RESUMO
The authors have recently demonstrated the enhancement of the quantum dot laser modal gain, linearly scaling with the number of stacked QD layers. These results allowed the achievement of multi-quantum dot (MQD) lasers, the zero-dimensional counterpart of MQW lasers, with a modal gain as high as 42 cm(-1), in a seven-layer structure. A detailed investigation of the structural and optical properties was performed on laser structures with three, five and seven QD layers. Such an investigation clearly shows that the high uniformity of QD layer features is responsible for the linear increase of the modal gain and its high value.
RESUMO
Engineering the spectral properties of fluorophores, such as the enhancement of luminescence intensity, can be achieved through coupling with surface plasmons in metallic nanostructures. This process, referred to as metal-enhanced fluorescence, offers promise for a range of applications, including LEDs, sensor technology, microarrays and single-molecule studies. It becomes even more appealing when applied to colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, which exhibit size-dependent optical properties, have high photochemical stability, and are characterized by broad excitation spectra and narrow emission bands. Other approaches have relied upon the coupling of fluorophores (typically organic dyes) to random distributions of metallic nanoparticles or nanoscale roughness in metallic films. Here, we develop a new strategy based on the highly reproducible fabrication of ordered arrays of gold nanostructures coupled to CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals dispersed in a polymer blend. We demonstrate the possibility of obtaining precise control and a high spatial selectivity of the fluorescence enhancement process.
