Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)
CQED-Enhanced Single Photon Sources From InGaAs Quantum Dots
C. Y. Hu, Ricky D. Gibson, J. A. Timpson, Sang Lam, A. M. Fox, Maurice S. Skolnick, M. Hopkinson, A. Tahraoui, John Rarity
Abstract
Historically non-classical sources of single photons have been used to test quantum mechanics and to develop the field of quantum optics. Nowadays the single photon source has become a critical device for quantum communications and optical quantum information processing [Knill, et al., 2001]. A single photon source emits one photon at a time, and its quality can be evaluated by three parameters: quantum efficiency, multi-photon probability, and photon distinguishability. Among the different types single photon sources, InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) are a promising solid state candidate showing high quantum efficiency, no bleaching effect, long-term stability, capable of high repetition rate, and compatible with standard semiconductor processing techniques. Furthermore, QDs can be embedded in micro-cavities or photonic crystal nano-cavities by in situ growth, and thus cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED) can be exploited to improve the performance of QD-based single photon sources in all aspects mentioned above [Santori, et al., 2002].