Controlling the shell growth mechanism and interfacial oxidation of InAs/ZnSe quantum dots for shortwave infrared emission
Abstract
Short-wave infrared (SWIR) emitters underpin applications in communication, imaging and sensing, yet efficient, scalable devices remain limited. Colloidal InAs quantum dots (InAs CQDs) offer a compelling, cost-effective alternative to conventional epitaxial SWIR light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, developing heavy-metal-free InAs CQDs for emission beyond 1400 nm is hindered by lattice mismatch during core/shell growth, which degrades photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Furthermore, integrating CQDs into LEDs often introduces severe interfacial quenching and intrinsic charge imbalances. Here we report a highly efficient heavy-metal-free SWIR LED operating at 1525 nm, enabled by tailored injection strategies and oxidation-induced interfacial engineering. Optimized high-temperature ZnCl₂ treatment and continuous precursor injection improve shell nucleation and growth, while controlled interfacial oxidation is associated with reduced shell-thickness-dependent strain signatures and improved PLQY retention during shell thickening. Together, these strategies yield measured PLQYs exceeding 55% for emission beyond 1400 nm. Moreover, we demonstrate that incorporating a semiconducting InAs CQD interlayer effectively suppresses interfacial quenching and regulates electron over-injection. Combined with a doped hole-transport layer to reduce series resistance, our optimized devices achieve a maximum external quantum efficiency of 3.5% and a record radiance of ~17 W sr ⁻¹ m ⁻² , alongside a T50 operational lifetime of 16 h. Our findings suggest that integrating mechanism-driven shell growth with rational device engineering offers a strategy to overcome current bottlenecks in colloidal emitters, facilitating the transition toward short-wave infrared applications.
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BibTeX
@article{kim2026controlling,
title = {{Controlling the shell growth mechanism and interfacial oxidation of InAs/ZnSe quantum dots for shortwave infrared emission}},
author = {Taewan Kim and Manuela De Franco and Miguel Dosil and Jae Taek Oh and Rajesh Bera and Marta Martos Valverde and Gaurav Kumar and Gerasimos Konstantatos},
journal = {Nature Communications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-77896-0},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-77896-0},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Controlling the shell growth mechanism and interfacial oxidation of InAs/ZnSe quantum dots for shortwave infrared emission
AU - Taewan Kim
AU - Manuela De Franco
AU - Miguel Dosil
AU - Jae Taek Oh
AU - Rajesh Bera
AU - Marta Martos Valverde
AU - Gaurav Kumar
AU - Gerasimos Konstantatos
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Nature Communications
DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-77896-0
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-77896-0
AB - Short-wave infrared (SWIR) emitters underpin applications in communication, imaging and sensing, yet efficient, scalable devices remain limited. Colloidal InAs quantum dots (InAs CQDs) offer a compelling, cost-effective alternative to conventional epitaxial SWIR light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, developing heavy-metal-free InAs CQDs for emission beyond 1400 nm is hindered by lattice mismatch during core/shell growth, which degrades photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Furthermore, integrating CQDs into LEDs often introduces severe interfacial quenching and intrinsic charge imbalances. Here we report a highly efficient heavy-metal-free SWIR LED operating at 1525 nm, enabled by tailored injection strategies and oxidation-induced interfacial engineering. Optimized high-temperature ZnCl₂ treatment and continuous precursor injection improve shell nucleation and growth, while controlled interfacial oxidation is associated with reduced shell-thickness-dependent strain signatures and improved PLQY retention during shell thickening. Together, these strategies yield measured PLQYs exceeding 55% for emission beyond 1400 nm. Moreover, we demonstrate that incorporating a semiconducting InAs CQD interlayer effectively suppresses interfacial quenching and regulates electron over-injection. Combined with a doped hole-transport layer to reduce series resistance, our optimized devices achieve a maximum external quantum efficiency of 3.5% and a record radiance of ~17 W sr ⁻¹ m ⁻² , alongside a T50 operational lifetime of 16 h. Our findings suggest that integrating mechanism-driven shell growth with rational device engineering offers a strategy to overcome current bottlenecks in colloidal emitters, facilitating the transition toward short-wave infrared applications.
SN - 2041-1723
ER -