Models of semiconductor quantum dots blinking based on spectral diffusion

TL;DR

This paper compares three spectral diffusion models for quantum dot blinking and finds that only the Frantsuzov and Marcus model accurately reproduces observed emission fluctuation properties.

Contribution

The study analytically and numerically evaluates three models of quantum dot blinking, identifying the Frantsuzov and Marcus model as the only one matching experimental phenomena.

Findings

Only the Frantsuzov and Marcus model reproduces key blinking properties.

DCET and extended DCET models predict permanent states inconsistent with experiments.

The analysis clarifies which spectral diffusion models are valid for quantum dot blinking.

Abstract

Three models of single colloidal quantum dot emission fluctuations (blinking) based on spectral diffusion were considered analytically and numerically. It was shown that the only one of them, namely the Frantsuzov and Marcus model reproduces the key properties of the phenomenon. The other two models, the Diffusion-Controlled Electron Transfer (DCET) model and the Extended DCET model predict that after an initial blinking period, most of the QDs should become permanently bright or permanently dark which is significantly different from the experimentally observed behavior.