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Excitons in nanoscale systems

Nature Materials volume 5, pages 683–696 (2006)Cite this article

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 14 September 2006

Abstract

Nanoscale systems are forecast to be a means of integrating desirable attributes of molecular and bulk regimes into easily processed materials. Notable examples include plastic light-emitting devices and organic solar cells, the operation of which hinge on the formation of electronic excited states, excitons, in complex nanostructured materials. The spectroscopy of nanoscale materials reveals details of their collective excited states, characterized by atoms or molecules working together to capture and redistribute excitation. What is special about excitons in nanometre-sized materials? Here we present a cross-disciplinary review of the essential characteristics of excitons in nanoscience. Topics covered include confinement effects, localization versus delocalization, exciton binding energy, exchange interactions and exciton fine structure, exciton–vibration coupling and dynamics of excitons. Important examples are presented in a commentary that overviews the present understanding of excitons in quantum dots, conjugated polymers, carbon nanotubes and photosynthetic light-harvesting antenna complexes.

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Figure 1: Excitons in nanoscale systems.
Figure 2: Frenkel excitons in photosynthesis.
Figure 3: Excitons in single-wall carbon nanotubes.
Figure 4: Colloidal CdSe quantum dots.
Figure 5: Size dependence of exciton transition energies.
Figure 6: Size dependence of exchange interactions.
Figure 7: Conformational subunits of conjugated polymers.

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Acknowledgements

G.D.S. thanks G. J. Wilson for introducing him to excitons. He acknowledges funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the A. P. Sloan Foundation. G.R. acknowledges funding through the Photochemistry and Radiation research program of the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences (DoE contract DE-AC36-99G010337).

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  1. Department of Chemistry 80 St George Street, Institute for Optical Sciences, and Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3H6, Ontario, Canada

    Gregory D. Scholes

  2. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Chemical and Biosciences Center, MS3216, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, 80401-3393, Colorado, USA

    Garry Rumbles

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Scholes, G., Rumbles, G. Excitons in nanoscale systems. Nature Mater 5, 683–696 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1710

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