Physical Society Colloquium

Interview for Faculty Position

Semiconductor nanocrystals:
Fundamental optical properties and energy transfer phenomena

Marc Achermann

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), also known as nanocrystal quantum dots or rods, exhibit strong quantum confinement, high photoluminescence quantum yields, narrow size-controlled emission lines, and can easily be manipulated into complex two-dimensional (2D) and 3D assemblies. These properties make NCs attractive for fundamental studies of highly confined quantum systems, as well as for use in a variety of photovoltaic or light-emitting applications. After a review of the size- and shape- dependent optical properties of NCs, I will focus on energy transfer phenomena in energy-gradient NC multilayers, hybrid GaN quantum well/NC light emitters and NC/microtubule bio-assemblies.