Excitation Isotropy of Single CdSe/ZnS Nanocrystals

We study the dimensionality of the excitation transition dipole moment for single CdSe/ZnS core−shell nanocrystals using azimuthally and radially polarized laser modes. The comparison of measured and simulated single nanocrystal excitation patterns shows that single CdSe/ZnS quantum dots possess a spherically degenerated excitation transition dipole. We show that the dimensionality of the excitation transition dipole moment distribution is the same for all individual CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals, disregarding the difference in core size and irrespective of variations in the local environment. In contrast to the emission transition dipole moment, which is oriented in one plane, the excitation transition dipole moment of a single CdSe/ZnS quantum dots possesses an isotropy in three dimensions.