Room Temperature Collective Blinking and Photon Bunching from CsPbBr3 Quantum Dot Superlattice

TL;DR

This study demonstrates room-temperature collective blinking and photon bunching in CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dot superlattices, revealing their potential for scalable quantum photonic applications.

Contribution

It reports the first observation of collective blinking and photon bunching in perovskite QD superlattices at ambient conditions, highlighting long-range exciton migration and cascade emission mechanisms.

Findings

Photon bunching degree up to 2.75 observed.

Superlattices exhibit longer PL lifetime than individual QDs.

Photon emission is spatially confined to nanometer regions.

Abstract

Development of quantum light sources and search for quantum systems capable of supporting collective many-body states are crucial for further progress of modern quantum technologies. Metal halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as a promising candidate for quantum light sources, as individual QDs are reliable single photon emitters even at room temperature. However, photon bunching, a key signature of collective many-body states, has been so far largely observed at cryogenic temperatures in perovskite materials, limiting their applications under ambient conditions. Here, we report the observation of collective blinking and photon bunching in perovskite QD superlattices at room temperature. Sub-wavelength-sized (100 - 500 nm) CsPbBr3 QD superlattices, fabricated via a self-assembly process, exhibit an unusual two-level blinking behavior similar to that of single QDs, and demonstrate photon bunching with a degree of up to 2.75. Time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements and super-resolution imaging reveal that the superlattices have a significantly longer PL lifetime than individual QDs and that their emission is spatially confined to regions tens of nanometers in size. These observations suggest long-range exciton migration to a localized energy trap within the superlattice. Excitation power dependent degree of bunching and analysis of the bunching dynamics indicate that the photon bunching originates from exciton-biexciton cascade emission, a key mechanism for generating entangled photons. These findings establish perovskite QD superlattices as a promising platform for room-temperature collective optical phenomena and quantum light generation, advancing scalable quantum photonic technologies.