Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductor physical systems in which charge carriers are confined in all three spatial dimensions, leading to discrete, atom-like energy levels and size-tunable optical and electronic properties. Their behavior is governed by quantum confinement, Coulomb interactions, and surface states, and is typically modeled using effective-mass, k·p, or tight-binding approaches. Quantum dots can be formed via colloidal synthesis, epitaxial self-assembly, or lithographic patterning, and exhibit phenomena such as single-photon emission, fluorescence intermittency, and Coulomb blockade. They serve as platforms for investigating coherent control, exciton dynamics, spin qubits, and engineered light–matter interactions in optoelectronic and quantum information devices.
Quantum technologies from ultrasensitive sensors to next-generation information processors depend on the ability of quantum bits, or qubits, to maintain their delicate quantum states for a sufficiently long time to be useful.
Condensed Matter
Dec 8, 2025
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An international research team involving Paderborn University has achieved a crucial breakthrough on the road to a quantum internet. For the first time ever, the polarization state of a single photon emitted from a quantum ...
Optics & Photonics
Dec 2, 2025
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460
Quantum computers have the potential to solve certain calculations exponentially faster than a classic computer could, but more research is desperately needed to make their practical use a reality. Quantum computers use a ...
Condensed Matter
Nov 14, 2025
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An international team of scientists from three continents led by Dr. Petr Cígler of IOCB Prague has developed a method for creating light-emitting quantum centers in nanodiamonds in only a matter of minutes. In just one week, ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 29, 2025
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127
University of Queensland researchers have created a microscopic "ocean" on a silicon chip to miniaturize the study of wave dynamics. The device, made at UQ's School of Mathematics and Physics, uses a layer of superfluid helium ...
Soft Matter
Oct 23, 2025
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128
A team of scientists has found a way to slow energy leaks that have impeded the use of tiny nanocrystals in light-driven chemical and energy applications.
Nanomaterials
Oct 23, 2025
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57
Photoinduced electron/energy transfer reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization enables precise light-controlled polymer growth. Traditional near-infrared strategies often rely on nonlinear ...
Nanomaterials
Oct 15, 2025
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19
From computer chips to quantum dots—technological platforms were only made possible thanks to a detailed understanding of the used solid-state materials, such as silicon or more complex semiconductor materials. This understanding ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 7, 2025
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Quantum technologies are systems that can compute data, sense their surrounding environment or perform other functions leveraging quantum mechanical effects. Connecting these technologies over long distances has so far proved ...
Manufacturers of infrared cameras face a growing problem: The toxic heavy metals in today's infrared detectors are increasingly banned under environmental regulations, forcing companies to choose between performance and compliance.
Nanophysics
Sep 22, 2025
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