Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026
17:14
Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging
Published on: October 9, 2012
Non-blinking semiconductor colloidal quantum dots for biology, optoelectronics and quantum optics.
Piernicola Spinicelli1, Benoit Mahler, Stéphanie Buil
1Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Ecole normale supérieure, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, CNRS UMR8552, 24 rue Lhomond 75231 Paris, France.
Summary
Semiconductor colloidal nanocrystals exhibit blinking, hindering their use. Growing a thick cadmium sulfide (CdS) coat on cadmium selenide (CdSe) cores effectively suppresses this blinking, enabling new applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Quantum Optics
Background:
- Semiconductor colloidal nanocrystals are bright nanoemitters with significant potential.
- A major limitation is their fluorescence intermittency, or blinking.
- Understanding the microscopic mechanisms of blinking is crucial for developing solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review methods for suppressing blinking in semiconductor nanocrystals.
- To discuss the application of non-blinking nanocrystals in various fields.
- To highlight the importance of overcoming fluorescence intermittency.
Main Methods:
- Overview of the microscopic mechanisms underlying nanocrystal blinking.
- Review of diverse strategies employed to achieve non-blinking nanocrystals.
- Specific focus on the CdS shell growth on CdSe core method.
Main Results:
- Successful suppression of fluorescence intermittency in semiconductor nanocrystals.
- Demonstration of a specific method: growing a thick CdS coat on a CdSe core.
- Identification of key improvements enabling practical applications.
Conclusions:
- Overcoming nanocrystal blinking is achievable through various methods.
- The CdS-on-CdSe core approach is a viable strategy for non-blinking nanocrystals.
- Non-blinking nanocrystals are poised for advancements in optoelectronics, bio-imaging, and quantum information processing.
