Demonstration of a single-photon router in the microwave regime

We have embedded an artificial atom, a superconducting transmon qubit, in an open transmission line and investigated the strong scattering of incident microwave photons (～6 GHz). When an input coherent state, with an average photon number N?1 is on resonance with the artificial atom, we observe extinction of up to 99.6% in the forward propagating field. We use two-tone spectroscopy to study scattering from excited states and we observe electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We then use EIT to make a single-photon router, where we can control to what output port an incoming signal is delivered. The maximum on-off ratio is around 99% with a rise and fall time on the order of nanoseconds, consistent with theoretical expectations. The router can easily be extended to have multiple output ports and it can be viewed as a rudimentary quantum node, an important step towards building quantum information networks.     

Controllable four-wave mixing based on quantum dot-cavity coupling system

We theoretically study the four-wave mixing(FWM) response in a quantum dot-cavity coupling system, where a two-level quantum dot(QD) is placed in an optical cavity while the cavity mode is coupled to the nanomechanical resonator via radiation pressure. The influences of the QD-cavity coupling strength, the Rabi coupling strength of the QD, and the power of the pump light on the FWM intensity are mainly considered. The numerical results show that the FWM intensity in this hybrid system can be significantly enhanced by increasing the QD-cavity coupling strength. In addition, the FWM intensity can be effectively modulated by the Rabi coupling strength and the pump power. Furthermore, the effects of the cavity decay rate and the cavitypump detuning on the FWM signal are also explored. The obtained results may have potential applications in the fields of quantum optics and quantum information science.     

微腔中单量子点的激光输出特性研究

研究一个四能级量子点耦合到单模光学腔中的量子系统,利用系统的主方程作数值模拟计算微腔中单量子点的激光输出强度随非相干泵浦的变化关系.结果显示量子点在泵浦作用下激光的输出有一个阈值;且量子点和腔模耦合强度增强时,产生激光的阈值明显减小,输出激光的峰值却增大.当泵浦作用继续增强到一定程度,因激光能级间的相干性被过强的非相干泵浦所破坏,单量子点激光输出变为零----出现了淬灭现象.     

光学微盘腔与三能级量子点系统中的模耦合研究

用一种全量子理论方法研究了波导、光学微盘腔与三能级量子点耦合系统的动力学过程,求出其耦合后的透射模和反射模的解析解. 由于微腔表面粗糙引起反向散射,在微腔内形成两简并回音壁耦合共振模,其耦合率为β;量子点的两激发态分别以耦合率g₁,g₂与回音壁耦合共振模产生耦合. 在实数空间里,得出透射光谱和反射光谱的数值解,这些三能级模型结果比二能级模型结果更接近真实光学微盘腔系统,能更好地显示耦合系统的动力学特性. 关键词： 模耦合 光学微盘腔 三能级量子点 全量子理论     

Few-photon routing via chiral light-matter couplings

A quantum router is one of the essential elements in the quantum network. Conventional routers only direct a single photon from one quantum channel into another. Here, we propose a few-photon router. The active element of the router is a single qubit chirally coupled to two independent waveguides simultaneously, where each waveguide mode provides a quantum channel. By introducing the operators of the scatter-free space and the controllable space, the output state of the one-photon and two-photon scattering are derived analytically. It is found that the qubit can direct one and two photons from one port of the incident waveguide to an arbitrarily selected port of the other waveguide with unity, respectively. However, two photons cannot be simultaneously routed to the same port due to the anti-bunch effect.     

基于InAs单量子点的单光子干涉

利用分子束外延生长 InAs 单量子点样品,测量了温度为 5 K 时单量子点的荧光(PL)光谱.采用时间关联光子强度测量(HBT)验证了 PL 光谱具有单光子发射特性.单光子通过马赫曾德尔 (MZ) 干涉仪,验证了单光子自身具有干涉特性.测量了当 MZ 干涉仪两臂偏振方向的夹角改变时对应的单光子干涉及条纹可见度的变化. 关键词： 量子点单光子源 反群聚效应 马赫曾德尔干涉     

Finite-bias Cooper pair splitting

In a device with a superconductor coupled to two parallel quantum dots (QDs) the electrical tunability of the QD levels can be used to exploit nonclassical current correlations due to the splitting of Cooper pairs. We experimentally investigate the effect of a finite potential difference across one quantum dot on the conductance through the other completely grounded QD in a Cooper pair splitter fabricated on an InAs nanowire. We demonstrate that the nonlocal electrical transport through the device can be tuned by electrical means and that the energy dependence of the effective density of states in the QDs is relevant for the rates of Cooper pair splitting (CPS) and elastic cotunneling. Such experimental tools are necessary to understand and develop CPS-based sources of entangled electrons in solid-state devices.     

Manipulation of tunneling induced transparency windows and optical switching features in fivefold quantum dot molecules

Transient and steady-state behavior of the probe absorption in a multiple quantum dot (QD) molecule composed of five quantum dots molecules (with a center dot and four satellite dots) is explored with application in all-optical switching. We find that the absorption spectra of the light pulse can be efficiently modified via the effect of inter-dot tunnel couplings of QDs and incoherent pumping field. Results show that depending on the values of system parameters, at least one and at most four tunneling induced transparency (TIT) windows can be established in the multiple QD medium. We then investigate the dynamical behavior of the probe absorption-amplification as well as the optical switching in pulsed regime. By adjusting the incoherent pumping rate, the required switching time for changing the gain to the absorption or vice versa is then estimated approximately to be 20.7 nanosecond (ns), that is an appropriate time for such a QDM-based switch.     

Playing with quantum Hall effects and single-electron-tunneling effects

The usefulness of quantum Hall effect (QHE) conductors and quantum dot (QD) devices is revealed by reviewing five remarkable effects. The first is the sensitive detection of terahertz (THz) radiation by QHE conductors. The second is the imaging of THz emission from non-equilibrium carriers in QHE conductors, by using scanning THz microscopes. The third is the single-photon detection of THz radiation in strong magnetic fields, which is carried out by incorporating a QHE electron system into a QD. Individual events of single-THz-photon absorption within the QD via cyclotron resonance cause the QD to electrically polarize, which, in turn, is detected as switches of the tunnel conductance through the QD. The fourth is the single-photon detection of THz radiation by using double QDs in the absence of a magnetic field. Both of the photon detectors are implemented in gate-voltage-induced lateral GaAs/AlGaAs QDs, and exploiting the extraordinary sensitivity of single-electron transistors to the charge. The fifth is the coherent control of nuclear spins in QHE conductors. Nuclear spins are (i) electrically polarized by unequally populating spin-split QHE edge channels via the hyperfine interaction, (ii) coherently controlled via pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance induced by local RF magnetic fields, and (iii) finally detected by the edge channels through resistance change of the Hall device. The controlled nuclear spins are limited to those along the edge channels, on the order of 10⁹.     

回音壁微腔光力系统的相干控制与完全相干透射

本文研究了两侧同时输入的回音壁模谐振双微腔光力系统中电磁诱导透明的相干调控.通过改变双微腔两侧探测场的强度比值及相位差,可以有效控制电磁诱导透明窗口的宽度和深度,对探测场的吸收和色散等性质实施显著的影响,并且能够在特殊频率处产生关于探测场的完全相干透射现象.     

Heat generation properties determined by chemical potentials

We investigate the current-induced heat generation in a quantum dot (QD) coupled to four spin chemical potentials, which originate from the magnetic pumping field applied on the QD. Both resonant and non-resonant electron tunneling process is analyzed. It is found that the heat generation characteristic is mainly determined by the two spin chemical potentials lying nearest to the dot level. In particular, when the difference of this two potentials is less than two phonon energy, the heat generation exhibits quantum properties, unique behavior to nanosystems and absent in macroscopic bulks.     

计及激子-双激子相干下半导体单量子点中的空间光孤子对

考虑激子-双激子的相干效应, 解析地研究了半导体单量子点中探测光和信号光的吸收特性和非线性传播特性.结果发现, 在线性条件下, 单量子点中出现电磁感应透明现象; 进一步分析可得, 电磁感应透明所呈现的是单窗口或双窗口或光学增益均可通过调节控制光强加以控制.在非线性条件下, 弱信号光诱导弱探测光产生两个分量, 这两个分量在系统中所激发的自克尔和交叉克尔 非线性效应与系统的衍射效应相平衡从而形成稳定的亮-亮, 亮-暗, 暗-暗等空间光孤子对. 关键词： 半导体量子点 电磁感应透明 空间光孤子对     

Influence of a single quantum dot state on the characteristics of a microdisk laser

We report a quantum dot microcavity laser with a cw sub-microW lasing threshold, where a significant reduction of the lasing threshold is observed when a single quantum dot (QD) state is aligned with a cavity mode. The quality factor exceeds 15,000 before the system lases. When no QD states are resonant, below threshold the cavity mode initially degrades with increasing pump power, after which saturation occurs and then the cavity mode recovers. We associate the initial cavity mode spoiling with QD state broadening that occurs with increasing pump power.     

Triggered single-photon emission and cross-correlation properties in InAlAs quantum dot

Triggered single-photon generation from InAlAs quantum dot (QD) was demonstrated for the first time. Emitted photon energy coincides with high detection efficiency range of Si single-photon detectors, which is highly suitable for free-space communication. Single-QD spectroscopy and crossed photon correlation measurements unambiguously revealed that several emitting lines observed in a single mesa structure originated from the identical QD, and two temporary competing decay processes associated with neutral states and charged states were identified. Presence of the competing process is also inferred from an analysis of steady-state photoluminescence intensities. Formation process of charged exciton in QD is also discussed.     

Spin-flip shot noise in a quantum dot coupled to carbon nanotube terminals responded by a rotating magnetic field

We have investigated the spectral density of shot noise of the system with a quantum dot (QD) coupled to two single-wall carbon nanotube terminals, where a rotating magnetic field is applied to the QD. The carbon nanotube (CN) terminals act as quantum wires which open quantum channels for electrons to transport through. The shot noise and differential shot noise exhibit novel behaviors originated from the quantum nature of CNs. The shot noise is sensitively dependent on the rotating magnetic field, and the differential shot noise exhibits asymmetric behavior versus source-drain bias and gate voltage. The Fano factor of the system exhibits the deviation of shot noise from the Schottky formula. The super-Poissonian and sub-Poissonian shot noise can be achieved in different regime of source-drain bias.     

Complete entanglement analysis on electron spins using quantum dot and microcavity coupled system

We present an entanglement analysis protocol on entangled electron spins using quantum dot (QD) and microcavity coupled system. Each quantum dot is placed in the microcavity and ancilla photon input-output process could be used to check the parity of the quantum dots. After the parity check process, the user only needs to measure the spin direction of the QD spin, and the state information can be readout completely. The feasibility of our scheme and the experimental challenge are discussed by considering currently available techniques.     

Electronic structure of asymmetric vertically coupled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

In this paper, the electronic structure of an asymmetric self-assembled vertically coupled quantum dots heterostructure has been investigated. The structure consists of two ellipsoidal quantum dot (QDs) caps made with InAs embedded in a wetting layer InAs and surrounded by GaAs. Using the strain dependent k·p theory, the energy of the two lowest states of a single electron/hole which is confined within the coupled QD structure has been calculated. As a result, it can be estimated the energy gap for different geometry parameters and for tuning the external magnetic field. The numerical results show that the energy gap is very sensitive to the size asymmetry of the structure and to the small separation distance of the dots but less sensitive to the existence of an external magnetic field and large interdot distance.     

Controlled waveguide coupling for photon emission from colloidal PbS quantum dot using tunable microcavity made of optical polymer and silicon

A tunable microcavity device composed of optical polymer and Si with a colloidal quantum dot (QD) is proposed as a single-photon source for planar optical circuit. Cavity size is controlled by electrostatic micromachine behavior with the air bridge structure to tune timing of photon injection into optical waveguide from QD. Three-dimensional positioning of a QD in the cavity structure is available using a nanohole on Si processed by scanning probe microscope lithography. We fabricated the prototype microcavity with PbS-QD-mixed polymenthyl methacrylate on a SOI (semiconductor-on-insulator) substrate to show the tunability of cavity size as the shift of emission peak wavelength of QD ensemble.     

Triple optomechanical induced transparency in a two-cavity system

We theoretically investigate the optomechanical induced transparency(OMIT) phenomenon in a two-cavity system which is composed of two optomechanical cavities. Both of the cavities consist of a fixed mirror and a high-Q mechanical resonator, and they couple to each other via a common waveguide. We show that in the presence of a strong pump field applied to one cavity and a weak probe field applied to the other, a triple-OMIT can be observed in the output field at the probe frequency. The two mechanical resonators in the two cavities are identical, but they lead to different quantum interference pathways. The transparency windows are induced by the coupling of the two cavities and the optical pressure radiated to the mechanical resonators, which can be controlled via the power of the pump field and the coupling strength of the two cavities.     

Coupling to a microdisk cavity containing a three-level quantum-dot with two orthogonal modes

The dynamics of a composite system containing two orthogonal degenerate whispering-gallery cavity modes coupling to a quantum dot (QD) is presented by a full quantum approach. The energy levels of the quantum dot are modeled as a V-type three-level system, which consist of the ground state, right- and left-polarized excitons. The counterclockwise mode a and the clockwise mode b are coupled with the transitions corresponding to the right- and left-polarized excitons with coupling rates g_R and g_L, respectively. An exact solution is proposed in a real-space approach. We majorly discuss the effects of the backscattering rate β on the spectra of the transmission and reflection in a strong coupling regime. A new insight is that one can overcome the excitons' fine structure splitting of a real QD with appropriate backscattering rate β by fine designing the cavity, which would be possible for applications to produce the degenerate entangled photon pairs in a real QD system.