Stability and luminescence properties of CsPbBr3/CdSe/Al core-shell quantum dots

To improve the stability and luminescence properties of CsPbBr₃ QDs, we proposed a new core-shell structure for CsPbBr₃/CdSe/Al quantum dots (QDs). By using a simple method of ion layer adsorption and a reaction method, CdSe and Al were respectively packaged on the surface of CsPbBr₃ QDs to form the core-shell CsPbBr₃/CdSe/Al QDs. After one week in a natural environment, the photoluminescence quantum yields of CsPbBr₃/CdSe/Al QDs were greater than 80%, and the PL intensity remained at 71% of the original intensity. Furthermore, the CsPbBr₃/CdSe/Al QDs were used as green emitters for white light-emitting diodes (LEDs), with the LEDs spectrum covering 129% of the national television system committee (NTSC) standard color gamut. The core-shell structure of QDs can effectively improve the stability of CsPbBr₃ QDs, which has promising prospects in optoelectronic devices.     

Chemical role of amines in the colloidal synthesis of CdSe quantum dots and their luminescence properties

The role of organic amines in the colloidal synthesis of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) has been studied. CdSe QDs were synthesized from the source solutions containing 5 vol% of amines having various alkyl chain lengths, stereochemical sizes and electron donation abilities. The role of the additional amines was evaluated on the basis of the photoluminescence (PL) properties such as PL wavelength and intensity of the obtained CdSe QDs. The observed PL spectra were explained by the fact that the amines behaved as capping ligands on the surface of the QDs in the product colloidal solution and complex ligands for cadmium in the source solutions. It was shown that the particle size was controlled by the diffusion process depending on the mass and stereochemical shape of the amines, and the luminescence intensity increased with the increasing electron donation ability and capping density of the amines.     

Control of spin state in CdSe quantum dots by coupling with magnetic semiconductor quantum dots

We studied spin states of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) coupled with CdMnSe QDs by probing circular polarization of photoluminescence spectrum under external magnetic fields. The bandgap energies of CdSe and CdMnSe QDs are close to each other and photoluminescence mainly originates from CdSe QDs due to relatively low radiation efficiency of CdMnSe QDs. The photoluminescence lifetime as well as its intensity was decreased with increasing magnetic field, which was ascribed to the increase in the ground state wavefunctions in CdMnSe QDs. The decrease was more pronounced for spin down electrons, which was explained by the difference in spin up and down wave functions under magnetic fields. Our results show that the spin state of CdSe QDs can be manipulated by coupling with CdMnSe QDs.     

Coherent control of thermalized luminescence in semiconductor quantum dots

A theoretical study of the time-integrated signal of thermalized luminescence excited by a pair of phase-locked light pulses shows that the idea of coherent control should be efficient for measuring the total dephasing rates of high-energy excitonic transitions. This approach can be used for studying both the homogeneously and inhomogeneously broadened systems, which is highly important in studies of the semiconductor quantum dots. It is found that the method of coherent control makes it possible not only to obtain information about the relaxation constants but also to make conclusions about the statistical properties of frequency distributions of the excitonic transitions responsible for broadening the optical spectra.     

Re-charging the luminescence states in CdSe/ZnS quantum dots at the conjugation to Osteopontin antibodies

The paper presents the original study of photoluminescence (PL) and Raman scattering spectra of core–shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) covered by the amine-derivatized polyethylene glycol (PEG) with luminescence interface states. First commercially available CdSe/ZnS QDs with emission at 640 nm (1.94 eV) covered by PEG polymer have been studied in nonconjugated states. PL spectra of nonconjugated QDs are characterized by a superposition of PL bands related to exciton emission in a CdSe core and to the hot electron–hole recombination via high energy luminescence states. The study of high energy PL bands in QDs at different temperatures has shown that these PL bands are related to luminescence interface states at the CdSe/ZnS or ZnS/polymer interface. Then CdSe/ZnS QDs have been conjugated with biomolecules—the Osteopontin antibodies. It is revealed that the PL spectrum of bioconjugated QDs changed essentially with decreasing hot electron–hole recombination flow via luminescence interface states. It is shown that the QD bioconjugation process to Osteopontin antibodies is complex and includes the covalent and electrostatic interactions between them. The variation of PL spectra due to the bioconjugation is explained on the basis of electrostatic interaction between the QDs and biomolecule dipoles that stimulates re-charging QD interface states. The study of Raman scattering of bioconjugated CdSe/ZnS QDs has confirmed that the antibody molecules have the electric dipoles. It is shown that CdSe/ZnS QDs with luminescence interface states are promising for the study of bioconjugation effects with specific antibodies and can be a powerful technique in biology and medicine.     

Encapsulation of highly confined CdSe quantum dots for defect free luminescence and improved stability

This is the first report on the generation of trap states and their effective elimination in highly confined CdSe quantum dots in order to obtain enhanced and stable optical properties prepared by aqueous route. Surface plays an important role in optical properties of quantum dots (QDs) and surface modification of quantum dots can improve optical properties. In present work luminescent CdSe QDs were prepared using 2-Mercaptoethanol (2-ME) as stabilizing agent and encapsulated by polymer. Different concentrations of 2-ME were used to tune the emission spectra with respect to their reduced size. Addition of 2-ME to CdSe QDs enhances the trap emission and quenching band edge emission due to (i) increased surface to volume ratio and; (ii) presence of high concentration of sulfide ions as confirmed from EDX analysis as sulfide ions possesses the hole scavenging characteristics. Polymer encapsulation of QDs was carried out to make them stable and to improve their optical properties. Even though there are previous reports addressing the improved optical properties by polymer encapsulation and silica encapsulation but experimentally it has not been reported yet experimentally. In this work we have synthesized and characterized water soluble polymer encapsulated QDs and proved the facts experimentally. Photoluminescence spectroscopy clearly reveals the role of polymer encapsulation in boosting the optical properties of CdSe QDs. FTIR spectra validate the presence of biocompatible functional groups on CdSe4/PEG (Polymer encapsulated QDs).     

Photoacoustic characterization of optical and thermal properties of CdSe quantum dots

We report on the optical absorption properties of as prepared CdSe quantum dots (QDs) measured by the photoacoustic (PA) method. CdSe QDs were fabricated by the chemical solution deposition (CD) technique. With increasing growing time, the redshift of the PA spectra can be clearly observed and optical absorption in the visible region due to CdSe Q-dots is demonstrated. The average diameters of the CdSe QDs for each growth time interval is estimated using the effective mass approximation giving diameters ranging from 2.6 nm to 3.4 nm. These values are comparable to those obtained by scanning tunnelling microscope (STM). Thus, PA spectroscopy is useful to obtain the QDs sizes as grown and with no further preparation. In addition, PA measurements provide also the thermal diffusivity of samples of different sizes which in this case show an increase by at least an order of magnitude than the bulk value.     

Decay lifetime and evolution of semiconductor quantum dots in photonic crystals

Spontaneous emission from GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots (QDs) embedded in photonic crystals with a narrow photonic band gap is studied theoretically. The results show that the decay lifetime is very sensitive to the sizes of QDs, and both inhibited and accelerated emission can occur, which had been indicated in a previous experiment. The Weisskopf–Wigner approximation, good for atoms and molecules, may be incorrect for QDs. A damped Rabi oscillation of the excited state with the transition frequency outside the photonic band gap may appear, which is impossible for atoms and molecules.     

Optical properties of semiconductor quantum dots in magnetic fields

Optical properties of semiconductor quantum dots in magnetic fields are reviewed. A theory is described based on a multi-band effective-mass approximation with a nonparabolic conduction electron dispersion, the direct Coulomb interaction, and the electron-hole exchange interaction taken into account. The transition from the quantum-confined Zeeman effect for a weak magnetic field to the quantum-confined Paschen-Back effect to a strong magnetic field is discussed in comparison with atomic spectra in magnetic fields. Experimental results of the optical properties of isolated CuCl, CdSSe, and Si quantum dots in magnetic fields are also discussed in conjunction with the theoretical results.     

CdSe/HgSe/CdSe量子点量子阱(QDQW)晶粒的光学性质和电子结构

以CdSe纳米晶体为核,用胶体化学的方法,通过化学替代反应,获得了不同阱层或不同垒层的CdSeHgSeCdSe量子点量子阱(QDQW)晶体.紫外可见光吸收谱研究表明,通过调节QDQW中间HgSe阱层的厚度从0.9nm至0,可以调节QDQW颗粒的带隙从1.8变化至2.1eV,实现QDQW纳米晶体的剪裁.光致荧光(PL)谱研究显示,QDQW形成后,CdSeHgSe纳米颗粒表面态得到钝化,显现出发光强度加强的带边荧光峰.利用有效质量近似模型,对QDQW晶粒内部电子的1s—1s态进行了估算,估算结果总体趋势与实验数据相符 关键词： 量子点量子阱晶体 能带剪裁 加强的带边荧光峰     

Light quenching and dark states in colloidal solutions of semiconductor CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

The photodynamics of optical limiting in colloidal solutions of different-size CdSe/ZnS quantum dots is studied. The behavior of the dependences points to a multistage process that includes the bleaching and optical limiting stages. The limiting photodynamics is compared with luminescence dynamics of quantum dots under conditions of high-power excitation. It is shown that the optical limiting efficiency in such media is determined by the position of exciting radiation with respect to the main exciton absorption band of the quantum dot. The roles played by so-called dark states and light quenching in limiting photodynamics are discussed.     

Raman scattering and exciton luminescence at low temperatures

A theoretical study is made of the effect of Raman scattering of light in crystals on their exciton luminescence. The polariton concept is used to show that Raman scattering may play a determinative role in the low-temperature luminescence of excitons with a large oscillator strength. The luminescence spectrum calculated on a computer by the Monte Carlo method is in good agreement with experimental data. This enables a number of experimental facts concerning the luminescence of crystals at low temperatures to be ascribed to the influence of Raman scattering.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 100–103, January, 1973.     

The influence of cysteamine and counterion concentrations on the properties of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

The influence of the cysteamine surfactant concentration on the stability of CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) solubilized by this compound at the phase interface between two immiscible liquids is considered. The steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy data show that the fluorescence quantum yield of cysteamine-coated NPs and their stability to aggregation in a potassium phosphate buffer are determined by the balance between the concentrations of surfactant in the aqueous phase and hydrophobic NPs in the nonpolar phase (chloroform, toluene, etc.). It is found that the brightest and most stable hydrophilic NPs can be obtained by completely coating them by cysteamine molecules without a surfactant deficit or excess in the reaction at the phase interface.     

Fine structure of highly charged excitons in semiconductor quantum dots

An exciton in a symmetric semiconductor quantum dot has two possible states, one dark and one bright, split in energy by the electron-hole exchange interaction. We demonstrate that for a doubly charged exciton, there are also two states split by the electron-hole exchange, but both states are now bright. We also uncover a fine structure in the emission from the triply charged exciton. By measuring these splittings, and also those from the singly charged and doubly charged biexcitons, all on the same quantum dot, we show how the various electron-hole exchange energies can be measured without having to break the symmetry of the dot.     

Electronic properties of semiconductor quantum dots for Coulomb blockade applications

This paper deals with the electronic properties of Si and Ge nanocrystals (NCs) with a view to studying their potentialities for single electron devices. The 3D Poisson–Schrödinger equations are self-consistently solved for a single NC embedded in SiO₂. A 1D spherical approximation is compared to the full 3D approach. For various shapes and sizes of NC the energy levels and the density are calculated as a function of the applied voltage and the number of electrons stored in the NC. The potential properties of such nanostructures for Coulomb blockade operation are deduced.     

Size-dependent optical properties and carriers dynamics in CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

Size-dependence of optical properties and energy relaxation in CdSe/ZnS quantum dots （QDs） were investigated by two-colour femtosecond （fs） pump-probe （400/800 nm） and picosecond time-resolved photoluminescence （ps TRPL） experiments. Pump-probe measurement results show that there are two components for the excited carriers relaxation, the fast one with a time constant of several ps arises from the Auger-type recombination, which shows almost particle sizeindependence. The slow relaxation component with a time constant of several decades of ns can be clearly determined with ps TRPL spectroscopy in which the slow relaxation process shows strong particle size-dependence. The decay time constants increase from 21 to 34 ns with the decrease of particle size from 3.2 to 2.1 nm. The room-temperature decay lifetime is due to the thermal mixing of bright and dark excitons, and the size-dependence of slow relaxation process can be explained very well in terms of simple three-level model.     

Room‐temperature luminescence decay of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots: Nonexponentiality revisited

While time‐resolved luminescence spectroscopy is commonly used as a quantitative tool for the analysis of the dynamics of photoexcitation in colloidal semiconductor quantum dots, the interpretation of the virtually ubiquitous nonexponential decay profiles is frequently ambiguous, because the assumption of multiple discrete exponential components with distinct lifetimes for resolving the decays is often arbitrary. Here, an interpretation of the room‐temperature luminescence decay of CdSe/ZnS semiconductor quantum dots in colloidal solutions is presented based on the Kohlrausch relaxation function. It is proposed that the decay can be understood by using the concept of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) assuming that the role of acceptors of photoexcitation energy is played by high‐frequency anharmonic molecular vibrations in the environment of the quantum dots. The term EVFRET (Electronic ‐ Vibrational Förster Resonance Energy Transfer) is introduced in order to unequivocally refer to this energy transfer process.