title: Quantum Zeno effect rationalizes the phonon bottleneck in semiconductor quantum dots.
abstract: Quantum confinement can dramatically slow down electron-phonon relaxation in nanoclusters. Known as the phonon bottleneck, the effect remains elusive. Using a state-of-the-art time-domain ab initio approach, we model the observed bottleneck in CdSe quantum dots and show that it occurs under quantum Zeno conditions. Decoherence in the electronic subsystem, induced by elastic electron-phonon scattering, should be significantly faster than inelastic scattering. Achieved with multiphonon relaxation, the phonon bottleneck is broken by Auger processes and structural defects, rationalizing experimental difficulties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58108, USA.
authors.forename: Svetlana V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kilina
authors.forename: Amanda J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Neukirch
authors.forename: Bradley F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Habenicht
authors.forename: Dmitri S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kilin
authors.forename: Oleg V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Prezhdo
mesh_terms: D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D060739:Phonons; D045663:Quantum Dots; D011789:Quantum Theory; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D012666:Semiconductors
chemical_list: D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D018036:Selenium Compounds; C058667:cadmium selenide