Welcome to the Qiao Group
We develop the synthesis of colloidal quantum dots and study their photo-physical properties.
On-demand synthesis of colloidal quantum dots
Like a light bulb, quantum dots emit photons in all directions. Nanometer-scale photonic structures have been developed to collect and guide photons emitted by quantum dots to use them as single-photon emitters. In this case, quantum dots must be precisely integrated with the photonic structures with nanometer precision. We are interested in developing an alternative approach: on-demand growth of quantum dots at locations of interest. We will use cutting-edge microscopes to study these quantum dots at the single particle level.
Low-toxicity SWIR colloidal quantum dots
Colloidal quantum dots are promising candidates as active sensing materials to detect SWIR photons. These SWIR sensors can be integrated for LIDAR applications such as in automous driving. Using colloidal quantum dots can potentially reduce the cost of sensors in SWIR LIDAR. Current colloidal quantum dots for SWIR are limited by their photoluminescence quantum yield, especially at ~ 1500 nm. We are interested in studying why these quantum dots are not bright with optical spectroscopy. We will use what we learn from optical spectroscopy to improve or develop new synthesis strategies of SWIR colloidal quantum dots.
