PbS/CdS Quantum Dot Room-Temperature Single-Emitter Spectroscopy Reaches the Telecom O and S Bands via an Engineered Stability.

We synthesized PbS/CdS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) to have functional single-emitter properties for room-temperature, solid-state operation in the telecom O and S bands. Two shell-growth methods-cation exchange and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR)-were employed to prepare QD heterostructures with shells of 2-16 monolayers. PbS/CdS QDs were sufficiently bright and stable to resolve photoluminescence (PL) spectra representing both bands from single nanocrystals using standard detection methods, and for a QD emitting in the O-band a second-order correlation function showed strong photon antibunching, important steps toward demonstrating the utility of lead chalcogenide QDs as single-photon emitters (SPEs). Irrespective of type, few telecom-SPEs exist that are capable of such room-temperature operation. Access to single-QD spectra enabled a direct assessment of spectral line width, which was ∼70-90 meV compared to much broader ensemble spectra (∼300 meV). We show inhomogeneous broadening results from dispersity in PbS core sizes that increases dramatically with extended cation exchange. Quantum yields (QYs) are negatively impacted at thick shells (>6 monolayers) and, especially, by SILAR-growth conditions. Time-resolved PL measurements revealed that, with SILAR, initially single-exponential PL-decays transition to biexponential, with opening of nonradiative carrier-recombination channels. Radiative decay times are, overall, longer for core/shell QDs compared to PbS cores, which we demonstrate can be partially attributed to some core/shell sizes occupying a quasi-type II electron-hole localization regime. Finally, we demonstrate that shell engineering and the use of lower laser-excitation powers can afford significantly suppressed blinking and photobleaching. However, dependence on shell thickness comes at a cost of less-than-optimal brightness, with implications for both materials and experimental design.

Intrinsic Exciton Photophysics of PbS Quantum Dots Revealed by Low-Temperature Single Nanocrystal Spectroscopy.

With a tunable size-dependent photoluminescence (PL) over a wide infrared wavelength range, lead chalcogenide quantum dots (QDs) have attracted significant scientific and technological interest. Nevertheless, the investigation of intrinsic exciton photophysics at the single-QD level has remained a challenge. Herein, we present a comprehensive study of PL properties for the individual core/shell PbS/CdS QDs emissive near 1.0 eV. In contrast to the sub-meV spectral line widths observed for II/VI QDs, PbS/CdS QDs are predicted to possess broad homogeneous line widths. Performing spectroscopy at cryogenic (4 K) temperatures, we provide direct evidence confirming theoretical predictions, showing that intrinsic line widths for PbS/CdS QDs are in the range of 8-25 meV, with an average of 16.4 meV. In addition, low-temperature, single-QD spectroscopy reveals a broad low-energy side emission attributable to optical as well as localized acoustic phonon-assisted transitions. By tracking single QDs from 4 to 250 K, we were able to probe temperature-dependent evolutions of emission energy, line width, and line shape. Finally, polarization-resolved PL imaging showed that PbS/CdS QDs are characterized by a 3D emission dipole, in contrast with the 2D dipole observed for CdSe QDs.

Using shape to turn off blinking for two-colour multiexciton emission in CdSe/CdS tetrapods.

Semiconductor nanostructures capable of emitting from two excited states and thereby of producing two photoluminescence colours are of fundamental and potential technological significance. In this limited class of nanocrystals, CdSe/CdS core/arm tetrapods exhibit the unusual trait of two-colour (red and green) multiexcitonic emission, with green emission from the CdS arms emerging only at high excitation fluences. Here we show that by synthetic shape-tuning, both this multi-colour emission process, and blinking and photobleaching behaviours of single tetrapods can be controlled. Specifically, we find that the properties of dual emission and single-nanostructure photostability depend on different structural parameters-arm length and arm diameter, respectively-but that both properties can be realized in the same nanostructure. Furthermore, based on results of correlated photoluminescence and transient absorption measurements, we conclude that hole-trap filling in the arms and partial state-filling in the core are necessary preconditions for the observation of multiexciton multi-colour emission.

CdSe-graphene oxide light-harvesting assembly: size-dependent electron transfer and light energy conversion aspects.

Excited-state interaction between CdSe quantum dots (QDs) of different sizes (2.3, 3.2, and 4.2 nm diameter) and graphene oxide (GO) was probed by depositing them as films on conducting glass electrodes. The emission of smaller CdSe QDs (2.3 nm) was quenched by GO three times faster than that of larger QDs (4.2 nm). Electrophoretic deposition allowed us to sequentially deposit single or multiple layers of different sized QDs and GO assemblies on conducting glass electrodes and to modulate the photoresponse in photoelectrochemical solar cells. Superior photoconversion efficiency through the incorporation of GO was attributed to improved charge separation in the composite assembly.

CdSeS Nanowires: Compositionally Controlled Band Gap and Exciton Dynamics.

CdS, CdSe, and ternary CdSexS(1-x) are some of the most widely studied II-VI semiconductors due to their broad range of applications and promising performance in numerous systems. One-dimensional semiconductor nanowires offer the ability to conduct charges efficiently along the length of the wire, which has potential charge transport benefits compared to nanoparticles. Herein, we report a simple, inexpensive synthetic procedure for high quality CdSeS nanowires where the composition can be easily modulated from pure CdSe to pure CdS by simply adjusting the Se:S precursor ratio. This allows for tuning of the absorption and emission properties of the nanowires across the visible spectrum. The CdSeS nanowires have a wurtzite crystal structure and grow along the [001] direction. As measured by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, the short component of the excited state lifetime remains relatively constant at ∼10 ps with increasing Se; however, the contribution of this short lifetime component increased dramatically from 8.4% to 57.7% with increasing Se content. These CdSeS nanowires offer facile synthesis and widely adjustable optical properties, characteristics that give them broad potential applications in the fields of optoelectronics, and photovoltaics.