Correlation of Photoluminescence and Structural Morphologies at the Individual Nanoparticle Level

[Image: see text] Single-particle spectroscopy has demonstrated great potential for analyzing the microscopic behavior of various nanoparticles (NPs). However, high-resolution optical imaging of these materials at the nanoscale is still very challenging. Here, we present an experimental setup that combines high sensitivity of time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) techniques with atomic force microscopy (AFM). This system enables single-photon detection with a time resolution of 120 ps and a spatial resolution of 5 nm. We utilize the setup to investigate the photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of both zero-dimensional (0D) and three-dimensional (3D) perovskite nanocrystals and establish a correlation between the particles’ sizes, their PL blinking, and the lifetime behavior. Our system demonstrates an unprecedented level of information, opening the door to understanding the morphology–luminescence correlation of various nanosystems.