(Keynote) Colloidal Quantum Shells: An Emerging Class of 2D Semiconductors

Low-dimensional colloidal semiconductors are inexpensive to process and offer a broad spectrum of attractive quantum-mechanical properties. The notorious problem of these nanostructures lies in their limited performance under high energetic loads, when more than one exciton per particle is created. Multiple excitons undergo fast Auger recombination, causing efficiently roll-off in energy-intensive applications, including high-brightness LEDs, X-ray scintillators, and solar cells. This presentation will discuss an emerging type of low-dimensional semiconductors, known as colloidal quantum shells that allow avoiding such multi-exciton (MX) energy losses. The geometry of quantum shells benefits from the spatial separation of multiple excitons, which leads to extraordinary improvements to MX lifetimes and MX quantum yield. We will compare quantum shells with other nanoscale geometries in three categories: Auger suppression, multi-exciton level structure, and solution-processed film conductivity, highlighting the potential benefits quantum shells can contribute to various applications. Theoretical analysis discussing the role of the quantum shell geometry in suppressing Auger recombination will also be presented.