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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Nonlinear optics near the single photon level with quantum dots coupled to photonic crystals

Edo Waks A, Deepak Sridharan, Ranojoy Bose, Hyochul Kim, Thomas Shen, Glenn S. Solomon

Published Aug 19, 2011• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Low power optical nonlinearities are a crucial requirement for data routing and next generation all-optical processing. The majority of nonlinear optical devices to date exploit weak nonlinearities from a large ensemble of atomic systems, resulting in both high power dissipation and a large device footprint. Quantum dots (QDs) coupled to photonic crystals can provide significant reduction in both device size and power dissipation. The interaction between these two systems creates extremely strong light-matter interaction owing to the tight optical confinement of photonic crystals and large oscillator strengths of QDs. Such interactions enable optical nonlinearities near the single photon level. In this work we investigate the nonlinear properties of QDs coupled to photonic crystals. We demonstrate large optical Stark shift with only 10 photons. We then propose and demonstrate a novel photonic circuit that can route light on a chip with extremely low optical powers.

DOI
10.1117/12.891780

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Low power optical nonlinearities are a crucial requirement for data routing and next generation all-optical processing. The majority of nonlinear optical devices to date exploit weak nonlinearities from a large ensemble of atomic systems, resulting in both high power dissipation and a large device footprint. Quantum dots (QDs) coupled to photonic crystals can provide significant reduction in both device size and power dissipation. The interaction between these two systems creates extremely strong light-matter interaction owing to the tight optical confinement of photonic crystals and large oscillator strengths of QDs. Such interactions enable optical nonlinearities near the single photon level. In this work we investigate the nonlinear properties of QDs coupled to photonic crystals. We demonstrate large optical Stark shift with only 10 photons. We then propose and demonstrate a novel photonic circuit that can route light on a chip with extremely low optical powers.
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We coherently probe a quantum dot that is strongly coupled to a photonic crystal nano-cavity by scattering of a resonant laser beam. The coupled system's response is highly nonlinear as the quantum dot saturates with nearly one photon per cavity lifetime. This system enables large amplitude and phase shifts of a signal beam via a control beam, both at single photon levels. We demonstrate photon-photon interactions with short pulses in a system that is promising for ultra-low power switches and two-qubit quantum gates.
The sub-wavelength optical confinement and low optical loss of nanophotonic devices dramatically enhances the interaction between light and matter within these structures. When nanophotonic devices are combined with an efficient optical coupling channel, nonlinear optical behavior can be observed at low power levels in weakly-nonlinear materials. In a similar vein, when resonant atomic systems interact with nanophotonic devices, atom-photon coupling effects can be observed at a single quanta level. Crucially, the chip based nature of nanophotonics provides a scalable platform from which to study these effects. This thesis addresses the use of nanophotonic devices in nonlinear and quantum optics, including device design, optical coupling, fabrication and testing, modeling, and integration with more complex systems. We present a fiber taper coupling technique that allows efficient power transfer from an optical fiber into a photonic crystal waveguide. Greater than 97% power transfer into a silicon photonic crystal waveguide is demonstrated. This optical channel is then connected to a high-Q (> 40,000), ultra-small mode volume (V 44% of the photons input to a fiber. This permits the observation of optical bistability in silicon for sub-mW input powers at telecommunication wavelengths. To port this technology to cavity QED experiments at near-visible wavelengths, we also study silicon nitride microdisk cavities at wavelengths near 852 nm, and observe resonances with Q > 3 million and V
At the quantum limit of nonlinear optics, where single photons interact with individual emitters, new phenomena are found. One-dimensional, subwavelength waveguides have recently emerged as a promising quantum optical platform capable of both guiding and confining photons, leading to efficient light-matter interactions and enhancing quantum optical nonlinearities. We explore this regime using both single organic molecules and epitaxially grown quantum dots coupled to nanoscale waveguides. In the first case, two-color experiments allow us to observe distinctly quantum nonlinearities such as Stark shifts of the molecular resonances or amplification without population inversion, although we are limited by relatively weak molecule-waveguide coupling. In contrast, quantum dots can be nearly perfectly coupled to waveguides, allowing us to demonstrate optical nonlinearities at the true single photon level. These, as we discuss, can be used as a basis for novel on-chip quantum technologies.
A single semiconductor quantum dot that is strongly coupled to a photonic crystal nanocavity yields optical nonlinearities at the single photon level. The promise of quantum information processing is driving developments in several different physical implementations. Photons are attractive as carriers of quantum information be-cause they can travel long distances without losing their infor-mation through interactions with their environment. However, their passive nature can be a problem in applications such as the construction of logic gates, where it is necessary for two or more photons to interact. This interaction requires a nonlinear optical medium. Particularly strong nonlinearities are achieved when photons drive an emitter near its resonance frequency, and this nonlinearity is even greater if the photon is confined near the emitter in an optical cavity.