Ultra Fast Nonlinear Optical Tuning of Photonic Crystal Cavities

We demonstrate fast (up to 20 GHz), low power (5 $\mu W$) modulation of photonic crystal (PC) cavities in GaAs containing InAs quantum dots. Rapid modulation through blue-shifting of the cavity resonance is achieved via free carrier injection by an above-band picosecond laser pulse. Slow tuning by several linewidths due to laser-induced heating is also demonstrated

Bichromatic Driving of a Solid State Cavity QED System

The bichromatic driving of a solid state cavity quantum electrodynamics system is used to probe cavity dressed state transitions and observe coherent interaction between the system and the light field. We theoretically demonstrate the higher order cavity-dressed states, supersplitting, and AC stark shift in a solid state system comprised of a quantum dot strongly coupled to a photonic crystal cavity for on- and far off-resonant cases. For the off-resonant case, phonons mediate off-resonant coupling between the quantum dot and the photonic resonator, a phenomenon unique to solid state cavity quantum electrodynamics.Comment: 8 pages 6 figure

Cell-to-cell variability of alternative RNA splicing

The role of mRNA processing in gene expression variability is poorly characterized. This study investigates the extent of cell-to-cell variability of alternative RNA splicing in mammalian cells using single-molecule imaging of CAPRIN1 and MKNK2 splice isoforms

Cavity-enhanced single photon emission from a single impurity-bound exciton

Impurity-bound excitons in ZnSe quantum wells are bright single photon emitters--a crucial element in photonics-based quantum technology. But to achieve the efficiencies required for practical applications, these emitters must be integrated into optical cavities that enhance their radiative properties and far-field emission pattern. In this work, we demonstrate cavity-enhanced emission from a single impurity-bound exciton in a ZnSe quantum well. We utilize a bullseye cavity structure optimized to feature a small mode volume and a nearly Gaussian far-field transverse mode that can efficiently couple to an optical fiber. The fabricated device displays emission that is more than an order of magnitude brighter than bulk impurity-bound exciton emitters in the ZnSe quantum well, as-well-as clear anti-bunching, which verifies the single photon emission from the source. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy reveals a Purcell-enhanced radiative decay process with a Purcell factor of 1.43. This work paves the way towards high efficiency spin-photon interfaces using an impurity-doped II-VI semiconductor coupled to nanophotonics

Optical modes in oxide-apertured micropillar cavities

We present a detailed experimental characterization of the spectral and spatial structure of the confined optical modes for oxide-apertured micropillar cavities, showing good-quality Hermite-Gaussian profiles, easily mode-matched to external fields. We further derive a relation between the frequency splitting of the transverse modes and the expected Purcell factor. Finally, we describe a technique to retrieve the profile of the confining refractive index distribution from the spatial profiles of the modes.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Spectroscopy by frequency entangled photon pairs

Quantum spectroscopy was performed using the frequency-entangled broadband photon pairs generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion. An absorptive sample was placed in front of the idler photon detector, and the frequency of signal photons was resolved by a diffraction grating. The absorption spectrum of the sample was measured by counting the coincidences, and the result is in agreement with the one measured by a conventional spectrophotometer with a classical light source.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Phys. Lett.

Superconducting nanowire photon number resolving detector at telecom wavelength

The optical-to-electrical conversion, which is the basis of optical detectors, can be linear or nonlinear. When high sensitivities are needed single-photon detectors (SPDs) are used, which operate in a strongly nonlinear mode, their response being independent of the photon number. Nevertheless, photon-number resolving (PNR) detectors are needed, particularly in quantum optics, where n-photon states are routinely produced. In quantum communication, the PNR functionality is key to many protocols for establishing, swapping and measuring entanglement, and can be used to detect photon-number-splitting attacks. A linear detector with single-photon sensitivity can also be used for measuring a temporal waveform at extremely low light levels, e.g. in long-distance optical communications, fluorescence spectroscopy, optical time-domain reflectometry. We demonstrate here a PNR detector based on parallel superconducting nanowires and capable of counting up to 4 photons at telecommunication wavelengths, with ultralow dark count rate and high counting frequency