Faster colloidal fluorescence emitters: Nanoplatelets
(PhysOrg.com) -- Significant advances in the application of colloidal structures as light emitters and lasers may soon be realized following the discovery of very fast fluorescence emission rates in colloidal nanoplatelets. These nanoplatelets combine the best characteristics of two domains: the wide tunability of the absorption and photoluminescence of nanocrystals and the short decay time of excitons in quantum wells. This discovery, which was announced by scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory and Laboratoire de Physique et d'Etude des Matéiaux, UMR8213 du CNRS, ESPCI, suggests that the nanoplatelets are an important, novel material for constructing tunable light-emitting diodes, low-threshold lasers, and photo-voltaic solar cells. The complete findings of the study are published on line in the October 23, 2011, issue of the journal Nature Materials.