Fluorescence Intermittency of A Single Quantum System and Anderson Localization

TL;DR

This paper proposes that fluorescence intermittency in quantum dots and molecules results from Anderson localization, with distinct statistical behaviors in localized versus delocalized regimes, revealing universal patterns across systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel interpretation of fluorescence intermittency as a manifestation of Anderson localization, providing a unified explanation for observed power-law distributions in QD/SM systems.

Findings

On-time distributions differ between localized and delocalized regimes.

Distributions are universal when properly scaled across systems.

Power-law exponents range from -2 to 0 in delocalized regimes.

Abstract

The nature of fluorescence intermittency for semiconductor quantum dots (QD) and single molecules (SM) is proposed as a manifestation of Anderson localization. The power law like distribution for the \emph{on} time is explained as due to the interaction between QD/SM with a random environment. In particular, we find that the \emph{on}-time probability distribution behaves differently in localized and delocalized regimes. They, when properly scaled, are \emph{universal} for different QD/SM systems. The \emph{on}-time probability distribution function in the delocalized QD/SM regime can be approximated by power laws with exponents covering $-2\le m <0$. QD/SM switches to a dark (\emph{off}) state when a charge of QD/SM hops into the trap states, which becomes localized after stabilization by the surrounding matrix.