Deterministic and electrically tunable bright single-photon source
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Updated: May 3, 2026

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
Published on: May 30, 2014
A K Nowak1, S L Portalupi1, V Giesz1
1Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanostructures, CNRS, UPR20, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis, France.
Abstract:
The scalability of a quantum network based on semiconductor quantum dots lies in the possibility of having an electrical control of the quantum dot state as well as controlling its spontaneous emission. The technological challenge is then to define electrical contacts on photonic microstructures optimally coupled to a single quantum emitter. Here we present a novel photonic structure and a technology allowing the deterministic implementation of electrical control for a quantum dot in a microcavity. The device consists of a micropillar connected to a planar cavity through one-dimensional wires; confined optical modes are evidenced with quality factors as high as 33,000. We develop an advanced in-situ lithography technique and demonstrate the deterministic spatial and spectral coupling of a single quantum dot to the connected pillar cavity. Combining this cavity design and technology with a diode structure, we demonstrate a deterministic and electrically tunable single-photon source with an extraction efficiency of around 53 ± 9%.

