ABSTRACT
We report on the design of nanohole/nanobeam cavities in ridge waveguides for on-chip, quantum-dot-based single-photon generation. Our design overcomes limitations of a low-refractive-index-contrast material platform in terms of emitter-mode coupling efficiency and yields an outcoupling efficiency of 0.73 to the output ridge waveguide. Importantly, this high coupling efficiency is combined with broadband operation of 9 nm full-width half-maximum. We provide an explicit design procedure for identifying the optimum geometrical parameters according to the developed design. Besides, we fabricate and optically characterize a proof-of-concept waveguide structure. The results of the microphotoluminescence measurements provide evidence for cavity-enhanced spontaneous emission from the quantum dot, thus supporting the potential of our design for on-chip single-photon sources applications.
ABSTRACT
We apply an InGaAs quantum dot based single-photon source for the absolute detection efficiency calibration of a silicon single-photon avalanche diode operating in Geiger mode. The single-photon source delivers up to (2.55 ± 0.02) × 106 photons per second inside a multimode fiber at the wavelength of 929.8 nm for above-band pulsed excitation with a repetition rate of 80 MHz. The purity of the single-photon emission, expressed by the value of the 2nd order correlation function g(2)(τ = 0), is between 0.14 and 0.24 depending on the excitation power applied to the quantum dot. The single-photon flux is sufficient to be measured with an analog low-noise reference detector, which is traceable to the national standard for optical radiant flux. The measured detection efficiency using the single-photon source remains constant within the measurement uncertainty for different photon fluxes. The corresponding weighted mean thus amounts to 0.3263 with a standard uncertainty of 0.0022.
ABSTRACT
In this work, we present a stand-alone and fiber-coupled quantum-light source. The plug-and-play device is based on an optically driven quantum dot delivering single photons via an optical fiber. The quantum dot is deterministically integrated in a monolithic microlens which is precisely coupled to the core of an optical fiber via active optical alignment and epoxide adhesive bonding. The rigidly coupled fiber-emitter assembly is integrated in a compact Stirling cryocooler with a base temperature of 35 K. We benchmark our practical quantum device via photon auto-correlation measurements revealing g(2)(0) = 0.07 ± 0.05 under continuous-wave excitation and we demonstrate triggered non-classical light at a repetition rate of 80 MHz. The long-term stability of our quantum light source is evaluated by endurance tests showing that the fiber-coupled quantum dot emission is stable within 4% over several successive cool-down/warm-up cycles. Additionally, we demonstrate non-classical photon emission for a user-intervention-free 100-hour test run and stable single-photon count rates up to 11.7 kHz with a standard deviation of 4%.
ABSTRACT
Integrated single-photon sources with high photon-extraction efficiency are key building blocks for applications in the field of quantum communications. We report on a bright single-photon source realized by on-chip integration of a deterministic quantum dot microlens with a 3D-printed multilens micro-objective. The device concept benefits from a sophisticated combination of in situ 3D electron-beam lithography to realize the quantum dot microlens and 3D femtosecond direct laser writing for creation of the micro-objective. In this way, we obtain a high-quality quantum device with broadband photon-extraction efficiency of (40 ± 4)% and high suppression of multiphoton emission events with g(2)(τ = 0) < 0.02. Our results highlight the opportunities that arise from tailoring the optical properties of quantum emitters using integrated optics with high potential for the further development of plug-and-play fiber-coupled single-photon sources.
ABSTRACT
We report on a 3D electron beam lithography (EBL) technique using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in the negative-tone regime as a resist. First, we briefly demonstrate 3D EBL at room temperature. Then we concentrate on cryogenic temperatures where PMMA exhibits a low contrast, which allows for straightforward patterning of 3D nano- and microstructures. However, conventional EBL patterning at cryogenic temperatures is found to cause severe damage to the microstructures. Through an extensive study of lithography parameters, exposure techniques, and processing steps we deduce a hypothesis for the cryogenic PMMA's structural evolution under electron beam irradiation that explains the damage. In accordance with this hypothesis, a two step lithography technique involving a wide-area pre-exposure dose slightly smaller than the onset dose is applied. It enables us to demonstrate a >95% process yield for the low-temperature fabrication of 3D microstructures.
ABSTRACT
Optimized light-matter coupling in semiconductor nanostructures is a key to understand their optical properties and can be enabled by advanced fabrication techniques. Using in situ electron beam lithography combined with a low-temperature cathodoluminescence imaging, we deterministically fabricate microlenses above selected InAs quantum dots (QDs), achieving their efficient coupling to the external light field. This enables performing four-wave mixing microspectroscopy of single QD excitons, revealing the exciton population and coherence dynamics. We infer the temperature dependence of the dephasing in order to address the impact of phonons on the decoherence of confined excitons. The loss of the coherence over the first picoseconds is associated with the emission of a phonon wave packet, also governing the phonon background in photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Using theory based on the independent boson model, we consistently explain the initial coherence decay, the zero-phonon line fraction, and the line shape of the phonon-assisted PL using realistic quantum dot geometries.
ABSTRACT
We report on an advanced in-situ electron-beam lithography technique based on high-resolution cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy at low temperatures. The technique has been developed for the deterministic fabrication and quantitative evaluation of nanophotonic structures. It is of particular interest for the realization and optimization of non-classical light sources which require the pre-selection of single quantum dots (QDs) with very specific emission features. The two-step electron-beam lithography process comprises (a) the detailed optical study and selection of target QDs by means of CL-spectroscopy and (b) the precise retrieval of the locations and integration of target QDs into lithographically defined nanostructures. Our technology platform allows for a detailed pre-process determination of important optical and quantum optical properties of the QDs, such as the emission energies of excitonic complexes, the excitonic fine-structure splitting, the carrier dynamics, and the quantum nature of emission. In addition, it enables a direct and precise comparison of the optical properties of a single QD before and after integration which is very beneficial for the quantitative evaluation of cavity-enhanced quantum devices.
