TODO WTF is this? How is it built? What is special about it?
Mentioned a lot in the context of superconducting quantum computers, e.g. youtu.be/t5nxusm_Umk?t=268 from Video "Quantum Computing with Superconducting Qubits by Alexandre Blais (2012)",
Articles by others on the same topic
A quantum dot confines electrons and electron holes in all three spatial directions, producing discrete energy levels. A semiconductor island surrounded by a larger-band gap material is one realization. Its optical excitation and electron-hole recombination depend on confinement, Coulomb interactions and electric-dipole selection rules.
A quantum dot is a nanoscale semiconductor particle that has quantum mechanical properties. Typically ranging from 2 to 10 nanometers in size, quantum dots are so small that their electronic characteristics are dominated by quantum effects. This feature causes them to exhibit unique optical and electronic properties, such as size-dependent light emission. ### Key Characteristics of Quantum Dots: 1. **Quantum Confinement**: Quantum dots exhibit quantum confinement effects, which means that the energy levels within them are quantized.