Photoinduced fluorescence enhancement in colloidal CdSeTe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots

Photoinduced fluorescence enhancement (PFE) in colloidal CdSeTe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) was investigated by monitoring ensemble fluorescence and single-QD fluorescence blinking behavior upon illumination. Ensemble fluorescence was increased in air and in vacuum with different enhanced factors. At the single-QD levels, fluorescence was also enhanced for some individual QDs. Relatively long on times, high quantum yields within the on times, and multilevel on states were found in fluorescence time traces. We suggest that the PFE origin from single-QD viewpoint is attributed to the contributions of surface passivation by photoinduced charged carriers and the formation of neutral core/charged shell QD states. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.