Local refractive index probed via the fluorescence decay of semiconductor quantum dots

• DOI: 10.1364/oe.20.003200
• Publication Date: 2012-01-26T19:00:51Z
• Authors: Anne Pillonnet; Pierre Fleury; Alexey I. Chizhik; Anna M. Chizhik; David Amans; Gilles Ledoux; Florian Kulzer; Alfred J. Meixner; Christophe Dujardin
• Keywords: Refractometry; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Semiconductors; Luminescent Measurements; Materials Testing; Quantum Dots; 0103 physical sciences; [PHYS.COND]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]; 01 natural sciences; Algorithms

We present a novel approach for convenient tuning of the local refractive index around nanostructures. We apply this technique to study the influence of the local refractive index on the radiative decay time of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots with three distinct emission wavelengths. The dependence of the luminescence decay time on the environment is well described by an effective medium approach. A critical distance of about 80 nm is found for the determination of the effective local index of refraction. An estimation for the emitting-state quantum efficiency can be extracted.