Yann Louyer

Efficient biexciton emission in elongated CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals.

We use a combination of low-temperature magneto-optical and lifetime spectroscopies to study the band-edge exciton fine structure of highly photostable single CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals (NCs). Neutral NCs displaying multiline emission spectra and multiexponential photoluminescence (PL) decays are studied as a function of temperature and external magnetic fields. Three different fine structure regimes are identified as a function of the NC aspect ratio. In particular, we identify an optically inactive ground exciton state, whose oscillator strength is tuned up under magnetic field coupling to bright exciton states, and attribute it to the zero angular momentum ground exciton state of elongated NCs. We also show evidence for highly efficient biexciton emission in these NCs, with radiative yields approaching unity in some cases.

Magneto-optical properties of trions in non-blinking charged nanocrystals reveal an acoustic phonon bottleneck

Charged quantum dots provide an important platform for a range of emerging quantum technologies. Colloidal quantum dots in particular offer unique advantages for such applications (facile synthesis, manipulation and compatibility with a wide range of environments), especially if stable charged states can be harnessed in these materials. Here we engineer the CdSe nanocrystal core and shell structure to efficiently ionize at cryogenic temperatures, resulting in trion emission with a single sharp zero-phonon line and a mono exponential decay. Magneto-optical spectroscopy enables direct determination of electron and hole g-factors. Spin relaxation is observed in high fields, enabling unambiguous identification of the trion charge. Importantly, we show that spin flips are completely inhibited for Zeeman splittings below the low-energy bound for confined acoustic phonons. This reveals a characteristic unique to colloidal quantum dots that will promote the use of these versatile materials in challenging quantum technological applications.

The ultimate limit to the emission linewidth of single nanocrystals

Measurements of the emission linewidth of single nanocrystals are usually limited by spectral diffusion. At cryogenic temperatures, the origin of this instability was revealed to be photo-induced, suggesting that the spectral peak position may be stable in the limit of vanishing optical excitation. Here we test this stability using resonant photoluminescence excitation and find there is persistent spectral broadening, which ultimately limits the emission linewidth in these materials. The spectral broadening is shown to be consistent with spontaneous fluctuations of the local electrostatic field within the disordered environment surrounding the nanocrystal.

Cryogenic single nanocrystal spectroscopy: reading the spectral fingerprint of individual CdSe quantum dots

Spectroscopically resolved emission from single nanocrystals at cryogenic temperatures provides unique insight into photophysical processes that occur within these materials. At low temperatures the emission spectra collapse to narrow lines revealing a rich spectroscopic landscape and unexpected properties, completely hidden at the ensemble level. Since these techniques were first used, the technology of nanocrystal synthesis has matured significantly and new materials with outstanding photophysical stability have been reported. Here we review our recent work that shows how cryogenic spectroscopy of single nanocrystals probes the fundamental excitonic structure of the band edge, revealing spectral fingerprints that are highly sensitive to a range of photophysical properties as well as nanocrystal morphology. In particular, spectral and temporal signatures of biexciton and trion emission are revealed and their relevance to emerging technologies discussed. In addition, we show how high resolution excitation spectroscopy can provide information on external processes that ultimately limit the coherence of the nanocrystal band-edge states. Overall we demonstrate how cryogenic single nanocrystal spectroscopy can be used as a vital tool for understanding fundamental photophysics and guiding the synthesis of new nanocrystal materials.

Magneto-optical spectroscopy of charged CdSe nanocrystals

Charged quantum dots provide an important platform for a range of emerging quantum technologies from spin qubits to single phonon sources. Colloidal quantum dots in particular could offer unique advantages for such applications (eg. facile synthesis, manipulation and compatibility with a wide range of environments), especially if stable charged states can be harnessed in these materials. This possibility has been encouraged by recent reports of trion emission from colloidal quantum dots at cryogenic temperatures [1,2] indicating that trion states can be bright with quantum yields approaching unity [1]. However, these reports relied on random ionization to produce the trion state and did not provide any insight into the charging mechanism.