Autocorrelation Analysis for the Unbiased Determination of Power-Law Exponents in Single-Quantum-Dot Blinking

• DOI: 10.1021/nn506598t
• Publication Date: 2014-12-30T15:41:10Z
• Authors: Julien Houel; Quang T. Doan; Thomas Cajgfinger; Gilles Ledoux; David Amans; Antoine Aubret; Agnès Dominjon; Sylvain Ferriol; Rémi Barbier; Michel Nasilowski; Emmanuel Lhuillier; Benoît Dubertret; Christophe Dujardin; Florian Kulzer
• Keywords: Chemical Physics (physics.chem-ph); Physics - Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability; Physics - Chemical Physics; [SPI.OPTI]Engineering Sciences [physics]/Optics / Photonic; FOS: Physical sciences; 612; 02 engineering and technology; [PHYS.COND]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]; 0210 nano-technology; Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability (physics.data-an)

We present an unbiased and robust analysis method for power-law blinking statistics in the photoluminescence of single nano-emitters, allowing us to extract both bright- dark-state exponents from emitters' intensity autocorrelation functions. As opposed widely-used threshold method, our technique therefore does not require discriminating emission levels bright dark states experimental timetraces. rely on simultaneous recording 450 timetraces CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots at a frame rate 250 Hz with photon sensitivity. Under these conditions, approach can determine ON OFF precision 3% comparison numerical simulations, even shot-noise-dominated signals average below 1 per dot. These capabilities pave way unbiased, threshold-free determination micro-second timescale.