Semiconductor quantum dot - a quantum light source of multicolor photons with tunable statistics

We investigate the intensity correlation properties of single photons emitted from an optically excited single semiconductor quantum dot. The second order temporal coherence function of the photons emitted at various wavelengths is measured as a function of the excitation power. We show experimentally and theoretically, for the first time, that a quantum dot is not only a source of correlated non-classical monochromatic photons but is also a source of correlated non-classical \emph{multicolor} photons with tunable correlation properties. We found that the emitted photon statistics can be varied by the excitation rate from a sub-Poissonian one, where the photons are temporally antibunched, to super-Poissonian, where they are temporally bunched.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Optical spectroscopy of single quantum dots at tunable positive, neutral and negative charge states

We report on the observation of photoluminescence from positive, neutral and negative charge states of single semiconductor quantum dots. For this purpose we designed a structure enabling optical injection of a controlled unequal number of negative electrons and positive holes into an isolated InGaAs quantum dot embedded in a GaAs matrix. Thereby, we optically produced the charge states -3, -2, -1, 0, +1 and +2. The injected carriers form confined collective 'artificial atoms and molecules' states in the quantum dot. We resolve spectrally and temporally the photoluminescence from an optically excited quantum dot and use it to identify collective states, which contain charge of one type, coupled to few charges of the other type. These states can be viewed as the artificial analog of charged atoms such as H$^{-}$, H$^{-2}$, H$^{-3}$, and charged molecules such as H$_{2}^{+}$ and H$_{3}^{+2}$. Unlike higher dimensionality systems, where negative or positive charging always results in reduction of the emission energy due to electron-hole pair recombination, in our dots, negative charging reduces the emission energy, relative to the charge-neutral case, while positive charging increases it. Pseudopotential model calculations reveal that the enhanced spatial localization of the hole-wavefunction, relative to that of the electron in these dots, is the reason for this effect.Comment: 5 figure

Single Photons on Pseudo-Demand from Stored Parametric Down-Conversion

We describe the results of a parametric down-conversion experiment in which the detection of one photon of a pair causes the other photon to be switched into a storage loop. The stored photon can then be switched out of the loop at a later time chosen by the user, providing a single photon for potential use in a variety of quantum information processing applications. Although the stored single photon is only available at periodic time intervals, those times can be chosen to match the cycle time of a quantum computer by using pulsed down-conversion. The potential use of the storage loop as a photonic quantum memory device is also discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 7 Figs., RevTe

Enhanced sequential carrier capture into individual quantum dots and quantum posts controlled by surface acoustic waves

Individual self-assembled Quantum Dots and Quantum Posts are studied under the influence of a surface acoustic wave. In optical experiments we observe an acoustically induced switching of the occupancy of the nanostructures along with an overall increase of the emission intensity. For Quantum Posts, switching occurs continuously from predominantely charged excitons (dissimilar number of electrons and holes) to neutral excitons (same number of electrons and holes) and is independent on whether the surface acoustic wave amplitude is increased or decreased. For quantum dots, switching is non-monotonic and shows a pronounced hysteresis on the amplitude sweep direction. Moreover, emission of positively charged and neutral excitons is observed at high surface acoustic wave amplitudes. These findings are explained by carrier trapping and localization in the thin and disordered two-dimensional wetting layer on top of which Quantum Dots nucleate. This limitation can be overcome for Quantum Posts where acoustically induced charge transport is highly efficient in a wide lateral Matrix-Quantum Well.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Sub-microsecond correlations in photoluminescence from InAs quantum dots

Photon correlation measurements reveal memory effects in the optical emission of single InAs quantum dots with timescales from 10 to 800 ns. With above-band optical excitation, a long-timescale negative correlation (antibunching) is observed, while with quasi-resonant excitation, a positive correlation (blinking) is observed. A simple model based on long-lived charged states is presented that approximately explains the observed behavior, providing insight into the excitation process. Such memory effects can limit the internal efficiency of light emitters based on single quantum dots, and could also be problematic for proposed quantum-computation schemes.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure