Enhanced fluorescence intermittency of CdSe-ZnS quantum-dot clusters

Fluorescence intermittency, or blinking, of individual close-packed clusters containing two or more CdSe-ZnS quantum dots (QDs) was investigated. The QD clusters exhibited rapid, intense blinking that was distinct from that of isolated QDs blinking independently. This enhanced blinking is suggested to occur when the QDs in the cluster become electronically coupled. The nature of this coupling is not known, though electrons trapped from QDs when they blink off may play a role by altering the electronic environment of neighboring QDs and enhancing their fluorescence properties.