Quantum dot

A quantum dot is a semiconductor nanocrystal that confines electrons in three dimensions. Its size and composition determine the energies of light it absorbs and emits.

Quantum confinement: A nanoscale effect in which spatial confinement makes a particle’s allowed energy states discrete. Confinement in all three dimensions gives quantum dots size-dependent energy levels.
Quantum dot display: A display technology that uses quantum dots to convert or emit light with narrow spectral bands. Precisely tuned dot emission helps produce saturated colors in display backlights and pixels.
Semiconductor: A material whose electrical conductivity lies between that of a conductor and an insulator and can be controlled. Quantum dots inherit their electronic structure from the semiconductor they are made from.
Quantum well: A structure that confines charge carriers in one dimension while allowing motion in two dimensions. Unlike a quantum dot, it leaves two spatial directions comparatively unconfined.
Photobleaching: The irreversible loss of a fluorescent material’s ability to emit light after exposure to illumination. Resistance to photobleaching is a key advantage, but prolonged illumination can still degrade dots.
Particle in a box: A quantum-mechanical model of a particle restricted to a finite region with idealized boundaries. It illustrates how shrinking the region raises the energies of confined states.
Quantum dot solar cell: A photovoltaic device that uses semiconductor quantum dots to absorb sunlight and generate electrical charge. Their adjustable absorption spectra offer ways to harvest different parts of the solar spectrum.
Colloidal synthesis: A solution-based method for producing and controlling dispersed particles through chemical reactions. It enables the growth of many size-tunable quantum dots in liquid.
Quantum wire: A structure that confines charge carriers in two dimensions while allowing motion along one dimension. Its remaining free direction distinguishes it from a dot’s three-dimensional confinement.
Blinking (quantum dots): Intermittent switching between bright and dim or dark emission in a single quantum dot. The microscopic causes and control of this emission intermittency remain active research topics.

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