The effect of a gas environment on the fluorescence intensity of quantum-dot composite systems

The fluorescence kinetics of a composite structure based on colloidal CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots deposited on an array of GaAs nanowires in atmospheres of different gases is studied upon excitation by cw laser radiation. It is suggested that the fluorescence enhancement mechanism consists in the transfer of part of the vibrational energy of quantum dots to surrounding gas molecules due to inelastic collisions.