Infrared emitting PbSe nanocrystals for telecommunications window applications

Abstract

We demonstrate the colloidal synthesis of PbSe nanocrystal quantum dots, via an organometallic-precursor route, developed from recently reported techniques. This synthesis typically yields a particle size distribution of approximately 5–10%, as may be inferred from the sharp spectral features seen in absorption and from our effective-mass model correlating spectral features to nanocrystal size. An accurate quantitative analysis, using an infrared reference dye, shows these nanocrystals to exhibit infrared photoluminescence from intrinsic quantum-confined states, with high quantum efficiencies of up to 60% in solution. The wavelength of the photoluminescence may also be conveniently size tuned in order to access the 1.3–1.5 µm ‘telecommunications window’. We discuss the significance of this work in the context of future optoelectronic applications.