Quantum Dot Lasers and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Quantum dot lasers used in fiber optic communications emerged from early work in the laboratory of Zhores Alferov, with key contributions by Alexei Ekimov, a Nobel laureate in chemistry in 2023. Sergei Ivanov, a Doctor of Physics and Mathematics and Director of the Ioffe Institute, discussed these findings with socialbites.ca.
In 2023, Mungi Bavendi, Louis Bruce, and Alexey Ekimov, researchers who conducted pioneering discovery and synthesis of quantum dots in the United States, were honored with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The Nobel Committee announced the award during the ceremony in Stockholm.
Alexey Ekimov first identified quantum dots when experimenting with stained glass. He observed that annealed transparent glass with added metals formed tiny structures whose size dictated color. These structures are so small that they follow quantum mechanical rules, meaning that altering their size and shape can dramatically change their properties. A liquid-based production method later emerged, enabling applications in biomedicine.
A second production method, already integrated into semiconductor technologies thanks to self-assembly, involves applying an additional thin layer to a semiconductor’s surface. Differences in material parameters create strain, causing the sprayed material to cluster. If these clusters are then overgrown with the underlying material, objects formed from one material sit within another, forming a layered, sandwich-like structure. Rather than a single thin layer, the surface comprises three atomic layers and islands with dimensions closely related to the electron mean free path. This approach has been applied to develop semiconductor lasers. Notably, the first quantum dot–based semiconductor lasers were created in the Zhores Alferov Physics and Technology laboratory, where Ekimov contributed early work.
Ongoing research into quantum dot lasers spans multiple regions, including Russia. The primary use remains telecommunications, where these lasers convert electrical signals into optical signals for transmission over fiber. Ivanov notes that the majority of communications, including the Internet, rely on fiberglass in the network. Beyond communications, quantum dots also serve as photon sources for optical quantum computers, supporting emerging quantum information technologies.
There are ongoing efforts to recognize and understand the work of the 2023 Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry and the broader implications for nanoscale laser technologies and their applications in communications and computation.