Researchers Confine Quantum Dots with Sub-20nm Stability

Stable optical confinement of solution-based artificial atoms like colloidal quantum dots was previously hindered by weak forces and thermal fluctuations. Encapsulation within a transparent polymer matrix achieves stable spatial confinement of these nanoscale materials. Averaged position fluctuations were reduced to below twenty nanometres through this process; importantly, intrinsic emission spectra remained largely unaffected, preserving the CQD’s original properties whilst improving stability for future quantum-optical measurements. A method has been devised to steadily hold incredibly…