Quantum dots and wells

[Adam]

Hello all, question time.

Could someone please tell me about quantum dots and wells? Basics, details, maths, whatever you've got.

Thanks.

[eNtRopY]

Quantum dots are the perfect testbench for testing the laws of quantum mechanics. Because they are essentially engineered quantum wells, they have the properties of artificial atoms.

There are many applications for quantum dots. A few of the more popular applications include: single electron transistors, lasers, and fluorescent bio-labels.

If you want to look at some rough equations which govern the behavior of quantum dots, just open an elementary text book on quantum mechanics and look at some of the basic well structures... like the classic one-dimensional finite well or the classic square-dependent quantum harmonic oscillator potential. It just depends on how good of an approximation you want.

eNtRopY