Quantum dots, a New World of Study

Emmanuel J. Chamorro Rivera 

In chemistry there are new discoveries, among them is the existence of quantum dots, they are semiconductor compounds too large to be atomic and too small to be colloids. These compounds are unique in their use, from optical wavelength change to sensitization of stable and high-speed lasers. For many scientists the study of these compounds is vital to discover new possibilities in many field of study. These are capable to change the color that they have when they are shot with an Ultraviolet light, the colors depend on the quantity of the particles in a given solution. As we may know from physics when light passes from one medium to another the characteristic of wavelength and speed change but never does the frequency, but what happens with the quantum dots? Because of their characteristics they can change which type of frequency they absorb, and which they leave untouched; a property that we have seen in the sleet experiments, but in a quantum scale, this causes the solution to change the color, in other words, the frequency, leaving the wavelength intact. This causes the brightness of the color to be the same but the color to be different. 

Now many would think that this is unimportant to fields like physics, but if we were to analyze what it means to be able to chose a wavelength and maintain it through a medium, means that we could break the principle that the frequency may not be changed. As many know the frequency is one of the properties of light that remains constant, but quantum dots can change this. This means being able to build a laser that can emit the wavelength in a stable manner, chosen by the scientist. The only thing to be change is the array of quantum dots used to change the wavelength. Why is this important in physics? This means that if a laser with incredibly high energy, a respective quantum dot can be used to manipulate the levels of energy when changing the wavelength. This small particles act as wavelength manipulators, because it is easy to change the wavelength by only changing the quantity and array of quantum dots. 

The characteristics that make this effect of quantum dots possible have to do with something physics study, charges and electric fields. It is well known that atoms have both positive and negative charges; a quantum dot has an array of two elements bonded into each other. The electrostatic forces between them cause many sub-atomic particles to move, and to cause partial charges from time to time. When more quantum dots are added, they interact because of the partial charges, then the particles arrange themselves in different patterns, these patters change the properties of light entering this medium.

In science discoveries are found every day, these discoveries may change our perspective of how the world works. Quantum dots have created a new field to be studied; many are trying to discover the hidden potential of these particles. Even small particles can create change, and worlds to be discovered.