Synchronous Photoluminescence Intermittency (Blinking) along Whole Semiconductor Quantum Wires

Photoluminescence microscopy studies have detected synchronous-photoluminescence-intensity fluctuations along entire cadmium selenide quantum wires under continuous illumination. While similar photoluminescence blinking has been reported previously for semiconductor quantum dots and rods, the observation of synchronous blinking spanning the entire length of quantum wires, with diameters ≈9 nm and lengths >5 μm, is remarkable. We propose a mechanism to account for the synchronous blinking that is based on a dynamic, photolytic filling of surface-trap sites.