-dependent decay time at high excitation intensity (35 W/cm2) is attributed to the lateral transfer of carriers in the QDs. At low temperature (< 35 K) and low emission energy (< 2.168 eV), a thermally activated transition occurs between two different states separated by approximately 9 meV, while the main contribution to nonradiative processes is the thermal escape from QDs that is assisted by carrier scattering via the emission of longitudinal phonons through the excited QD states at high temperature, with energies of approximately 19 meV.

Quantum-dot supercrystals for future nanophotonics

The study of supercrystals made of periodically arranged semiconductor quantum dots is essential for the advancement of emerging nanophotonics technologies. By combining the strong spatial confinement of elementary excitations inside quantum dots and exceptional design flexibility, quantum-dot supercrystals provide broad opportunities for engineering desired optical responses and developing superior light manipulation techniques on the nanoscale. Here we suggest tailoring the energy spectrum and wave functions of the supercrystals' collective excitations through the variation of different structural and material parameters. In particular, by calculating the excitonic spectra of quantum dots assembled in two-dimensional Bravais lattices we demonstrate a wide variety of spectrum transformation scenarios upon alterations in the quantum dot arrangement. This feature offers unprecedented control over the supercrystal's electromagnetic properties and enables the development of new nanophotonics materials and devices.