Semi-analytical numerical analysis of the core-size and electric-field intensity dependency of the light emission wavelength of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

Abstract

I performed a semi-analytical numerical analysis of the effects of core size and electric field intensity on the light emission wavelength of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs). The analysis used a quantum mechanical approach; I solved the Schrödinger equation describing the electron-hole pairs of QDs. The numerical solutions are described using a basis set composed of the eigenstates of the Schrödinger equation; they are thus equivalent to analytical solutions. This semi-analytical numerical method made it simple and reliable to evaluate the dependency of QD characteristics on the QD core size and electric field intensity. As the QD core diameter changed from 9.9 to 2.5 nm, the light emission wavelength of CdSe core-only QDs varied from 262.9 to 643.8 nm, and that of CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs from 279.9 to 697.2 nm. On application of an electric field of 8×〖10〗^5 V⁄cm, the emission wavelengths of green-emitting CdSe and CdSe/ZnS QDs increased by 7.7 and 3.8 nm, respectively. This semi-analytical numerical analysis will aid the choice of QD size and material, and promote the development of improved QD light-emitting devices.