Last year the Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded for the discovery and synthesis of colloidal Quantum Dots (QDs). These solution processable semiconductor nanocrystals with highly efficient, narrowband and size-tunable light emission have attracted strong industry interest for use in displays, photodetection and lighting, and have driven many fundamental discoveries in the chemical synthesis and physical properties of colloidal nanomaterials.
Being awarded the Nobel prize can be a blessing or a curse for a scientific field. Indeed, two opposite types of questions asked after The Prize are:
(1) is the field of QDs now mature and complete?
(2) what exciting new possibilities await QDs?
In this symposium we will discuss the role and development of QDs beyond the Nobel prize. Experts will discuss new but imminent commercial applications of QDs in infrared photodetection, the development of colloidal nanomaterials of new compositions and geometries, and new emerging applications of QDs in for instance quantum technology. We will end with a panel discussion on the future of QD research, identifying needs and opportunities in this field and providing advice for the next generation of researchers with an interest in this topic.
