The Technology
Superfluorescence (or superradiance) refers to the emission of a collective burst of photons from densely packed emitters with long coherence times and narrow energy spectra. This phenomenon arises when emitters are coupled and correlated through the electromagnetic field. However, it is exclusively triggered with photons, thus it is constrained by the spatial resolution of the experimental probe, which is limited by the wavelength of the laser excitation. Additionally, optical excitation is restricted to a frequency range that must precisely match the emitter’s energy transition.
The ability to correlate individual emitters to emit superradiant coherent light with nanometer resolution was shown using an electron beam pulse. An ensemble of closely packed quantum dots was excited, achieving superradiance. Superradiance cathodoluminescence microscopy can be finely tuned by adjusting parameters such as beam size, energy, and the number of electrons per pulse in an ultrafast cathodoluminescence scanning electron microscope (SEM), in conjunction with a well-defined sample like quantum dot superlattices. The spatial resolution of this microscopy technique is determined by the size of the quantum dots, ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometers.
The nanoparticles emitters can be used as colorants for biological and other samples. Due to the strong response of quantum dots to electron beam excitation, the emitters allow high-resolution measurements of sensitive samples without causing significant damage. .
Advantages
- High resolution with low energy probing
- High resolution
Applications and Opportunities
- High resolution microscopy at low energy for biological and other sensitive samples
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