Date of Award
2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Optical Science and Engineering
Committee Chair
Seyed M. Sadeghi
Committee Member
Don A. Gregory
Committee Member
Joseph Geary
Committee Member
Lingze Duan
Committee Member
Abdalla Elsamadicy
Subject(s)
Quantum dots., Semiconductor nanocrystals.
Abstract
Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals that self-assemble from solution and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Due to their extremely small sizes, QDs exhibit atom-like quantum mechanical properties that make them highly desirable for many applications and for fundamental research in quantum mechanics. Further, when continuously irradiated, the intensity of QD emissions can increase over time; a phenomenon referred to as photo-induced fluorescence enhancement (PFE). For almost every application that deals with the optics of QDs, the enhancement of their quantum efficiency and control of their photoluminescence properties is highly desirable. This research explores how the presence of a metal oxide can alter the photoluminescence of CdSe-based colloidal QDs. The results show that certain QDs can become dramatically brighter when a metal oxide is present and this brightening occurs at the single QD level. Further, the results demonstrate that different metal oxides can interact uniquely with different types of QD structures. These effects were analyzed in terms of the photo-induced processes that drive PFE within the QDs and how those processes can be altered by the photo-catalytic properties of the metal oxides. In particular, this research shows that a metal oxide can act to stabilize the fluorescence of certain QDs over time even under conditions that generally lead to a reduction in the QDs' brightness. These results are unprecedented in the literature and represent a critical first step toward developing new techniques to tailor the photoluminescence of colloidal QDs.
Recommended Citation
Patty, Kira D., "Photoluminescence of cadmium selenide-based quantum dots in the presence of a metal oxide" (2015). Dissertations. 83.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-dissertations/83