On the spectral emission of MBBA embedded CdTe quantum dots

Liquid crystals are essential in many diverse applications such as displays, sensors, or advanced composites given their highly versatile optical properties, which are augmented by fluidity. Previous research demonstrated that integrating quantum dots (QDs) into liquid crystals significantly improves their electro-optical properties, enabling the development of highly efficient tunable devices. In this study, we investigate, for the first time, to our knowledge, the emission spectra of COOH functionalized CdTe-QDs in N-(4-Methoxybenzylidene)-4-butylaniline (MBBA), a nematic liquid crystal, which is relevant for potential applications in electro-optical devices. We observed a shift of the QDs maximum emission spectra towards lower wavelengths in the nematic phase of MBBA, accompanied by a significant broadening, that we demonstrate with spectrally-resolved Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy measurements.