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Ultrafast room temperature single-photon source from nanowire-quantum dots
S Bounouar1, M Elouneg-Jamroz, M den Hertog
1"Nanophysics and Semiconductor" Group, CNRS-Institut Néel, 25 rue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
Nano Letters
|May 4, 2012
Summary
Epitaxial semiconductor quantum dots in nanowires demonstrate room-temperature single-photon emission. This breakthrough offers the fastest single-photon emitter for compact, high-repetition-rate devices.
Area of Science:
- Semiconductor Nanostructures
- Quantum Optics
- Photonics
Background:
- Epitaxial semiconductor quantum dots are promising for single-photon sources.
- Their compatibility with manufacturing and compact device integration is advantageous.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate room-temperature single-photon emission from an epitaxial quantum dot within a nanowire.
- To identify the optimal transition for single-photon emission at elevated temperatures.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of epitaxial cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots within zinc selenide (ZnSe) nanowires.
- Optical characterization of quantum dot emission properties at room temperature.
Main Results:
- Achieved single-photon emission up to room temperature from CdSe quantum dots in ZnSe nanowires.
- Resolved exciton and biexciton lines at room temperature.
- Identified the biexciton transition as optimal for single-photon emission due to exciton-dark state decay.
- Demonstrated an intrinsically short radiative decay time of approximately 300 ps.
- The system represents the fastest room-temperature single-photon emitter.
Conclusions:
- Epitaxial quantum dots in nanowires are viable room-temperature single-photon sources.
- The demonstrated system offers potential for gigahertz repetition rates in compact devices.
- This work advances the development of practical quantum information technologies.
