Ultrafast spectroscopy studies of carrier dynamics in semiconductor nanocrystals
Joseph D. Keene,
Nathaniel J. Freymeyer,
James R. McBride,
Sandra J. Rosenthal
Affiliations
Joseph D. Keene
Department of Chemistry, Mercer University, Macon, GA 31207, USA; Corresponding author
Nathaniel J. Freymeyer
Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
James R. McBride
Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
Sandra J. Rosenthal
Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA; Department of Materials Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA; Corresponding author
Summary: Semiconductor nanocrystals have become ubiquitous both in scientific research and in applied technologies related to light. When a nanocrystal absorbs a photon an electron-hole pair is created whose fate dictates whether the nanocrystal will be suitable for a particular application. Ultrafast spectroscopy provides a real-time window to monitor the evolution of the electron-hole pair. In this review, we focus on CdSe nanocrystals, the most-studied nanocrystal system to date, and also highlight ultrasmall nanocrystals, “standard nanocrystals” of different binary composition, alloyed nanocrystals, and core/shell nanocrystals and nanorods. We focus on four time-resolved spectroscopies used to interrogate nanocrystals: pump-probe, fluorescence upconversion, time-correlated single photon counting, and non-linear spectroscopies. The basics of the nanocrystals and the spectroscopies are presented, followed by a detailed synopsis of ultrafast spectroscopy studies performed on the various semiconductor nanocrystal systems.
