Nanoscale sensors can be created when an expected energetic pathway is created and then that pathway is either initiated or disrupted by a specific binding event. Constructing the sensor on the nanoscale could lead to greater sensitivity and lower limits of detection. To this end, quantum dots (QDs) can be considered prime candidates for the active components. Relative to organic chromophores, QDs have tunable spectral properties, show less susceptibility to photobleaching, have similar brightness, and have been shown to display electro-optical properties. In this review, we discuss recent articles that incorporate QDs into directed energy flow systems, some with the goal of building new and more powerful sensors and others that could lead to more powerful sensors.