Emission Properties of Quantum Dots in a Levitated Microdrop

Spherical microcavities doped with semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs) have been extensively studied for their fundamental optical properties and for their potential in application such as biolabeling and telecommunications. The spherical microcavities provide a strong 3-dimensional resonant feedback system with a high Q and small mode volume. QDs have tunable emission properties and high quantum yields. To date, most studies focused on solid microcavites layered with QDs to exploit enhanced Raman scattering, lasing, and modified emission lifetimes. This paper reports on the optical properties of CdTe QDs doped in a liquid droplet and levitated in an electrodynamical trap. Since the droplet surface is perfectly smooth, lower scattering losses is anticipated as compared to previous measurements with solid particles, which could lead to enhanced resonant effects.