Spin Selective Charge Transport through Cysteine Capped CdSe Quantum Dots

This work demonstrates that chiral imprinted CdSe quantum dots (QDs) can act as spin selective filters for charge transport. The spin filtering properties of chiral nanoparticles were investigated by magnetic conductive-probe atomic force microscopy (mCP-AFM) measurements and magnetoresistance measurements. The mCP-AFM measurements show that the chirality of the quantum dots and the magnetic orientation of the tip affect the current-voltage curves. Similarly, magnetoresistance measurements demonstrate that the electrical transport through films of chiral quantum dots correlates with the chiroptical properties of the QD. The spin filtering properties of chiral quantum dots may prove useful in future applications, for example, photovoltaics, spintronics, and other spin-driven devices.