Keeping the photon in the dark: A new method for full control of quantum dots

Excitons—bound pairs of electrons and an electron hole—are quasiparticles that can arise in solids. While so-called “bright” excitons emit light and are therefore accessible, dark excitons are optically inactive. As a result, they have a significantly longer lifetime—which makes them ideal for storing and controlling quantum states and using them for advanced methods to generate

Studies offer new insights into production and structure of heavy hollow atoms

Hollow atoms are special atoms with multiple missing electrons in their inner shells, while their outer shells are still fully or partially filled with electrons. Studying the production mechanisms, internal structure, and de-excitation properties of these excited-state atoms provides insights into quantum electrodynamics and quantum many-body interactions, with applications in fields such as inner-shell ionization