Universal statistics of nanocrystal photoluminescence

Universal statistics of nanocrystal photoluminescence | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Universal statistics of nanocrystal photoluminescence Alexander Urban, Leo Luber, Daphne Benedikt, Andreas Singldinger This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8603272/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Asymmetric photoluminescence (PL) lineshapes are a ubiquitous and defining feature of semiconductor nanocrystal ensembles, yet their microscopic origin has remained unresolved for decades. Here we show that ensemble PL can be quantitatively described by three statistically independent contributions: a Gaussian component encoding size dispersion, an exponential high-energy wing reflecting a Boltzmann-distributed exciton population, and a low-energy tail governed by exciton-phonon coupling and radiative recombination from disorder-localized states. This minimal formulation yields a generalized Gaussian asymmetric Laplace (GaLa) lineshape that accurately reproduces PL spectra across materials, morphologies, and temperatures. In the strongly confined two-dimensional limit, the low-energy wing transitions to a Lorentzian form, indicating the onset of a distinct exciton-phonon interaction regime captured by a second member of the same statistical family (GaLx). The parameters extracted from GaLa and GaLx provide direct, quantitative access to exciton thermodynamics and intrinsic energetic disorder from a single steady-state measurement. Together, these results establish a unifying statistical framework that reproduces the full ensemble PL lineshape from the strongly confined to the bulk-like limit, enabling predictive materials diagnostics and emission engineering across quantum-emitter platforms. Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed-matter physics/Electronic properties and materials Physical sciences/Materials science/Nanoscale materials/Electronic properties and materials Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical materials and structures/Nanoparticles Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology/Nanoscale materials/Quantum dots Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical techniques/Optical spectroscopy/Fluorescence spectroscopy photoluminescence lineshape exciton statistics nanocrystal ensembles perovskite quantum dots size dispersion disorder Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files LuberSI.pdf Supplementary Information for: Universal statistics of nanocrystal photoluminescence Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8603272","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":575047644,"identity":"af21bd1a-6660-426c-ad23-282f601efdfc","order_by":0,"name":"Alexander Urban","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAlElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACHiCusACxDEjRckaCVC2MbaRoMbh99uDnwnkS0QYHmDc+IE7Lubxk6ZnbJHI3HGArJs4agzM8BtK8YC08ZhLEajH+zTsHrMX8B7FazKR5GyC2EKWDQfIMX5o1zzGJ3JmH2YqJcxjfGd7Dt3lqbHL7jjdv/ECcNXDATKL6UTAKRsEoGAV4AABGoSrsyBa0XAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6168-2509","institution":"Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alexander","middleName":"","lastName":"Urban","suffix":""},{"id":575047645,"identity":"1f9ddc13-3ac4-40c9-8a5e-c5335d917474","order_by":1,"name":"Leo Luber","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Leo","middleName":"","lastName":"Luber","suffix":""},{"id":575047646,"identity":"b6329854-3cef-4fb2-b314-f85b4596dbc1","order_by":2,"name":"Daphne Benedikt","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Daphne","middleName":"","lastName":"Benedikt","suffix":""},{"id":575047647,"identity":"7b9778e6-6e38-4784-a597-7fd2bf2f800b","order_by":3,"name":"Andreas Singldinger","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3613-6570","institution":"Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Andreas","middleName":"","lastName":"Singldinger","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-14 15:25:27","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8603272/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8603272/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":101752780,"identity":"79fce3a0-9d55-4d60-918a-b6d9caa0cd8a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-03 10:31:41","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3601744,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"LuberManuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8603272/v1_covered_8951ed47-ef15-42fe-a3ba-43a24777d913.pdf"},{"id":100945690,"identity":"88211847-ef2f-4422-a408-5f3681948ae5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-23 06:11:53","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":6418769,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary Information for: Universal statistics of nanocrystal photoluminescence","description":"","filename":"LuberSI.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8603272/v1/6f61b5abb90af492a12ee174.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Universal statistics of nanocrystal photoluminescence","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"photoluminescence lineshape, exciton statistics, nanocrystal ensembles, perovskite quantum dots, size dispersion, disorder","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8603272/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8603272/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Asymmetric photoluminescence (PL) lineshapes are a ubiquitous and defining feature of semiconductor nanocrystal ensembles, yet their microscopic origin has remained unresolved for decades. 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