Scientists uncover a process that stands in the way of making quantum dots brighter

Bright semiconductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots give QLED TV screens their vibrant colors. But attempts to increase the intensity of that light generate heat instead, reducing the quantum dots' light-producing efficiency. A new study by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory explains why, and the results have broad implications for developing future quantum and photonics technologies, in which light replaces electrons in computers and fluids in refrigerators.