Efficient spectroscopy of single embedded emitters using optical fiber taper waveguides

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Materials Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Efficient light collection is crucial for characterizing single emitters.
• Standard free-space collection methods have limitations in efficiency.
• Thin dielectric membranes are used for embedding single emitters like quantum dots.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of optical fiber taper waveguides for probing single emitters in thin dielectric membranes.
• To predict photoluminescence collection efficiencies achievable with this technique.
• To compare the proposed method with standard free-space collection.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations were employed to model the optical fiber taper waveguide system.
• The geometry of the dielectric membrane was optimized for enhanced light collection.
• Photoluminescence collection efficiency was calculated based on simulated optical properties.

Main Results:

• Photoluminescence collection efficiencies exceeding 10% were predicted for optimized membrane geometries.
• This efficiency is an order of magnitude higher than standard free-space collection.
• The technique shows promise for efficient spectroscopy of single emitters in thin films.

Conclusions:

• Optical fiber taper waveguides provide an efficient method for probing single emitters in thin films.
• The predicted efficiencies suggest a significant advancement over existing collection techniques.
• This approach is well-suited for applications such as single self-assembled quantum dot spectroscopy.