Enhanced Valley Splitting of Exciton Emission in Colloidal PbSe Quantum Dots When the Interdot Distance Coincides with Onset of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer

Photoluminescence (PL) emission of colloidal PbSe/CdSe core/shell quantum dots (QDs, CdSe shell thickness: 0.2 nm) at the lowest exciton state was investigated at room temperature and varying inter-QD distance (L = 7–240 nm) by changing the QD concentration. A distinct enhancement of the valley splitting of PbSe QDs was observed upon reducing L. Simultaneously, there was a redshift in the emission due to Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), when the L value was still sufficiently large (7 nm ≤ L ≤ 50 nm) so that the wave functions of different QDs do not overlap. The enhanced valley splitting under no apparent external field is quite interesting as a method to control the valley splitting. The electronic coupling leading to FRET may enhance the valley splitting, because it occurs in an identical range of L.