Imagine a particle so small that it’s the same relative size to a soccer ball as that football is to the planet Earth. That’s the size of a quantum dot – a type of nanocrystal that changes colour depending on its size, and was once thought impossible to actually make. Now, three scientists who helped discover and synthesise these quantum dots have been awarded the 2023 Nobel prize in chemistry.

In this week’s episode we speak to Louis Brus, one of these new Nobel laureates, and an emeritus professor of chemistry at Columbia University in New York, about his work on quantum dots and what winning the accolade means.  

This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Gemma Ware and Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany. The executive producer was Gemma Ware. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.

Further reading: 

• Quantum dots − a new Nobel laureate describes the development of these nanoparticles from basic research to industry application
• Nobel prize in chemistry awarded for ‘quantum dot’ technology that gave us today’s high definition TVs
• Full coverage of the 2023 Nobel prizes
• Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, in prison for speaking up against human rights violations, has been a voice for women for almost two decades 
• Jon Fosse: Nobel prize in literature winner is a playwright who puts outsiders centre stage