Correlations between Cascaded Photons from Spatially Localized Biexcitons in ZnSe

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Solid-state physics
• Materials science

Background:

• Radiative cascades are crucial for generating correlated and entangled photon pairs.
• Semiconductor impurity atoms are a promising platform for quantum light generation.
• Developing new sources of entangled photons is key for quantum technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a radiative cascade using impurity atoms in a semiconductor.
• To explore the potential of impurity-atom complexes in ZnSe for quantum light generation.
• To establish a new pathway for creating entangled photon sources.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a ZnSe quantum well with impurity-atom complexes.
• Observation and analysis of photon emission from biexciton decay.
• Measurement of temporal correlations between emitted photons.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated a radiative cascade from a biexciton decay at an impurity-atom complex.
• Observed clear temporal correlations in the emitted photons, confirming the cascade process.
• Identified impurity atoms in ZnSe as a viable system for radiative cascades.

Conclusions:

• Impurity atoms in ZnSe quantum wells can facilitate radiative cascades.
• This work establishes a new platform for generating entangled photons via radiative cascades.
• The findings pave the way for advancements in photonic quantum technologies.