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Updated: May 16, 2026

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
Published on: May 30, 2014
Dynamics of nonclassical light from a single solid-state quantum emitter
Edward B Flagg1, Sergey V Polyakov, Tim Thomay
1Joint Quantum Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Maryland, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA. edward.flagg@nist.gov
Abstract:
We measure the dynamics of a nonclassical optical field using two-time second-order correlations in conjunction with pulsed excitation. The technique quantifies single-photon purity and coherence during the excitation-decay cycle of an emitter, illustrated here using a quantum dot. We observe that for certain pump wavelengths, photons detected early in the cycle have reduced single-photon purity and coherence compared to those detected later. A model indicates that the single-photon purity dynamics are due to exciton recapture after initial emission and within the same pulse cycle.
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