Photophysics of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals: A review

The diverse optical properties of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, including the linear and non-linear aspects of systems ranging from bulk-like to quantum confined, have been a topic of intense investigation for more than twenty years. However, many of the fundamental issues in these materials remain unresolved. Understanding these issues is key to their future use since the direct interrelation between their synthetically controllable size and shape and their physical properties make these systems ideal candidates for the development of designed materials.