Crystal Quantum Dots Research Articles

Enhanced Asymmetric Circularly Polarized Luminescence in Self-Organized Helical Superstructures Enabled by Macro-Chiral Liquid Crystal Quantum Dots.

Circularly polarized luminescent (CPL) materials have garnered considerable interest for a variety of advanced optical applications including 3D imaging, data encryption, and asymmetric catalysis. However, the development of high-performance CPL has been hindered by the absence of simple synthetic methods for chiral luminescent emitters that exhibit both high quantum yields and dissymmetry factors. In this study, we present an innovative approach for the synthesis of macro-chiral liquid crystal quantum dots (Ch-QDs/LC) and their CPL performance enhancement through doping with 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB), thus yielding a CPL-emitting generator (CEG). The Ch-QDs/LCs were synthesized, and their surfaces functionalized with a chiral mesogenic ligand, specifically cholesteryl benzoate, anchored via a lipoic acid linker. Under the regulation of chiral 2S-Zn2+ coordination complexes, the chiral LC encapsulation process promotes coordinated ligand substitution, resulting in an exceptional quantum yield of 56.3%. This is accompanied by high absorption dissymmetry factor (gabs) and luminescence dissymmetry factor (glum) values ranging from 10-3 to 10-2, surpassing most reported dissymmetry factors by at least an order of magnitude. The modular Ch-QDs/LCs demonstrate the ability to transfer chirality to the surrounding medium efficiently and manifest macro-chiral characteristics within a nematic LC matrix. Utilizing Ch-QDs/LC as an effective CPL emitter within achiral 5CB matrices enabled the system to achieve a maximum glum value of 0.35. The resultant CEG device acted as a direct CPL source, initiating enantioselective photopolymerization.

Visible Light-Sensitive Sustainable Quantum Dot Crystals of Co/Mg Doped Natural Hydroxyapatite Possessing Antimicrobial Activity and Biocompatibility.

Cutting-edge research in advanced materials is increasingly turning toward the development of novel multifunctional nanomaterials for use in high-tech applications. This research uses the solid-state method as a solvent-free technique to create multifunctional quantum dot (QD) hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals from bovine bone waste. By incorporating cobalt (Co) and magnesium (Mg) into the HA structure, the crystallinity of the hexagonal HA nanoparticles (99.7%), showing QD crystals is enhanced. Oxygen vacancies on the surfaces of the HA nanoparticles contributed to their bandgap falling within the visible light range. In addition, the dopants substituted calcium in the HA crystal structure and generated a divalent oxidation state, shifting the bandgap of natural HA toward red wavelengths (3.26 to 1.94eV). Moreover, the incorporation of Co led to magnetization within the HA structure through spin polarization. Additionally, the doped QD crystals of HA nanoparticles showed significant antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and bacteriophages MS2, particularly under visible light exposure. In short, the Co/Mg co-doped HA nanoparticles exhibited ferromagnetic properties, sensitivity to visible light, biocompatibility, and considerable antimicrobial effects, establishing their potential as sustainable multifunctional materials for biomedical applications, especially in anti-infection treatments.

Sol-Gel Synthesis of TiO2 with Pectin and Their Efficiency in Solar Cells Sensitized by Quantum Dots.

In this study, titanium oxide TiO2 nanoparticles were produced using the sol-gel approach of green synthesis with pectin as the reducing agent. The synthetized TiO2 nanoparticles with pectin were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), visible light absorption (UV-Vis) and the BET method. The structure and morphology of the TiO2 powder were described with SEM, revealing uniform monodisperse grains with a distribution of 80% regarding sizes < 250 nm; the resulting crystal phase of synthetized TiO2 was identified as an anatase and rutile phase with a crystallinity size estimated between 27 and 40 nm. Also, the surface area was determined by nitrogen adsorption-desorption using the Brown-Emmet-Teller method, with a surface area calculated as 19.56 m2/g, typical of an IV type isotherm, indicating mesoporous NPs. UV-Vis spectra showed that sol-gel synthesis reduced the band gap from the 3.2 eV common value to 2.22 eV after estimating the optical band gap energy using the adsorption coefficient; this translates to a possible extended photo response to the visible region, improving photoactivity. In addition, the power conversion of the photoelectrode was compared based on similar assembly techniques of TiO2 electrode deposition. Quantum dot crystals were deposited ionically on the electrode surface, as two different paste formulations based on a pectin emulsifier were studied for layer deposition. The results confirm that the TiO2 paste with TiO2-synthesized powder maintained good connections between the nanocrystalline mesoporous grains and the deposited layers, with an efficiency of 1.23% with the transparent paste and 2.27% with the opaque paste. These results suggest that pectin could be used as a low-cost, functional sol-gel catalysis agent for the synthesis of controlled NPs of metal oxide. It demonstrates interesting optical properties, such as an increase in photo response, suggesting further applications to photocatalysts and biomedical features.

Dynamic Flow Control over Optical Properties of Liquid Crystal-Quantum Dot Hybrids in Microfluidic Devices.

In this paper, we report developing approaches to tuning the optical behavior of microfluidic devices by infusing smart hybrids of liquid crystal and quantum dots into microchannel confinement. We characterize the optical responses of liquid crystal-quantum dot composites to polarized and UV light in single-phase microflows. In the range of flow velocities up to 10 mm/s, the flow modes of microfluidic devices were found to correlate with the orientation of liquid crystals, dispersion of quantum dots in homogeneous microflows and the resulting luminescence response of these dynamic systems to UV excitation. We developed a Matlab algorithm and script to quantify this correlation by performing an automated analysis of microscopy images. Such systems may have application potential as optically responsive sensing microdevices with integrated smart nanostructural components, parts of lab-on-a-chip logic circuits, or diagnostic tools for biomedical instruments.

Effect of Quantum Dots Dispersion on the Structural, Optical, and Thermal Properties of Liquid Crystal System

Liquid crystal-quantum dot (LC-QD) composites are promising new materials for a number of applications in displays, energy harvesting, and photonics. In the present work, quantum dispersion in the mixture of LCs of cholesteric and nematic phases is reported. The combination of two LCs, namely Cholesteryl Palmitate (cholesteric 97%) and 4′-Pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (nematic, 98%), were used in equal proportion while CdS quantum dots were added in this mixture. The thermal, optical, and structural properties of this new LC-QD composite system were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), ultra-violet visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, Fabry-Perot scattering studies (FPSS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Structural studies indicate that the QDs are uniformly dispersed inside the LC matrix rather than on the surface area. It was observed that quantum dot dispersion increases the strength of the LC mixture. It also changes the phase behavior of the LC mixture affecting the overall performance of LC-QD composite systems. The present findings would be very helpful for the design of the display and photonic devices with an improved optical response.

Octadecanethiol-Bi2WO6 composite constructed under mild conditions: photocatalytic capacity enhancement, self-cleaning and large-scale preparation

In order to improve the photocatalytic capacity of Bi2WO6, methods including crystal facet modulation, high-temperature treatment, heterojunction construction and quantum dot doping are often used. Therefore, it is necessary to synthesize a high-performance Bi2WO6 photocatalyst through simple preparation methods. Here, a two-step method was used to improve the photodegradation activity of Bi2WO6 by 27.5 times: 1) Stir at room temperature; 2) Dry at 80 °C. It is demonstrated that the improved photocatalytic performance of octadecanethiol-modified superhydrophobic Bi2WO6 (SH-Bi2WO6) is caused by the reduced band width from 2.69 eV to 2.1 eV. Meanwhile, SH-Bi2WO6 can be loaded to glass and fabric surface through spraying method. Thus, superhydrophobic glass (contact angle is 162º) with self-cleaning performance and superhydrophobic fabric with a size of 0.4 m × 0.4 m were obtained.

Design and synthesis of black phosphorus quantum dot sensitized inverse opal TiO2 photonic crystal with outstanding photocatalytic activities

Quantum dot sensitized photocatalyst is designed and applied in purification of dye wastewater, using black phosphorus nanoparticles (BPQDs) as the quantum dot and inverse opal (IO) TiO2 photonic crystal as the main photocatalyst. Due to electron density change within the composite, electrons can transfer from BPQDs to IO TiO2 directionally. Bandgap energies and relative energy band positions of BPQDs and IO TiO2 further provide efficient electronic transmission channels at the heterojunction interface. Therefore, interfacial resistance for charge transfer is reduced, the production of active oxidative species is promoted, and the photo induced charge transfer proceeds through a typical type-II route. Finally, excellent photocatalytic properties of BPQDs-IO TiO2 are achieved with the highest apparent kinetic constant (kapp) of 0.046 min−1, which is more than 3 times for bare IO TiO2 (0.014 min−1) and nearly 2 times for commercial P25 TiO2 (0.027 min−1). Furthermore, long-term stability and non-toxicity make the quantum dot sensitized photocatalyst have great applications in purifying environmental water pollution.

Solid-phase sintering and vapor-liquid-solid growth of BP@MgO quantum dot crystals with a high piezoelectric response

Low-dimensional piezoelectric and quantum piezotronics are two important branches of low-dimensional materials, playing a significant role in the advancement of low-dimensional devices, circuits, and systems. Here, we firstly propose a solid-phase sintering and vapor-liquid-solid growth (SS-VLS-like) method of preparing a quantum-sized oxide material, i.e., black phosphorus (BP)@MgO quantum dot (QD) crystal with a strong piezoelectric response. Quantum-sized MgO was obtained by Mg slowly released from MgB2 within the confinement of a nanoflake BP matrix. Since the slow release of Mg only grows nanometer-sized MgO to hinder the further growth of MgO, we added a heterostructure matrix constraint: nanoflake BP. With the BP as the matrix confinement, MgO QDs embedded in the BP@MgO QD crystals were formed. These crystals have a layered two-dimensional (2D) structure with a thickness of 11 nm and are stable in the air. In addition, piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) images show that they have extremely strong polarity. The strong polarity can also be proved by polarization reversal and a simple pressure sensor.

Impact of Co2+ on the magneto-optical response of MAPbBr3: An inspective study of doping and quantum confinement effect

The current work establishes the excitonic magneto-optic (M − O) effects of magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) in Cobalt (Co2+) doped diamagnetic organic−inorganic hybrid CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskites at low magnetic field and room temperature. The solution-processed perovskites are prepared in the form of single crystal thin films and quantum dots. The structural studies confirm the successful doping of the Co2+ in the perovskite lattice. Further, the perovskites are investigated as diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) related to the dopant concentration effect and the size effect on their M − O properties. Magnetic dopant Cobalt leads to the strong sp-d exchange coupling that generates higher values of Zeeman splitting (ΔEZ) than the pristine MAPbBr3 due to the excitonic 1s Pb–Br absorption quantified by analysis of MCD. The ΔEZ value increases with the Co concentration up to 10 mol % and then starts decreasing. This concentration dependency can be linked with the luminescence of the perovskites with the Co2+ doping. The rise and fall of the MO and PL properties can be defined by the formation of Co–Co pairs in heavily doped perovskites which can influence the spin conditions of the paramagnetic Co ions. Using the Kramers–Kronig relations with MCD, the calculated Verdet constant exhibits a massive increase in value with the doping of cobalt, much higher than the industry standard Faraday rotator indicating their probable usability in this industry. Further in the quantum dots, the quantum confinement effect is pronounced that increases the MCD and hence the ΔEZ multiple times higher than the bulk perovskite films. These results provide a promising pathway for the study of solution-processed hybrid perovskites as DMSs for spintronics.

Strong Correlation Effects and Localization in Metallic Systems

We have studied strong correlation effects and localization in metallic systems. Strong correlation effects and localization occurred in metallic systems due to strong electron-electron interactions and strong electron phonon coupling. Strong electron-phonon interactions have been found in such materials as cuprates, fullerides and manganites. The interplay of electronelectron and electron-phonon interactions in these correlated systems leaded to coexistence of or competition between various phases such as super conductivity, charge-density-wave or spin-density wave phases or formation of novel non Fermi liquid phases, polarons, bipolarons and so on. We have considered Holstein-Hubbard model for our work. The Holstein-Hubbard model provides on over simplified description of both electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions, it retains to be the relevant ingredients of a system in which electrons experience simultaneously an instantaneous short range repulsion and a phononmediated retarded attraction. In spite of its formal simplicity, it is not exactly solvable even in one dimension. So quantum simulators of Fermi-Hubbard modes based on either fermionic atoms inoptical lattice or electrons in artificial quantum dot crystals have been used. In our work a classical analog simulator was theoretically proposed for the two site Holstein-Hubbard model based on light transport in engineered waveguide lattices, which is capable of reproducing the temporal dynamics of the quantum model in Fock space as spatial evolution in photonic lattice. We have found that in the strong correlation regime the periodic temporal dynamics exhibited by the Holstein-Hubbard Hamiltonian, related to the excitation Holstein polarons has been explained in terms of generalized Bloch oscillations of a single particle in a semi-infinite inhomogeneous tight binding lattice. Light transport in two dimensional photonic lattices simulated in Fock space the hopping dynamics of two correlated electrons on a one dimensional lattice and exploited to visualize such phenomena as correlated tunneling of bond electron-electron molecules and their coherent motion under the action of d.c. or a.c. fields. The obtained results were found in good agreement with previous results.

Solutions to the generalized Eshelby conjecture for anisotropic media: Proofs of the weak version and counter-examples to the high-order and the strong versions

The Eshelby formalism for an inclusion in a solid is of significant theoretical and practical implications in mechanics and other fields of heterogeneous media. Eshelby’s finding that a uniform eigenstrain prescribed in a solitary ellipsoidal inclusion in an infinite isotropic medium results in a uniform elastic strain field in the inclusion leads to the conjecture that the ellipsoid is the only inclusion that possesses the so-called Eshelby uniformity property. Previously, only the weak version of the conjecture has been proved for the isotropic medium, whereas the general validity of the conjecture for anisotropic media in three dimensions is yet to be explored. In this work, firstly, we present proofs of the weak version of the generalized Eshelby conjecture for anisotropic media that possess cubic, transversely isotropic, orthotropic, and monoclinic symmetries, which substantiates that only the ellipsoidal shape can transform all uniform eigenstrains into uniform elastic strain fields in a solitary inclusion in infinite media possessing these symmetries. Secondly, we prove that in these anisotropic media, there exist non-ellipsoidal inclusions that can transform particular polynomial eigenstrains of even degrees into polynomial elastic strain fields of the same even degrees in them. These results constitute counter-examples, in the strong sense, to the generalized high-order Eshelby conjecture (inverse problem of Eshelby’s polynomial conservation theorem) for polynomial eigenstrains in both anisotropic media and the isotropic medium (quadratic eigenstrain only). In addition, we also show that there are counter-examples to the strong version of the generalized Eshelby conjecture for uniform eigenstrains in these anisotropic media. A sufficient condition for the existence of those counter-example inclusions is provided. These findings reveal striking richness of the uniformity between the eigenstrains and the correspondingly induced elastic strains in inclusions in anisotropic media beyond the canonical ellipsoidal inclusions. Since the strain fields in embedded and inherently anisotropic quantum dot crystals are effective tuning knobs of the quality of the emitted photons by the quantum dots, the results may have implications in the technology of quantum information, in addition to in mechanics and materials science.

Monolayer single crystal two-dimensional quantum dots via ultrathin cutting and exfoliating

Two-dimensional (2D) atomically thin quantum dots (QDs) possess extraordinary electrical and optical properties. However, fabricating high quality 2D QDs via a universal and reliable technique remains a challenge. Here, we report a simple strategy to prepare high quality, monolayer single crystal 2D QDs via ultrathin cutting 2D bulk single crystals by ultramicrotome, followed by an exfoliation process. The as-prepared 2D QDs have pristine surface, high quality, high monolayer yield and high photoluminescence quantum yield (the highest photoluminescence quantum yield of WS2 is 18%), which can be used as promising, low toxic, biocompatible, and good cell-permeability fluorescent labeling agents for in vitro imaging.

Making the Rainbow: A Cost-Effective, Reproducible, and Scalable Method for Quantum Dot Fabrication

Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductor crystals with optoelectronic properties that have a variety of applications which include biomedical imaging, quantum computing, and communication devices. The optoelectronic properties of quantum dots are closely related to their size. Therefore, the fabrication method of quantum dots is crucial in producing dots with specific properties. We are using reverse-micelles to control quantum dot crystal formation as this approach offers a cost-effective, reproducible, and most importantly, scalable method for quantum dot fabrication. Reverse micelles are spontaneously organizing nanoemulsions composed of a small aqueous volume, surfactant, and bulk organic solvent. This work analyzes how factors such as pH, bulk solvent viscosity, and varied surfactant/water loading to solvent ratios affects the film potential, intermicellar exchange rates, and size of CdS quantum dot formation within micelles. Control of these properties is critical in reproducible production of quantum dots of specific colors and sizes. ∗TD, AW, and KC contributed equally to this work.

Optical Chirality of Helical Crystal Quantum Dots

Optical Chirality of Helical Crystal Quantum Dots

In brief

PAGE 582 Researchers in Germany present a red emitting laser with V-shaped surface grooves in the p-confinement layer, which result in low radiation losses. The laser will be suitable for many applications that require laser sources that emit high-power at precisely defined wavelengths, such as interferometry, free-space communication, metrology and light detection. PAGE 558 A collision avoidance scheme for ground vehicles is proposed in work from Korea. The scheme including a modified turn algorithm improves driving performance by minimising sudden curvature changes and side-slips of the vehicle. A non-linear estimator for time-to-collision is also introduced to increase collision avoidance. Surface grooves in a red emitting laser result in low radiation losses to produce high output power. PAGE 584 Work from the US demonstrates that a 3D metamaterial structure with back-to-back, vertically oriented metallic cross dipoles efficiently linearly polarises light. The control over light polarisation in the presented metamaterial surpasses that of traditional 2D polarisers due to a reduction in reflected and transmitted polarisation. A scheme to improve driving performance reduces sudden changes in curvature of ground vehicles. PAGE 580 Researchers in Japan design an all-optical AND logic gate using photonic crystal (PC) quantum dot semiconductor optical amplifiers (QDSOA) for optical equipment, like multiplexers. The proposed gate is compared to traditional QDSOA optical gates and the incorporation of a PC is shown to reduce energy consumption and device volume. Efficient linear polarisation of light with a 3D metamaterial structure. PAGE 595 A method to resolve terrain features to adjust the trajectory of a mobile robot using vibrations from vehicle-terrain interactions is reported in work from Korea. The presented algorithm allows a robot that explores an unfamiliar area to efficiently plan their path across different surfaces with differing features and textures. An all-optical quantum dot semiconductor photonic crystal AND logic gate is presented with low energy consumption. Vehicle-terrain interactions are used to adjust a planned route for efficient terrain exploration.

An insight into the origin of room-temperature ferromagnetism in SnO2 and Mn-doped SnO2 quantum dots: an experimental and DFT approach.

SnO2 and Mn-doped SnO2 single-phase tetragonal crystal structure quantum dots (QDs) of uniform size with control over dopant composition and microstructure were synthesized using the high pressure microwave synthesis technique. On a broader vision, we systematically investigated the influence of dilute Mn ions in SnO2 under the strong quantum confinement regime through various experimental techniques and density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations to disclose the physical mechanism governing the observed ferromagnetism. DFT calculations revealed that the formation of the stable (001) surface was much more energetically favorable than that of the (100) surface, and the formation energy of the oxygen vacancies in the stable (001) surface was comparatively higher in the undoped SnO2 QDs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and first-principles modeling of doped QDs revealed that the lower doping concentration of Mn favored the formation of MnO-like (Mn2+) structures in defect-rich areas and the higher doping concentration of Mn led to the formation of multiple configurations of Mn (Mn2+ and Mn3+) in the stable surfaces of SnO2 QDs. Electronic absorption spectra indicated the characteristic spin allowed ligand field transitions of Mn2+ and Mn3+ and the red shift in the band gap. DFT calculations clearly indicated that only the substitutional dopant antiferromagnetic configurations were more energetically favorable. The gradual increase of magnetization at a low level of Mn-doping could be explained by the prevalence of antiferromagnetic manganese-vacancy pairs. Higher concentrations of Mn led to the appearance of ferromagnetic interactions between manganese and oxygen vacancies. The increase in the concentration of metallic dopants caused not just an increase in the total magnetic moment of the system but also changed the magnetic interactions between the magnetic moments on the metal ions and oxygen. The present study provides new insight into the fundamental understanding of the origin of ferromagnetism in transition metal-doped QDs.

Ultra-small near-infrared multi-wavelength light source using a heterojunction photonic crystal waveguide and self-assembled InAs quantum dots

We herein propose and verify an ultra-small near-infrared (NIR) multi-wavelength light source using a heterojunction photonic crystal waveguide (PC-WG) and quantum dots (QDs). A heterojunction two-dimensional PC-WG, which consists of multiple PC-WGs with sequentially shifted structural parameters, is fabricated on a GaAs-slab including InAs QDs. Spontaneous emission (SE) from embedded InAs QDs was enhanced at multiple wavelengths resonating with slow-light regions of the PC-WG modes. The enhanced SE was propagated and detected through the heterojunction PC-WG. These results indicate the feasibility of the proposed light source.

Surface molecularly imprinted polymer capped Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots as a phosphorescent nanosensor for detecting patulin in apple juice

A Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots (QDs) based nanosensor for selective phosphorescent determination of patulin (PAT) was synthesized with 6-hydroxynicotinic acid (6-HNA) as dummy template via a surface molecular imprinting sol–gel process. FTIR and XRD indicated the successful graft of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) onto crystal QDs. Binding tests revealed that the MIP-QDs presented higher selectivity, adsorption capacity and mass transfer rate than non-imprinted polymers, demonstrating a specific recognition for PAT among competitive mycotoxins and its analogues with the imprinting factor of 2.02. The MIP-QDs could recognize PAT in a linear range of 0.43–6.50μmolL−1 with a detection limit of 0.32μmolL−1 and a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9945. Recoveries of 102.9–127.2% with relative standard deviations <4.95% were achieved in apple juice samples which were in good agreement with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (P>0.05). The results indicated a simple phosphorescent nanosensor for PAT detection in complex matrix.

Time-resolved fluorescence and absence of Förster resonance energy transfer in ferroelectric liquid crystal-quantum dots composites

The present article deals with the interaction of octadecylamine (ODA) capped cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs) and two ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) having different values of spontaneous polarization (Ps). The pristine FLCs and FLC-QDs composites have been investigated by using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. Stokes shift and the preferred alignment of FLC molecules in the presence of QDs are found to depend on the secondary order parameter of FLCs (i.e. Ps). The secondary fluorescence emissions have been strongly influenced by the concentration of QDs. The Förster resonance energy Transfer (FRET) was absent in both the composites. This article discloses the role of various factors, like relative orientation, dipolar interaction between donor and acceptor and the proximity of QDs (>10 nm), which might be responsible for the absence of FRET. FLC-QDs composites do not form a new class of luminescent material though the fluorescence properties of host FLCs are tailored in the presence of QDs by means of the change in molecular alignment. The change in lifetimes of FLC-QDs composites has not been observed.

Threshold Characteristics of Slow-Light Photonic Crystal Lasers.

The threshold properties of photonic crystal quantum dot lasers operating in the slow-light regime are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Measurements show that, in contrast to conventional lasers, the threshold gain attains a minimum value for a specific cavity length. The experimental results are explained by an analytical theory for the laser threshold that takes into account the effects of slow light and random disorder due to unavoidable fabrication imperfections. Longer lasers are found to operate deeper into the slow-light region, leading to a trade-off between slow-light induced reduction of the mirror loss and slow-light enhancement of disorder-induced losses.