Journal Article

A highly efficient single-photon source based on a quantum dot in a photonic nanowire

Sauvan, Christophe, Malik, Nitin Singh, Jaffrennou, Périne, Gregersen, Niels, Claudon, Julien, Bleuse, Joël, Gérard, Jean-Michel, Lalanne, Philippe, Bazin, Maela

2010

Overview

The development of efficient solid-state sources of single photons is a major challenge in the context of quantum communication, optical quantum information processing and metrology. Such a source must enable the implementation of a stable, single-photon emitter, like a colour centre in diamond or a semiconductor quantum dot. Achieving a high extraction efficiency has long been recognized as a major issue, and both classical solutions and cavity quantum electrodynamics effects have been applied. We adopt a different approach, based on an InAs quantum dot embedded in a GaAs photonic nanowire with carefully tailored ends. Under optical pumping, we demonstrate a record source efficiency of 0.72, combined with pure single-photon emission. This non-resonant approach also provides broadband spontaneous emission control, thus offering appealing novel opportunities for the development of single-photon sources based on spectrally broad emitters, wavelength-tunable sources or efficient sources of entangled photon pairs.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: Applied sciences / Cavity quantum electrodynamics ; micromasers / Classical and quantum physics: mechanics and fields / Emissions control / Exact sciences and technology / Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications) / Nanocomposites / Nanomaterials / Nanostructure / Optical telecommunications / Optics / Photonics / Physics / Quantum communication / Quantum dots / Quantum information / Quantum optics / Telecommunications / Telecommunications and information theory