Search Results (44)

This study presents a comparative machine-learning investigation for predicting the optical absorption coefficient of truncated pyramidal GaN/Al_xGa_1−xN quantum dots. The physical dataset is generated by solving the three-dimensional Schrödinger equation using a coordinate-transformation method combined with the finite-difference method (FDM). The coordinate transformation maps the sloping boundaries of the truncated pyramidal geometry onto a regular computational domain, enabling an accurate representation of the quantum-dot shape and facilitating its numerical treatment using the FDM. The absorption coefficient is then calculated as a function of photon energy for different alloy compositions. Using photon energy and alloy composition as input features, Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Random Forest (RFR), Decision Tree (DT), and k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) models are developed and evaluated. A second-degree polynomial regression model is also considered as a classical baseline. Under the point-wise random 80/20 split, all models show excellent agreement with the numerical results, with $R^2$ values close to unity. KNN generally provides the lowest prediction errors across most alloy compositions, whereas ANN achieves slightly lower MSE and RMSE values at $x=0.5$. Furthermore, leave-one-composition-out validation identifies ANN as the most effective model for predicting unseen compositions, achieving a mean $R^2$ of 0.848 and an NRMSE of 7.19%. These findings demonstrate that KNN is particularly effective for local interpolation within the sampled domain, while ANN provides stronger composition-wise generalization. The proposed framework offers an efficient surrogate for computationally demanding numerical simulations of the optical properties of quantum nanostructures. Full article

GeSi alloy quantum dots (QDs) are a promising candidate for a light source implemented in Si-based monolithic optoelectronic integrated circuits (MOEICs) thanks to their telecom-wavelength emission and the compatibility with the Si integration technology. Herein, the engineering properties of GeSi alloy QDs are demonstrated via rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The PL spectra of GeSi alloy QDs exhibits remarkably enhanced intensity and an initial red shift followed by a blue shift with increasing annealing temperature. Particularly, it can be characterized as a single narrow peak at ~1.55 µm of the intensity enhanced by ~20 times after the RTA at 1100 °C. These features are attributed to the progressively enhanced intermixing and the abnormal transition from compressive strain to tensile strain in QDs with increasing annealing temperature, which are demonstrated by Raman spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. Moreover, a large polycrystalline-domain appears around QD at a sufficiently high annealing temperature. It facilitates the tensile strain in QDs, which arises during the RTA due to the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between Ge and Si. These results demonstrate that high-temperature annealing can efficiently modulate the properties of GeSi alloy QDs, particularly for emission at 1.55 µm, which may have great potential for an efficient Si-based light source. Full article

Hydrophobicity has limited the efficiency of many drugs. To improve this, gold–silver alloy nanocomposites covered with carbon-based quantum dots were synthesized as a platform to reduce the drugs’ hydrophobicity. Using the hydrophobic drug Andrographolide as a model, it was demonstrated that these nanocomposites can decrease Andrographolide’s hydrophobicity (Log P from 2.632 to 0.56) without encapsulating the drug. Entry within prostate cancer (PC-3) cells and in vitro localization of the nanocomposites and Andrographolide was observed qualitatively via confocal microscopy and their identity confirmed by SERS inside the PC-3 cells. MTS assays demonstrated the carbon-based quantum dot layer covering the metal core of the nanocomposites stabilizes the oxidation rate of the nanocomposite’s core metals. This was observed by a decrease in cytotoxicity in PC-3 cells when compared to other gold or silver nanosystems for similar timeframes published in the literature. Full article

The manuscript describes an optical sensing microplate for the high-throughput screening of imidazolinone herbicides in soil extracts. As far as we know, imprinted proteins (IPs) specific to imidazolinone herbicides have not been synthesized and used as a recognition element for their solid-phase extraction before. Imprinted bovine serum albumin (BSA) and glucose oxidase (GOx) were synthesized in the presence of imazamox as a template and then these IPs were immobilized at the bottom of microplate wells. The sorption capacity (Q) of aminated silica nanoparticles modified by IPs (IP–BIS) was 6.38 mg g⁻¹ while the imprinting factor ($IF$) equaled 2.6. The concentration of imazamox was determined by a “turn-off” solid-phase assay using alloyed CdZnSeS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as a component of fluorescent substrate. Alloyed CdZnSeS/ZnS QDs were stabilized in an aqueous phase by positively charged cysteamine that, as far we know, had not been used as this type of ligand before. Our method allows for determining the concentration of imazamox in the range of 0.5–9.2 μg mL⁻¹, with a limit of quantification limit of quantitation (LOQ) equal to 0.45 μg mL⁻¹ The sensing microplate enables parallel detection of up to 96 samples containing herbicides using standard fluorescence microplate readers or smartphones. The paper describes how such sensing microplates can be used for the analysis of artificially contaminated soil samples. The proposed approach combines pre-concentration of analyte at the IPs with its subsequent determination on a single analytical platform, thus allowing for both highly sensitive determination in laboratory conditions and mass screening in the field. Full article

As a core component of emerging quantum-dot display technology, the stability of quantum-dot materials is crucial to determining the performance of quantum-dot photoluminescent diffuser plates. This study successfully synthesized high-stability thick-shell CdZnSeS/CdZnS/ZnS core–shell structured green-alloy quantum dots suitable for photoluminescent diffuser plates, providing an innovative solution for performance breakthroughs in this field. Through orthogonal experimental design, the synthesis parameters of the CdZnSeS alloy core were precisely optimized to achieve an ideal balance in emission wavelength, full width at half maximum (FWHM), and quantum yield (QY). Furthermore, by systematically adjusting ligands and synthesis parameters, a thick-shell CdZnSeS/CdZnS/ZnS core–shell structure was constructed, significantly improving the stability of the quantum dots. Critically, the replacement of the original oleic-acid ligands with tetradecylphosphonic-acid (TDPA) ligands at high temperature doubled the stability of the quantum-dot diffuser plates. Under extreme accelerated-aging conditions such as intense blue light, high temperature, and high humidity, the T90 lifetime of the diffuser plate exceeded 1000 h, and the xy chromaticity coordinate shift was strictly controlled within 1%, fully meeting the stringent commercial requirements. This achievement not only overcomes the stability bottleneck of quantum dots in the application of photoluminescent diffuser plates but also paves the way for their large-scale commercialization, promising to promote the development of display technology toward higher color gamut and longer lifetimes. Full article

This study introduces nitrogen- and silicon-containing carbon quantum dots (N,Si-CQDs), synthesized hydrothermally from the sustainable bioresource stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.), as chemically active supports for Pt, Pd, and Pt₃Pd₁ electrocatalysts. The N,Si-CQDs were characterized by a high concentration of N/O surface functionalities and the presence of biogenic Si. A significant finding is that, with this support, biogenic Si acts as a nucleation template: Pd forms in situ as orthorhombic Pd₉Si₂ nanorods alongside spherical particles, whereas Pt predominantly develops as cubic/quasi-cubic crystals. This templating process promotes faceted (cubic) Pt₃Pd₁ alloy nanoparticles with robust interfacial contact with the support and a log-normal size distribution (14.2 ± 4.3 nm) on N,Si-CQDs (4.7 ± 1.4 nm). This configuration enhanced the electrochemically active surface area to 181 m² gPt⁻¹, significantly exceeding those of commercial Pt₁Pd₁/XC-72 (27.7 m² gPt⁻¹) and monometallic Pt/N,Si-CQDs (14.3 m² gPt⁻¹). Consequently, the catalyst demonstrated superior methanol oxidation performance, evidenced by a low onset potential (0.17 V), approximately 10-fold higher mass activity compared to Pt₁Pd₁/XC-72, and 53% activity retention after a 16 h accelerated durability test. The enhanced performance is attributed to the strong nanoparticle anchoring by N,Si-CQDs, the bifunctional/ligand effects of the Pt–Pd alloy that improve CO tolerance, and the templating role of biogenic Si. Full article

This study explores the optical properties of a close-packed monolayer composed of core/shell-alloyed CdSeS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) of two different sizes and compositions. The monolayers were self-assembled in a stacked configuration at the water/air interface using Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) techniques. Under continuous 532 nm laser illumination on the red absorption edge of the blue-emitting smaller QDs (QD450), the red-emitting larger QDs (QD645) exhibited oscillatory temporal dynamics in their photoluminescence (PL), characterized by a pronounced blueshift in the emission peak wavelength and an abrupt decrease in peak intensity. Conversely, excitation by a 405 nm laser on the blue absorption edge induced a drastic redshift in the emission wavelength over time. These significant shifts in emission spectra are attributed to photon- and anisotropic-strain-assisted interlayer atom transfer. The findings provide new insights into strain-driven atomic rearrangements and their impact on the photophysical behavior of QD systems. Full article

Infrared (IR) sensors are widely used in various applications due to their ability to detect infrared radiation. Currently, infrared detector technology is in its third generation and faces enormous challenges. IR radiation propagation is categorized into distinct transmission windows with the most intriguing aspects of thermal imaging being mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR). Infrared detectors for thermal imaging have many uses in industrial applications, security, search and rescue, surveillance, medical, research, meteorology, climatology, and astronomy. Presently, high-performance infrared imaging technology mostly relies on epitaxially grown structures of the small-bandgap bulk alloy mercury–cadmium–telluride (MCT), indium antimonide (InSb), and GaAs-based quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs), contingent upon the application and wavelength range. Nanostructures and nanomaterials exhibiting appropriate electrical and mechanical properties including two-dimensional materials, graphene, quantum dots (QDs), quantum dot in well (DWELL), and colloidal quantum dot (CQD) will significantly enhance the electronic characteristics of infrared photodetectors, transition metal dichalcogenides, and metal oxides, which are garnering heightened interest. The present manuscript gives an overview of IR sensors, their types, materials commonly used in them, and examples of related applications. Finally, a summary of the manuscript and an outlook on prospects are given. Full article

We propose a temperature-dependent optimization procedure for the second-nearest neighbor (2NN) sp³s* tight-binding (TB) theory parameters to calculate the effects of strain, structure dimensions, and alloy composition on the band structure of heterostructure spherical core/shell quantum dots (QDs). We integrate the thermoelastic theory of solids with the 2NN sp³s* TB theory to calculate the strain, core and shell dimensions, and composition effects on the band structure of binary/ternary CdSe/Cd(Zn)S and ZnSe/Zn(Cd)S QDs at any temperature. We show that the 2NN sp³s* TB theory with optimized parameters greatly improves the prediction of the energy dispersion curve at and in the vicinity of L and X symmetry points. We further used the optimized 2NN sp³s* TB parameters to calculate the strain, core and shell dimensions, and composition effects on the nanocrystal bandgaps of binary/ternary CdSe/Cd(Zn)S and ZnSe/Zn(Cd)S core/shell QDs. We conclude that the 2NN sp³s* TB theory provides remarkable agreement with the measured nanocrystal bandgaps of CdSe/Cd(Zn)S and ZnSe/Zn(Cd)S QDs and accurately reproduces the energy dispersion curves of the electronic band structure at any temperature. We believe that the proposed optimization procedure makes the 2NN sp³s* TB theory reliable and accurate in the modeling of core/shell QDs for nanoscale devices. Full article

Single-photon sources with photon antibunching characteristics are essential for quantum information technologies. This paper investigates the potential of quaternary-alloy CdTeSeS colloidal core quantum dots (cQDs) as compact, room-temperature, and fiber-integrated single-photon sources. Single-photon emission from CdTeSeS cQDs was verified by measuring the second-order correlation function, $g^{\left(2\right)}\left(\tau \right)$, using a Hanbury-Brown and Twiss setup. A novel method to determine zero-time delay through afterpulsing analysis is presented. The results demonstrate strong photon antibunching with $g^{\left(2\right)}\left(0\right)=0.13$, confirming that the photoemission from the CdTeSeS cQDs function as a single-photon source. This work highlights the potential of CdTeSeS cQDs as reliable and efficient single-photon sources for practical use in fiber-based quantum information technologies. Full article

A new scintillation material composed of InAs quantum dots (QDs) hosted within a GaAs matrix was developed, and its performance with different types of radiation is evaluated. A methodology for designing an integrated photodetector (PD) with a low defect density and that is optically matched to the QD’s emission spectrum is introduced, utilizing an engineered epitaxial InAlGaAs metamorphic buffer layer. The photoluminescence (PL) collection efficiency of the integrated PD is examined using two-dimensional scanning laser excitation. The detector response to 5.5 MeV α-particles and 122 keV photons is presented. Yields of 13 electrons/keV for α-particles and 30–60 electrons/keV for photons were observed. The energy resolution of 12% observed with α-particles was mainly limited by noise- and geometry-related optical losses. The radiation hardness of an InAs QDs hosted within GaAs and a wider band gap AlGaAs ternary alloy was studied under a 1 MeV proton implantation up to a 10¹⁴ cm⁻² dose. The integrated PL responses were compared to evaluate PL quenching due to non-radiative defects. The QDs embedded in the AlGaAs demonstrated improved radiation hardness compared to QDs in the GaAs matrix and in the InGaAs quantum wells. Full article

Metallic nanoparticles have gained attention in technological fields, particularly photonics. The creation of silver/gold (Ag/Au) alloy NPs upon laser exposure of an assembly of these NPs was described. First, using the Nd: YAG pulsed laser ablation’s second harmonic at the same average power and exposure time, Ag and Au NPs in distilled water were created individually. Next, the assembly of Ag and Au NP colloids was exposed again to the pulsed laser, and the effects were examined at different average powers and exposure times. Furthermore, Ag/Au alloy nanoparticles were synthesized with by raising the average power and exposure time. The absorption spectrum, average size, and shape of alloy NPs were obtained by using an ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometer and transmission electron microscope instrument. Ag/Au alloy NPs have been obtained in the limit of quantum dots (<10 nm). The optical band gap energies of the Ag/Au alloy colloidal solutions were assessed for different Ag/Au alloy NP concentrations and NP sizes as a function of the exposure time and average power. The experimental data showed a trend toward an increasing bandgap with decreasing nanoparticle size. The nonlinear optical characteristics of Ag/Au NPs were evaluated and measured by the Z-scan technique using high repetition rate (80 MHz), femtosecond (100 fs), and near-infrared (NIR) (750–850 nm) laser pulses. In open aperture (OA) Z-scan measurements, Ag, Au, and Ag/AuNPs present reverse saturation absorption (RSA) behavior, indicating a positive nonlinear absorption (NLA) coefficient. In the close-aperture (CA) measurements, the nonlinear refractive (NLR) indices (n₂) of the Ag, Au, and Ag/Au NP samples were ascribed to the self-defocusing effect, indicating an effective negative nonlinearity for the nanoparticles. The NLA and NLR characteristics of the Ag/Au NPs colloids were found to be influenced by the incident power and excitation wavelength. The optical limiting (OL) effects of the Ag/Au alloy solution at various excitation wavelengths were studied. The OL effect of alloy NPs is greater than that of monometallic NPs. The Ag/Au bimetallic nanoparticles were found to be more suitable for optical-limiting applications. Full article

Quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) hold great promise for next-generation display applications owing to their exceptional optical properties and versatile tunability. In this study, we investigate the effects of quantum dot (QD) shell thickness, polyethylenimine (PEI) concentration, and PEI layer position on the performance of inverted QLED devices. Two types of alloyed-core/shell QDs with varying shell thicknesses were synthesized using a one-pot method with mean particle sizes of 8.0 ± 0.9 nm and 10.3 ± 1.3 nm for thin- and thick-shelled QDs, respectively. Thick-shelled QDs exhibited a higher photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and a narrower emission linewidth compared to their thin-shelled counterparts. Next, QLEDs employing these QDs were fabricated. The incorporation of PEI layers on either side of the QD emissive layer significantly enhanced device performance. Using PEI on the hole transport side resulted in greater improvement than on the electron injection side. Sandwiching the QD layer between two PEI layers led to the best performance, with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 17% and a peak luminance of 91,174 cd/m² achieved using an optimized PEI concentration of 0.025 wt% on both electron injection and hole injection sides. This study highlights the critical role of QD shell engineering and interfacial modification in achieving high-performance QLEDs for display applications. Full article

Small-size gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are showing large potential in various fields, such as photothermal conversion, sensing, and medicine. However, current synthesis methods generally yield lower, resulting in a high cost. Here, we report a novel uni-micelle method for the controlled synthesis of monodisperse gold nanocrystals, in which there is only one kind micelle containing aqueous solution of reductant while the dual soluble Au (III) precursor is dissolved in oil phase. Our synthesis includes the reversible phase transfer of Au (III) and “uni-micelle” synthesis, employing a Au (III)-OA complex as an oil-soluble precursor. Size-controlled monodisperse AuNPs with a size of 4–11 nm are synthesized by tuning the size of the micelles, in which oleylamine (OA) is adsorbed on the shell of micelles and enhances the rigidity of the micelles, depressing micellar coalescence. Monodisperse AuNPs can be obtained through a one-time separation process with a higher yield of 61%. This method also offers a promising way for the controlled synthesis of small-size alloy nanoparticles and semiconductor heterojunction quantum dots. Full article

This paper investigates the effect of GaAsBi strain reduction layers (SRLs) on InAs QDs with different Bi fluxes to achieve nanostructures with improved temperature stability. The SRLs are grown at a lower temperature (370 °C) than the usual capping temperature for InAs QDs (510 °C). The study finds that GaAs capping at low temperatures reduces QD decomposition and leads to larger pyramidal dots but also increases the threading dislocation (TD) density. When adding Bi to the capping layer, a significant reduction in TD density is observed, but unexpected structural changes also occur. Increasing the Bi flux does not increase the Bi content but rather the layer thickness. The maximum Bi content for all layers is 2.4%. A higher Bi flux causes earlier Bi incorporation, along with the formation of an additional InGaAs layer above the GaAsBi layer due to In segregation from QD erosion. Additionally, the implementation of GaAsBi SRLs results in smaller dots due to enhanced QD decomposition, which is contrary to the expected function of an SRL. No droplets were detected on the surface of any sample, but we did observe regions of horizontal nanowires within the epilayers for the Bi-rich samples, indicating nanoparticle formation. Full article