Volume 10 Issue 12, December 2015

We consider the potential of colloidal quantum dot solids for optoelectronic applications.

Although research into colloidal quantum dots has led to promising results for the realization of photovoltaic devices, a better understanding of the robustness and stability of these devices is necessary before commercial competiveness can be claimed.

The electronic, chemical and mechanical properties of quantum dot structures may lead to thermoelectric devices with a range of advantages with respect to existing ones based on bulk polycrystalline materials.

Synthesis of semiconductor colloidal quantum dots by low-cost, solution-based methods has produced an abundance of basic science. Can these materials be transformed to high-performance light emitters to disrupt established photonics technologies, particularly semiconductor lasers?

Andrew D. Maynard considers the challenges of ensuring the responsible development and use of converging technologies.

An electrical read-out mechanism for magnetic skyrmions that does not require spin-polarized currents could facilitate the use of these small magnetic states in memory devices.

An optical rectenna made of a forest of multiwalled carbon nanotubes shows potential for direct conversion of light into d.c. electricity.

Randomly assembled nanoparticle networks can compute two-input Boolean functions by exploiting evolution-based computing algorithms.

This Review discusses the advances in synthesis, assembly, ligand treatments and doping that have enabled the fabrication of high-mobility quantum dot solids.

A metal–insulator–metal architecture in which one metal is replaced by vertically aligned carbon nanotube antennae is used to convert light into direct current.

Infrared radiation is converted into direct electric current using a nanoantenna-coupled diode architecture.

Individual skyrmions in a PdFe atomic bilayer on Ir can be detected by all-electrical means using a non-spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscope tip.

Angle-resolved photoemission measurements of electron-doped layers of tungsten diselenide reveal signatures of negative electronic compressibility that survive to much higher carrier densities than in conventional 2D electron gases.

The artificial evolution of the electrical properties of a disordered system of nanoparticles acting as single-electron transistors allows the realization of reconfigurable logic operations.

Isolated sub-2 nm nanopores in graphene exhibit diverse transport behaviours that are reminiscent of biological ion channels and arise from electrostatic and hydration interactions between ions and the pores.

Efficient conversion of electrical current to photon emission can be acheived in a tunnelling device coupled to a nanostructured optical antenna.

By combining optical trapping with three-dimensional interferometric particle tracking it is possible to achieve non-contact imaging with resolution beyond the diffraction limit.

Single nucleotides can be identified with atomically thin MoS₂ nanopores by regulating molecular translocation speeds using a viscosity gradient system based on room-temperature ionic liquids.

Lightweight, flexible and strong fibre actuators that respond to solvents and vapours are made by twisting together several well-aligned helical fibres of multiwalled carbon nanotubes.

Drawing a clear and compelling figure is vital in science communication, so Karen Cheng and Marco Rolandi set up a help desk for scientists and engineers to consult with design students.

Colloidal quantum dots are often referred to as artificial atoms, primarily because of their atom-like electron energy spectrum. Like atoms, they can form ordered structures that are commonly referred to as quantum dot solids. In this focus we provide an overview of the electronic properties of quantum dot solids. In particular, we explore the developments that have led to the observation of high electron mobility, and the challenges and opportunities for the incorporation of quantum dot solids in optoelectronic devices.