biostudies-literatureJung DMinistry of Trade, Industry and EnergyMinistry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP)Korea Institute for Advancement of TechnologyMinistry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea)Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT)Ministry of Science, ICT and Future PlanningSamsung5561https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11220006biostudies-literatureUnknown15(1)Structural deformation modifies the bandgap, exciton fine structure and phonon energy of semiconductors, providing an additional knob to control their optical properties. The impact can be exploited in colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), wherein structural stresses can be imposed in three dimensions while defect formation is suppressed by controlling surface growth kinetics. Yet, the control over the structural deformation of QDs free from optically active defects has not been reached. Here, we demonstrate strain-graded CdSe-ZnSe core-shell QDs with compositionally abrupt interface by the coherent pseudomorphic heteroepitaxy. Resulting QDs tolerate mutual elastic deformation of varying magnitudes at the interface with high structural fidelity, allowing for spectrally stable and purNature communicationsStrain-graded quantum dots with spectrally pure, stable and polarized emission.PMC112200062021M3H4A3A01062960Human Resource Development Program for Industrial Innovation(Global)2020M3D1A210131020019417P001730520010737DisplayPark YSJung DKim GMMin SHwang EBae WKPark JSPugin RChae JAPark JWShin DIm SLim JLee HJKim KHBulliard XLee DCfalseStrain-graded quantum dots with spectrally pure, stable and polarized emission.Structural deformation modifies the bandgap, exciton fine structure and phonon energy of semiconductors, providing an additional knob to control their optical properties. The impact can be exploited in colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), wherein structural stresses can be imposed in three dimensions while defect formation is suppressed by controlling surface growth kinetics. Yet, the control over the structural deformation of QDs free from optically active defects has not been reached. Here, we demonstrate strain-graded CdSe-ZnSe core-shell QDs with compositionally abrupt interface by the coherent pseudomorphic heteroepitaxy. Resulting QDs tolerate mutual elastic deformation of varying magnitudes at the interface with high structural fidelity, allowing for spectrally stable and pur2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Jul2025-04-04T12:54:51.464Z2025-04-04T12:54:51.464ZS-EPMC112200063895610010.1038/s41467-024-49791-z