2025-03-24 アルゴンヌ国立研究所（ANL）
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.anl.gov/article/building-blocks-of-innovation-lightinduced-symmetry-changes-in-tiny-crystals
- https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.202414196
光励起量子ドットにおける超高速対称性制御 Ultrafast Symmetry Control in Photoexcited Quantum Dots
Burak Guzelturk, Joshua Portner, Justin Ondry, Samira Ghanbarzadeh, Mia Tarantola, Ahhyun Jeong, Thomas Field, Alicia M. Chandler, Eliza Wieman, Thomas R. Hopper, Nicolas E. Watkins …
Advanced Materials Published: 25 November 2024
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202414196
Abstract
Symmetry control is essential for realizing unconventional properties, such as ferroelectricity, nonlinear optical responses, and complex topological order, thus it holds promise for the design of emerging quantum and photonic systems. Nevertheless, fast and reversible control of symmetry in materials remains a challenge, especially for nanoscale systems. Here, reversible symmetry changes are unveiled in colloidal lead chalcogenide quantum dots on picosecond timescales. Using a combination of ultrafast electron diffraction and total X-ray scattering, in conjunction with atomic-scale structural modeling and first-principles calculations, it is revealed that symmetry-broken lead sulfide quantum dots restore to a centrosymmetric phase upon photoexcitation. The symmetry restoration is driven by photoexcited electronic carriers, which suppress lead off-centering for about 100 ps. Furthermore, the change in symmetry is closely correlated with the electronic properties, and the bandgap transiently red-shifts in the symmetry-restored quantum dots. Overall, this study elucidates reversible symmetry changes in colloidal quantum dots, and more broadly defines a new methodology to optically control symmetry in nanoscale systems on ultrafast timescales.
