About the project
The University of Southampton is expanding its PhD research in the area of Quantum Technology Engineering. In addition to the research project outlined below you will receive substantial training in scientific, technical, and commercial skills.
Colloidal quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals that sit in between molecular and bulk materials. Their small size (typically <10 nm in diameter) are comparable to the material’s Bohr radius, leading to quantum confinement of excitons and size- and composition-tunable optoelectronic properties. Compared to other quantum-confined nanostructures (e.g. epitaxial quantum dots, wires or wells) they have the advantage of being solution-processable, which makes them well suited for mass production of devices.
In this project you will look at methods for efficiently producing device-quality quantum dots ready for making the quantum technology devices of the future. In particular, you will look at combining flow reactors with inline optical analysis methods and computer control, taking advantage of recent developments in reactor technology and algorithms to control reactions and explore reaction parameter space. You will autonomous reactors that can continuously produce high quality quantum dots, monitor the quality of them as they are produced, and independently determine optimum reaction parameters.
