The last decade has seen a revolution in our understanding of the
most mysterious of the Standard Model particles, the neutrino,
and this last year has been no exception. In the last year, we
have seen exciting results from both double beta decay experiments
and experiments measuring the last mixing angle theta13. For the
most part, the detectors responsible for these measurements use
Cerenkov and scintillation light to detect neutrino interactions.
The wavelength of this light is matched to the peak efficiency of
photo-multiplier tubes. This technique has been finely tuned over
the last decades, but no great leaps forward in efficiency have
been achieved. Nanotechnology may hold the key to improving both
scintillators and photo-detectors. In this talk, I will focus on one
particular technology, semiconducting nanocrystals known as quantum
dots, and their unique optical properties. I will discuss how their
use could enhance the capabilities of new photo-detection technology,
and address the needs of the next-generation neutrino experiments.