'Quantum Confined Atom' in Rare-Earth Doped Wide Gap Materials

摘要

We report how the optical transitions associated with localized levels of a single rare-earth impurity can be modulated by confinement in 2 to 7nm size nanocrystals. The photoluminescent and photoluminescent-excitation measurements along with optical studies on individual nanocrystals confirm that we are dealing with a single quantum-confined-atom within a nanocrystalline host. The size-dependent confinement imposed by nanocrystals on a single atomic-ion yield highly efficient luminescent doped nanocrystals that are expected to impact many products within the next five years.