The physics of Mn emission in nanocrystals is one of the most intriguing emissions and its origin has been debated for several decades. Being a spin and orbital forbidden excitation, its intensity has befuddled many researchers. However, this intense emission also gives rise to several interesting properties, especially upon understanding the mechanism of excitation and emission, and is hence the subject topic of discussion even in recent literature, specifically in the context to storing the spin information.

In this seminar, Ranjani Viswanatha will discuss the various anomalous manifestations of the optical properties of Mn emission, like polarized emission, extensive back transfer. Although the hosts were initially thought to be non-consequential, we demonstrate that the host indirectly plays a critical role in the emission. Thus, with the introduction of Mn in perovskites, they have given a whole new dimension that is previously not observed in II-VI semiconductor quantum dots. We further discuss the origin of these anomalous properties and thus can be utilized in several devices, specifically playing a key role in quantum computing.

Dr Ranjani Viswanatha is an associate professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore, India. She graduated from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, with MS and PhD degrees. After several postdoctoral stints at the University of Arkansas, US, and Los Alamos National Lab, she joined JNCASR as an assistant professor. Dr Viswanatha’s research interests include optical, magnetic, magneto-optical, and electronic structure studies of nanocrystals with an emphasis on II-VI semiconductors and perovskite nanomaterials. Her research has been published and cited in international journals, and she holds several patents in the field. She is a member of the editorial advisory board of ChemPhotoChem. Her work has been recognized through several awards and honours.