Publication date: 21st July 2025
Colloidal indium phosphide (InP) quantum dots have emerged as the leading material for a wide range of commercial applications, particularly as bright luminescent colour converters in displays and lighting technologies. However, despite significant advances in InP-based nanocrystal synthesis and surface passivation, the community has yet to demonstrate robust optical gain under strong excitation conditions—a milestone routinely achieved with other quantum-dot materials. Here, we investigate the fundamental photophysical processes that limit the performance of state-of-the-art InP quantum dots as a gain medium. Using a multi-scale approach combining ensemble-based transient absorption and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy spanning femtoseconds to microseconds with single-dot fluorescence-lifetime measurements, we uncover an ultrafast hot-carrier trapping mechanism unique to InP systems. Following high-energy photoexcitation, hot electrons are captured by traps on sub-picosecond timescales, resulting in charge-carrier losses during cooling. This rapid channel significantly reduces the net population inversion and, consequently, the achievable optical gain. Intriguingly, this hot-carrier trapping delays but does not quench photoluminescence, consistent with the high brightness observed under low-intensity illumination. A comparative analysis with CdSe, lead–halide perovskite, and CuInS2 quantum dots highlights the distinct hot-carrier dynamics of InP and shows that trap engineering is a critical next step for future performance improvements in high-power applications.
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