Plasmonic Effect on Exciton and Multiexciton Emission of Single Quantum Dots

Quantum dots are nanoscale quantum emitters with high quantum yield and size-dependent emission wavelength, holding promises in many optical and electronic applications. When quantum dots are situated close to noble metal nanoparticles, their emitting behavior can be conveniently tuned because of the interaction between the excitons of the quantum dots and the plasmons of the metal nanoparticles. This interaction at the single quantum dot level gives rise to reduced or suppressed photoluminescence blinking and enhanced multiexciton emission, which is difficult to achieve in isolated quantum dots. However, the mechanism of how plasmonic structures cause the changes in the quantum dot emission remains unclear. Because of the complexity of the system, the interfaces between metal, semiconductor, and ligands must be considered, in addition to factors such as geometry, interparticle distance, and spectral overlap. The challenges in the design and fabrication of the hybrid nanostructures as well as in understanding the exciton-plasmon coupling mechanism can be overcome by a cooperative effort in synthesis, optical spectroscopy, and theoretical modeling.