Temperature effects on emission of quantum dots embedded in polymethylmethacrylate

We successfully used CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as a dopant within a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrix. This doped material was used in the fabrication of a microstructured polymer optical fiber whose photoluminescence was characterized. A detailed analysis of the emission properties of the QDs as a function of temperature is presented, with the temperature dependence of this emission broken into components to show contributions from the thermo-optic effect of the PMMA and the temperature-dependence of the bandgap of the QDs. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America