journal article·2026-01Open access

Chirality‐Induced Spin Selectivity in II‐VI and III‐V Semiconductor Nanocrystals: Mechanism, Manipulation, and Application

Zahid Nazir, Na Liu, Muhammad Abubaker Khan, Syed Muhammad Kazim Abbas Naqvi, Hui Long, Ziqi Liao, Elena Ushakova, Roman Vasiliev, Chang Shuai

Advanced Optical Materials· Volume 14· Issue 3

Abstract

Abstract Chirality‐induced spin selectivity (CISS) enables spin‐polarized charge transport through chiral media without magnetic fields. While extensively studied in organic and biomolecular systems, CISS in semiconductors remains limited, lacking standardized methodologies and mechanistic understanding. II‐VI and III‐V semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), with tunable band gaps, high optical quality, strong spin‐orbit coupling (SOC) and diverse morphologies, provide an ideal platform for exploring spin‐dependent phenomena. This review highlights fundamental concepts of chirality and its manifestation in nanostructures, distinguishing ligand‐induced and intrinsic chirality in NCs. This work critically integrates recent advances on the microscopic link between chirality and spin selectivity, emphasizing mechanisms such as exciton‐ligand hybridization, and surface/bulk inversion asymmetries that generate Rashba/Dresselhaus effects, leading to interfacial spin‐filtering. This work describes structural control and chiroptical properties of chiral II‐VI/III‐V NCs, discussing factors like morphology, surface defects, and ligand chemistry, while outlining trade‐offs among SOC, optical quality, and device integration. Mechanistic models, including exciton‐ligand hybridization and photonic coupling, explain trends in circular dichroism. Strategies for tuning spin injection, transport, and relaxation are outlined, emphasizing SOC, structural anisotropy, and compositional engineering. This work assesses challenges in integrating chiral NCs into practical devices – including stability, scalability, environmental safety – and highlight opportunities in spin‐LEDs, quantum computation, biosensing, and memory devices.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Quantum Dots Synthesis And Properties · Magnetism in coordination complexes · Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Platform for Applied Nanophotonics Faculty of Materials Science Shenzhen MSU‐BIT University Shenzhen 518115 China

Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome Engineering School of Materials Science and Engineering University of Science and Technology Beijing Beijing 100083 P. R. China

Department of Chemistry Lomonosov Moscow State University Moscow 119991 Russia

PhysNano Department ITMO University Saint Petersburg 197101 Russia

Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Centre for Functional Photonics (CFP) City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR 999077 P. R. China

Department of Materials Science Lomonosov Moscow State University Moscow 119991 Russia

Funding

Key Technologies Research and Development Program · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Russian Science Foundation

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