Abstract
As a result of quantum-confinement effects, the emission colour of semiconductor nanocrystals can be modified dramatically by simply changing their size. Such spectral tunability, together with large photoluminescence quantum yields and high photostability, make nanocrystals attractive for use in a variety of light-emitting technologies-for example, displays, fluorescence tagging, solid-state lighting and lasers. An important limitation for such applications, however, is the difficulty of achieving electrical pumping, largely due to the presence of an insulating organic capping layer on the nanocrystals. Here, we describe an approach for indirect injection of electron-hole pairs (the electron-hole radiative recombination gives rise to light emission) into nanocrystals by non-contact, non-radiative energy transfer from a proximal quantum well that can in principle be pumped either electrically or optically. Our theoretical and experimental results indicate that this transfer is fast enough to compete with electron-hole recombination in the quantum well, and results in greater than 50 per cent energy-transfer efficiencies in the tested structures. Furthermore, the measured energy-transfer rates are sufficiently large to provide pumping in the stimulated emission regime, indicating the feasibility of nanocrystal-based optical amplifiers and lasers based on this approach.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 642-646 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Nature |
| Volume | 429 |
| Issue number | 6992 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 10 2004 |
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Energy-transfer pumping of semiconductor nanocrystals using an epitaxial quantum well. / Achermann, Marc; Petruska, Melissa A.; Kos, Simon; Smith, Darryl L.; Koleske, Daniel D.; Klimov, Victor I.
In: Nature, Vol. 429, No. 6992, 10.06.2004, p. 642-646.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Energy-transfer pumping of semiconductor nanocrystals using an epitaxial quantum well
AU - Achermann, Marc
AU - Petruska, Melissa A.
AU - Kos, Simon
AU - Smith, Darryl L.
AU - Koleske, Daniel D.
AU - Klimov, Victor I
PY - 2004/6/10
Y1 - 2004/6/10
N2 - As a result of quantum-confinement effects, the emission colour of semiconductor nanocrystals can be modified dramatically by simply changing their size. Such spectral tunability, together with large photoluminescence quantum yields and high photostability, make nanocrystals attractive for use in a variety of light-emitting technologies-for example, displays, fluorescence tagging, solid-state lighting and lasers. An important limitation for such applications, however, is the difficulty of achieving electrical pumping, largely due to the presence of an insulating organic capping layer on the nanocrystals. Here, we describe an approach for indirect injection of electron-hole pairs (the electron-hole radiative recombination gives rise to light emission) into nanocrystals by non-contact, non-radiative energy transfer from a proximal quantum well that can in principle be pumped either electrically or optically. Our theoretical and experimental results indicate that this transfer is fast enough to compete with electron-hole recombination in the quantum well, and results in greater than 50 per cent energy-transfer efficiencies in the tested structures. Furthermore, the measured energy-transfer rates are sufficiently large to provide pumping in the stimulated emission regime, indicating the feasibility of nanocrystal-based optical amplifiers and lasers based on this approach.
AB - As a result of quantum-confinement effects, the emission colour of semiconductor nanocrystals can be modified dramatically by simply changing their size. Such spectral tunability, together with large photoluminescence quantum yields and high photostability, make nanocrystals attractive for use in a variety of light-emitting technologies-for example, displays, fluorescence tagging, solid-state lighting and lasers. An important limitation for such applications, however, is the difficulty of achieving electrical pumping, largely due to the presence of an insulating organic capping layer on the nanocrystals. Here, we describe an approach for indirect injection of electron-hole pairs (the electron-hole radiative recombination gives rise to light emission) into nanocrystals by non-contact, non-radiative energy transfer from a proximal quantum well that can in principle be pumped either electrically or optically. Our theoretical and experimental results indicate that this transfer is fast enough to compete with electron-hole recombination in the quantum well, and results in greater than 50 per cent energy-transfer efficiencies in the tested structures. Furthermore, the measured energy-transfer rates are sufficiently large to provide pumping in the stimulated emission regime, indicating the feasibility of nanocrystal-based optical amplifiers and lasers based on this approach.
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U2 - 10.1038/nature02571
DO - 10.1038/nature02571
M3 - Article
C2 - 15190347
AN - SCOPUS:3042583017
VL - 429
SP - 642
EP - 646
JO - Nature
JF - Nature
SN - 0028-0836
IS - 6992
ER -