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Photon anti-bunching in acoustically pumped quantum dots

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Abstract

Although extensive research on nanostructures has led to the discovery of a number of efficient ways to confine carriers in reduced dimensions, little has been done to make use of the unique properties of various nanostructured systems through coupling by means of the controllable transfer of carriers between them. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach for the controllable transfer of electrons and holes between a semiconductor quantum well and an embedded quantum dot using the moving piezoelectric potential modulation induced by an acoustic phonon. We show that this moving potential not only transfers carriers between the quantum well and an array of quantum dots, but can also control their capture and recombination in discrete quantum dot states within the array. This feature is used to demonstrate a high-frequency, single-photon source with tunable emission energy by acoustically transferring carriers to a selected quantum dot.

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Figure 1: Acoustically pumped photon source.
Figure 2: Optical properties of a short quantum wire (SQWR) array.
Figure 3: Surface acoustic wave (SAW)-induced emission from single dot states.
Figure 4: Time-resolved photoluminescence spectra of a SQWR.
Figure 5: Photon correlation histograms.

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Acknowledgements

We thank T. Aichele and H. T. Grahn for discussions and acknowledge the help of W. Seidel, E. Wiebicke and M. Höricke in the fabrication of the samples. This work was supported by the NanoQUIT consortium, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Germany. F.I. also thanks Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Conselho National de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Brazil, for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik, Hausvogteiplatz 5–7, Berlin, 10117, Germany

    O. D. D. Couto Jr, S. Lazić, F. Iikawa, U. Jahn, R. Hey & P. V. Santos

  2. Instituto de Fïsica ‘Gleb Wataghin’, Unicamp, 13083-980, CP-6165, SP, Brazil

    F. Iikawa

  3. Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L3N6, Ontario, Canada

    J. A. H. Stotz

Authors
  1. O. D. D. Couto Jr
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  2. S. Lazić
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  3. F. Iikawa
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  4. J. A. H. Stotz
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  5. U. Jahn
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  6. R. Hey
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  7. P. V. Santos
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Contributions

O.D.D.C.Jr, S.L. and F.I. performed the experiments and analysed the data. J.A.H.S. and P.V.S. conceived and designed the QWR samples fabricated by R.H. U.J. carried out the cathodoluminescence measurements and the corresponding analysis. P.V.S. supervised the project and, together with S.L., analysed the data and prepared the manuscript.

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Correspondence to S. Lazić.

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Couto, O., Lazić, S., Iikawa, F. et al. Photon anti-bunching in acoustically pumped quantum dots. Nature Photon 3, 645–648 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2009.191

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2009.191

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