Influence of the charge carrier tunneling processes on the recombination dynamics in single lateral quantum dot molecules

We report on the charge carrier dynamics in single lateral quantum dot molecules and the effect of an applied electric field on the molecular states. Controllable electron tunneling manifests itself in a deviation from the typical excitonic decay behavior which is strongly influenced by the tuning electric field and inter-molecular Coulomb energies. A rate equation model is developed to gain more insight into the charge transfer and tunneling mechanisms. Non-resonant (phonon-mediated) electron tunneling which changes the molecular exciton character from direct to indirect, and vice versa, is found to be the dominant tunable decay mechanism of excitons besides radiative recombination.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Polarization fine-structure and enhanced single-photon emission of self-assembled lateral InGaAs quantum dot molecules embedded in a planar micro-cavity

Single lateral InGaAs quantum dot molecules have been embedded in a planar micro-cavity in order to increase the luminescence extraction efficiency. Using a combination of metal-organic vapor phase and molecular beam epitaxy samples could be produced that exhibit a 30 times enhanced single-photon emission rate. We also show that the single-photon emission is fully switchable between two different molecular excitonic recombination energies by applying a lateral electric field. Furthermore, the presence of a polarization fine-structure splitting of the molecular neutral excitonic states is reported which leads to two polarization-split classically correlated biexciton exciton cascades. The fine-structure splitting is found to be on the order of 10 micro-eV.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures; the following article has been submitted to Journal of Applied Physics (29th ICPS - invited paper); after it is published, it will be found at http://jap.aip.org

Quantum-dot single-photon sources for entanglement enhanced interferometry

The authors acknowledge financial support from the Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST).Multiphoton entangled states such as “N00N states” have attracted a lot of attention because of their possible application in high-precision, quantum enhanced phase determination. So far, N00N states have been generated in spontaneous parametric down-conversion processes and by mixing quantum and classical light on a beam splitter. Here, in contrast, we demonstrate superresolving phase measurements based on two-photon N00N states generated by quantum dot single-photon sources making use of the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect on a beam splitter. By means of pulsed resonance fluorescence of a charged exciton state, we achieve, in postselection, a quantum enhanced improvement of the precision in phase uncertainty, higher than prescribed by the standard quantum limit. An analytical description of the measurement scheme is provided, reflecting requirements, capability, and restraints of single-photon emitters in optical quantum metrology. Our results point toward the realization of a real-world quantum sensor in the near future.PostprintPostprintPeer reviewe

Quantum-dot single-photon sources for entanglement enhanced interferometry

The authors acknowledge financial support from the Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST).Multiphoton entangled states such as “N00N states” have attracted a lot of attention because of their possible application in high-precision, quantum enhanced phase determination. So far, N00N states have been generated in spontaneous parametric down-conversion processes and by mixing quantum and classical light on a beam splitter. Here, in contrast, we demonstrate superresolving phase measurements based on two-photon N00N states generated by quantum dot single-photon sources making use of the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect on a beam splitter. By means of pulsed resonance fluorescence of a charged exciton state, we achieve, in postselection, a quantum enhanced improvement of the precision in phase uncertainty, higher than prescribed by the standard quantum limit. An analytical description of the measurement scheme is provided, reflecting requirements, capability, and restraints of single-photon emitters in optical quantum metrology. Our results point toward the realization of a real-world quantum sensor in the near future.PostprintPostprintPeer reviewe

Probabilistic Quantum Logic Operations Using Polarizing Beam Splitters

It has previously been shown that probabilistic quantum logic operations can be performed using linear optical elements, additional photons (ancilla), and post-selection based on the output of single-photon detectors. Here we describe the operation of several quantum logic operations of an elementary nature, including a quantum parity check and a quantum encoder, and we show how they can be combined to implement a controlled-NOT (CNOT) gate. All of these gates can be constructed using polarizing beam splitters that completely transmit one state of polarization and totally reflect the orthogonal state of polarization, which allows a simple explanation of each operation. We also describe a polarizing beam splitter implementation of a CNOT gate that is closely analogous to the quantum teleportation technique previously suggested by Gottesman and Chuang [Nature 402, p.390 (1999)]. Finally, our approach has the interesting feature that it makes practical use of a quantum-eraser technique.Comment: 9 pages, RevTex; Submitted to Phys. Rev. A; additional references inlcude

Tight-Binding model for semiconductor nanostructures

An empirical $s_cp^3_a$ tight-binding (TB) model is applied to the investigation of electronic states in semiconductor quantum dots. A basis set of three $p$-orbitals at the anions and one $s$-orbital at the cations is chosen. Matrix elements up to the second nearest neighbors and the spin-orbit coupling are included in our TB-model. The parametrization is chosen so that the effective masses, the spin-orbit-splitting and the gap energy of the bulk CdSe and ZnSe are reproduced. Within this reduced $s_cp_a^3$ TB-basis the valence (p-) bands are excellently reproduced and the conduction (s-) band is well reproduced close to the $\Gamma$-point, i.e. near to the band gap. In terms of this model much larger systems can be described than within a (more realistic) $sp^3s^*$-basis. The quantum dot is modelled by using the (bulk) TB-parameters for the particular material at those sites occupied by atoms of this material. Within this TB-model we study pyramidal-shaped CdSe quantum dots embedded in a ZnSe matrix and free spherical CdSe quantum dots (nanocrystals). Strain-effects are included by using an appropriate model strain field. Within the TB-model, the strain-effects can be artifically switched off to investigate the infuence of strain on the bound electronic states and, in particular, their spatial orientation. The theoretical results for spherical nanocrystals are compared with data from tunneling spectroscopy and optical experiments. Furthermore the influence of the spin-orbit coupling is investigated

{\it In-situ} Laser Microprocessing at the Quantum Level

One of the biggest challenges of nanotechnology is the fabrication of nano-objects with perfectly controlled properties. Here we employ a focused laser beam both to characterize and to {\it in-situ} modify single semiconductor structures by heating them from cryogenic to high temperatures. The heat treatment allows us to blue-shift, in a broad range and with resolution-limited accuracy, the quantized energy levels of light and charge carriers confined in optical microcavities and self-assembled quantum dots (QDs). We demonstrate the approach by tuning an optical mode into resonance with the emission of a single QD and by bringing different QDs in mutual resonance. This processing method may open the way to a full control of nanostructures at the quantum level.Comment: 3 figure

Time-resolved spectroscopy of multi-excitonic decay in an InAs quantum dot

The multi-excitonic decay process in a single InAs quantum dot is studied through high-resolution time-resolved spectroscopy. A cascaded emission sequence involving three spectral lines is seen that is described well over a wide range of pump powers by a simple model. The measured biexcitonic decay rate is about 1.5 times the single-exciton decay rate. This ratio suggests the presence of selection rules, as well as a significant effect of the Coulomb interaction on the biexcitonic wavefunction.Comment: one typo fixe

Suitability versus fidelity for rating single-photon guns

The creation of specified quantum states is important for most, if not all, applications in quantum computation and communication. The quality of the state preparation is therefore an essential ingredient in any assessment of a quantum-state gun. We show that the fidelity, under the standard definitions is not sufficient to assess quantum sources, and we propose a new measure of suitability that necessarily depends on the application for the source. We consider the performance of single-photon guns in the context of quantum key distribution (QKD) and linear optical quantum computation. Single-photon sources for QKD need radically different properties than sources for quantum computing. Furthermore, the suitability for single-photon guns is discussed explicitly in terms of experimentally accessible criteria.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures Revised per referee suggestion