Lead Sulfide Quantum Dot Synthesis
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Overview
Quantum dots are semiconductor structures on the scale of a few nanometers. At this size quantum effects dominate and the electrons are confined to narrow energy levels determined by the size of the particle. This means that the absorption wavelength the light can be fine-tuned and that quantum dots can be used to adjust the bandgap of the materials they are associated with. Quantum dots being explored for use in photovoltaics and in signal processing.
Significance
Quantum dots can be used increase the efficiency of solar cells by tapping different portions of the spectrum and by increasing the number of excitons that be formed per photon, resulting in higher quantum efficiency.