Polarization-resolved magnetophotoluminescence spectroscopy is used to stud
y exciton spin states in 40-80 Angstrom diameter chemically synthesized CdS
e quantum dots (QDs) at temperatures T = 1.2-50 K. The spin polarization is
found not to saturate in magnetic fields to 60 T and time-resolved studies
indicate a thermal population of exciton states. A simple model incorporat
ing the angle-dependent Zeeman splitting and bright-dark level mixing in th
ese randomly oriented quantum dots is constructed in quantitative agreement
with the data. Fits using this model yield a dark exciton a factor of simi
lar to0.9 at T = 1.45 K, which is independent of QD diameter and exhibits a
surprising increase with increasing temperature.