Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra from substitutional Mn2+ ions in quantum dots of cubic ZnS with tight size distribution centred at 2nm were recorded in the 9.8 and 34GHz frequency bands. Their quantitative analysis with line shape simulation and fitting computer programs accounting for both forbidden transitions and line broadening effects demonstrated the presence of a local axial distortion attributed to a neighbouring extended planar stacking defect. The presence of such extended lattice defects, confirmed from a high-resolution transmission electron microscopy study on presently investigated cubic ZnS quantum dots, seemed to be essential in the incorporation and localization of Mn2+ activating ions in other cubic II-VI semiconductor quantum dots as well.

Lattice Defect Assisted Incorporation of Mn2+ Ions in Cubic II-VI Semiconductor Quantum Dots. S.V.Nistor, M.Stefan, L.C.Nistor, D.Ghica, C.D.Mateescu, J.N.Barascu: IOP Conference Series - Materials Science and Engineering, 2010, 15[1], 012024