Hybrid Dendrimer/Semiconductor Nanostructures with Efficient Energy Transfer via Optical Waveguiding

In this study, we demonstrated a nonradiative energy transfer between InGaN quantum wells (QWs) and polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers through optical waveguiding by detecting a reduction in the photoluminescence lifetime. The maximum energy transfer efficiency of this system is ∼72%, which is promising for sensor applications. The energy transfer efficiency depends on the distance between the InGaN QWs and PAMAM dendrimers by a factor of 1/d2, revealing layer-to-layer dipole interactions. Upon increasing the generation of PAMAM dendrimers, the transfer energy efficiency increases exponentially, which can be explained by the increased surface coverage for the higher generation.