We present new information that requires explanation in the study of possible mechanisms for fluorescence blinking in single nanocrystal (NC) quantum dots. By using pulse laser excitation, we investigated the excitation intensity dependence of fluorescence blinking statistics in NC quantum dots embedded in polymer matrices. Under strong excitation intensity, we observed an unexpected excitation intensity dependence of the power-law distribution in the blinking statistics. To explain the new information on the blinking statistics in the framework of the Tang−Marcus model, we propose a diffusion-controlled model based upon anharmonic potentials that originate from a nonlinear response of polarization to the electric field and is caused by an increase in the dielectric constant of host media with the excitation intensity. The validity of the proposed model is investigated by comparing the blinking statistics for two host matrices.

doi:10.1021/jp811448k