微腔增强发射的半导体量子点单光子源

单光子源是实现量子密匙分配、线性光学量子计算的基本单元。作者回顾了单光子源在量子信息科学发展中的作用,讨论了光子的统计特性,分析了具有类似原子二能级结构的半导体量子点作为单光子发射源的特点,介绍了微腔与二能级系统的耦合以及微腔量子电动力学基本原理。在弱耦合区,Purcell效应导致微腔中量子点激子复合寿命降低,因此可用微腔来改善量子点单光子发射效率。文章总结了近年来在半导体微腔增强量子点单光子发射领域的进展,探讨了分布式布拉格反射微腔、柱状微腔和光子晶体微腔等结构对改善半导体量子点单光子发射和收集效率、光子极化以及光子全同性等方面的作用,并对未来半导体量子点单光子源的发展进行了展望。     

Entangling single photons on a beamsplitter

We report on a scheme for the creation of time-bin entangled states out of two subsequent single photons. Both photons arrive on the same input port of a beamsplitter and the situation in which the photons leave the beamsplitter on different output ports is post-selected. We derive a full quantum mechanical analysis of such time-bin entanglement for emitters subject to uncorrelated dephasing processes and apply this model to sequential single photons emerging from a single semiconductor quantum dot. Our results indicate that the visibility of entanglement is degraded by decoherence effects in the quantum dot, but can be restored by use of CQED effects, namely the Purcell effect.     

Deutsch-jozsa algorithm using triggered single photons from a single quantum dot

We demonstrate a two-qubit Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm with single photons from a single InP quantum dot. The qubits are implemented via the spatial mode and the polarization of a single photon. Our photon source is operated both under continuous and pulsed excitation, the latter allowing deterministic quantum logic by generating photons on demand with a strong suppression of two-photon events. The computation reached a success probability of up to 79%. We also exploit the concept of decoherence-free subspaces that helps to make our experimental setup robust against sources of phase noise.     

Entanglement formation and violation of Bell's inequality with a semiconductor single photon source

We report the generation of polarization-entangled photons, using a quantum dot single photon source, linear optics, and photodetectors. Two photons created independently are observed to violate Bell's inequality. The density matrix describing the polarization state of the postselected photon pairs is reconstructed and agrees well with a simple model predicting the quality of entanglement from the known parameters of the single photon source. Our scheme provides a method to create no more than one entangled photon pair per cycle after postselection, a feature useful to enhance quantum cryptography protocols based on shared entanglement.     

Single photon sources with single semiconductor quantum dots

In t.his contribution, we briefly recall the basic concepts of quantum optics and properties of semicon- ductor quantum clot. （QD） which a.re necessary to the nnderstanding of the physics of single-photon generation with single QDs. Firstly, we address the theory of quantmn emitter-cavity system, the fluorescence and optical properties of semiconductor QDs, and the photon statistics as well as opti- cal properties of the QDs. We then review the localizatioll of single semiconductor QDs in quantum confined optical microcavity systems to achieve their overall optical properties and perfornances in terms of strong coupling regime, elfieiency, directionality, and polarization control. Furthermore, we will discuss the recenl, progress on the fabrication of single photon sources, and various a.pproaehes for embedding single QDs into mieroca,vities or photonic crystal nanoeavities and show how to ex- tend the wavelength range. We focus in part;icular on new generations of electrically driven QD single photon source leading to high repetition rates, efficiencies at elevated temperature operation. Besides strong eoupling regime, and high collection new development;s of room temperature sin- gle photon emission in the strong coupling regime are reviewed. The generation of indistinguishable photons and remaining challenges for pract ical single-photon sources are also discussed.     

Room-temperature single photon sources with definite circular and linear polarizations

We report experimental results of two room-temperature single photon sources with definite polarization based on emitters embedded in either cholesteric or nematic liquid crystal hosts. In the first case, a cholesteric 1-D photonic bandgap microcavity provides circular polarization of definite handedness of single photons from single colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (nanocrystals). In these experiments, the spectral position of the quantum dot fluorescence maximum is at the bandedge of a photonic bandgap structure. The host does not destroy fluorescence antibunching of single emitters. In the second case, photons with definite linear polarization are obtained from single dye molecules doped in a planar-aligned nematic liquid crystal host. The combination of sources with definite linear and circular polarization states of single photons can be used in a practical implementation of the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol.     

Directed self‐assembly of single quantum dots for telecommunication wavelength optical devices

The ability to control the nucleation site of a single quantum dot will have a profound effect on the development of quantum dot‐based photonic devices. The deterministic approach will provide a truly scalable technology that can take full advantage of conventional semiconductor processing for device fabrication. In this review, we discuss the progress towards the integration of deterministically nucleated single quantum dots with top‐down quantum optical devices targeting telecommunication wavelengths. Advances in site‐controlled quantum dot nucleation using selective‐area epitaxy now makes it possible to position quantum dots at predetermined positions on a substrate in registry with alignment markers. This, in turn, has allowed for devices fabricated in subsequent processing steps to be aligned to individual quantum dots. The specific devices being targeted are gated‐single dots and coupled dot‐cavity systems which are key components of efficient sources of single photons and entangled photon pairs.     

Regulated and entangled photons from a single quantum Dot

We propose a new method of generating nonclassical optical field states. The method uses a semiconductor device, which consists of a single quantum dot as active medium embedded in a p- i- n junction and surrounded by a microcavity. Resonant tunneling of electrons and holes into the quantum dot ground states, together with the Pauli exclusion principle, produce regulated single photons or regulated pairs of photons. We propose that this device also has the unique potential to generate pairs of entangled photons at a well-defined repetition rate.     

Observation of unique photon statistics of single artificial atom laser

We demonstrate a photonic crystal nanocavity laser essentially driven by a self-assembled InAs/GaAs single quantum dot gain and its unique photon statistics. Gain tuning measurements and photon correlation measurements indicated that a single quantum dot plays a substantial role in the laser oscillation. Photon correlation measurements showed a distinct transition from anti-bunching to Poissonian via photon bunching around the threshold with the increase of the excitation power. Numerical simulations, including contributions of other light sources besides a single quantum dot, indicated that the photon bunching feature around the threshold can be enhanced by the interfusion of incoherent photons into the cavity mode.     

Phonon-assisted decoherence in the production of polarization-entangled photons in a single semiconductor quantum dot

We theoretically investigate the production of polarization-entangled photons through the biexciton cascade decay in a single semiconductor quantum dot. In the intermediate state the entanglement is encoded in the polarizations of the first emitted photon and the exciton, where the exciton state can be effectively "measured" by the solid-state environment through the formation of a lattice distortion. We show that the resulting loss of entanglement becomes drastically enhanced if the phonons contributing to the lattice distortion are subject to elastic scatterings at the device boundaries, which might constitute a serious limitation for quantum-dot based entangled-photon devices.     

Triggered single photons from a quantum dot

We demonstrate a new method for generating triggered single photons. After a laser pulse generates excitons inside a single quantum dot, electrostatic interactions between them and the resulting spectral shifts allow a single emitted photon to be isolated. Correlation measurements show a reduction of the two-photon probability to 0.12 times the value for Poisson light. Strong antibunching persists when the emission is saturated. The emitted photons are also polarized.     

Subnatural linewidth single photons from a quantum dot

The observation of quantum-dot resonance fluorescence enabled a new solid-state approach to generating single photons with a bandwidth approaching the natural linewidth of a quantum-dot transition. Here, we operate in the small Rabi frequency limit of resonance fluorescence--the Heitler regime--to generate subnatural linewidth and high-coherence quantum light from a single quantum dot. The measured single-photon coherence is 30 times longer than the lifetime of the quantum-dot transition, and the single photons exhibit a linewidth which is inherited from the excitation laser. In contrast, intensity-correlation measurements reveal that this photon source maintains a high degree of antibunching behavior on the order of the transition lifetime with vanishing two-photon scattering probability. Generating decoherence-free phase-locked single photons from multiple quantum systems will be feasible with our approach.     

Isolated single quantum dot emitters in all-epitaxial microcavities

Data are presented on a fabrication approach that places an isolated single quantum dot at the center of a semiconductor microcavity. The microcavity is based on an all-epitaxial mesa-confined design that is mechanically robust and provides the thermal dissipation needed for a single photon source device technology. Microphotoluminescence is used to reveal single quantum dot emission with the essential optical properties of single quantum emitters.     

Spontaneous two-photon emission from a single quantum dot

Spontaneous two-photon emission from a solid-state single quantum emitter is observed. We investigated photoluminescence from the neutral biexciton in a single semiconductor quantum dot coupled with a high Q photonic crystal nanocavity. When the cavity is resonant to the half energy of the biexciton, the strong vacuum field in the cavity inspires the biexciton to simultaneously emit two photons into the mode, resulting in clear emission enhancement of the mode. Meanwhile, the suppression of other single photon emission from the biexciton was observed, as the two-photon emission process becomes faster than the others at the resonance.     

Single Photon Scattering in a Pair of Waveguides Coupled by a Whispering-Gallery Resonator Interacting with a Semiconductor Quantum Dot

The single photon scattering properties in a pair of waveguides coupled by a whispering-gallery resonator interacting with a semiconductor quantum dot are investigated theoretically.The two waveguides support four possible ports for an incident single photon.The quantum dot is considered a V-type system.The incident direction-dependent single photon scattering properties are studied and equal-output probability from the four ports for a single photon incident is discussed.The influences of backscattering between the two modes of the whispering-gallery resonator for incident direction-dependent single photon scattering properties are also presented.     

Exciton-spin memory with a semiconductor quantum dot molecule

We report on a single photon and spin storage device based on a semiconductor quantum dot molecule. Optically excited single electron-hole pairs are trapped within the molecule, and their recombination rate is electrically controlled over 3 orders of magnitude. Single photons are stored up to 1 μs and read out on a subnanosecond time scale. By using resonant excitation, the circular polarization of individual photons is transferred into the spin state of electron-hole pairs with a fidelity above 80%, which does not degrade for storage times up to the 12.5 ns repetition period of the experiment.     

Recent advances on single photon sources based on single colloidal nanocrystals

Single colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are increasingly exploited as triggered sources of single photons. This review reports on recent results on single photon sources (SPS) based on colloidal quantum dots, whose size, shape and optical properties can be finely tuned by wet chemistry approach. First, we address the optical properties of different colloidal nanocrystals, such as dots, rods and dot in rods and their use as single photon sources will be discussed. Then, we describe different techniques for isolation and positioning single QDs, a major issue for fabrication of single photon sources, and various approaches for the embedding single nanocrystals inside microcavities. The insertion of single colloidal QDs in quantum confined optical systems allows one to improve their overall optical properties and performances in terms of efficiency, directionality, life time, and polarization control. Finally, electrical pumping of colloidal nanocrystals light emitting devices and of NC-based single photon sources is reviewed.     

Quantum teleportation with a quantum dot single photon source

We report the experimental demonstration of a quantum teleportation protocol with a semiconductor single photon source. Two qubits, a target and an ancilla, each defined by a single photon occupying two optical modes (dual-rail qubit), were generated independently by the single photon source. Upon measurement of two modes from different qubits and postselection, the state of the two remaining modes was found to reproduce the state of the target qubit. In particular, the coherence between the target qubit modes was transferred to the output modes to a large extent. The observed fidelity is 80%, in agreement with the residual distinguishability between consecutive photons from the source. An improved version of this teleportation scheme using more ancillas is the building block of the recent Knill, Laflamme, and Milburn proposal for efficient linear optics quantum computation.     

Single-shot detection of electrons generated by individual photons in a tunable lateral quantum dot

We demonstrate single-shot detection of single electrons generated by single photons using an electrically tunable quantum dot and a quantum point contact charge detector. By tuning the quantum dot in a Coulomb blockade before the photoexcitation, we observe the trapping and subsequent resetting of single photogenerated electrons. The photogenerated electrons can be stored in the dot for a tunable time range from shorter to longer than the spin-flip time T1. We combine this trap-reset technique with spin-dependent tunneling under magnetic fields to observe the spin-dependent photon detection within the T1.     

Imaging single quantum dots in three-dimensional photonic crystals

Performing fluorescence wide-field microscopy we have imaged single semiconductor quantum dots deep inside a 3-dimensional photonic crystal prepared from colloidal polymer beads. Exploring the emission diffraction patterns in defocused images of quantum dots we demonstrate that the direction-dependent photonic stop band imprints an anisotropy to the angular emission of a single quantum dot. Hence a single, quasi-point-like emitter is manipulated to radiate its photons only to certain well-defined directions by means of the anisotropic light propagation in photonic crystals. The experiments thus provide new routes to evaluate local, frequency selective optical properties in 3-dimensional photonic crystals employing single emitters.