Publication date: 15th May 2025
Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals are excellent platforms to host point defects that serve as spin-light interfaces for emerging quantum technologies. Here, we present a synthetic strategy for the precise incorporation of copper (Cu) dopants into zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanocrystals to create red-emitting CuZn-VS (R-Cu) quantum defects, targeting the regime of single-defect occupancy. By growing ZnS shells over Cu-doped ZnS cores, we achieve enhancements in the photophysical properties of the CuZn-VS defects, including increased emission intensity and prolonged lifetimes. Systematic variation of the overgrowth thickness enables a mechanistic investigation of Cu incorporation and migration dynamics within the nanocrystals, described using semi-empirical rate equations. These findings establish a foundation for rational design of dopant-defect architectures in colloidal nanomaterials and highlight their potential for defect-based quantum information applications.