Single photon source based on a quantum dot molecule in an optical cavity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9619754-B2
Application number	US-201514822794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2015
Priority date	Aug 13, 2014
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A solid-state device for generating a single photon for quantum information processing, the device including: a quantum dot molecule including: a first singly-charged quantum dot; and a second singly-charged quantum dot; wherein the first singly-charged quantum dot is adjacent to the second singly-charged quantum dot; and a tunnel barrier that separates the first singly-charged quantum dot from the second singly-charged quantum dot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solid-state device for generating a single photon for quantum information processing, the device comprising:
an optical cavity and
a quantum dot molecule in the optical cavity, the quantum dot molecule comprising:
a first singly-charged quantum dot; and
a second singly-charged quantum dot adjacent to said first singly-charged quantum dot; and

a tunnel barrier that separates said first singly-charged quantum dot from said second singly-charged quantum dot.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein said quantum dot molecule is configured to have energy levels comprising:
a first energy level;
a second energy level; and
a third energy level,
wherein said first energy level is lower than said second energy level and said second energy level is lower than said third energy level, and
wherein said first energy level and said second energy level are closely spaced ground states and said third energy level is an optically excited state for said quantum dot molecule.

3. The device of claim 2 , configured to be a stationary quantum memory wherein said first energy level and said second energy level are used as a qubit bit.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein said optical cavity comprises any of a photonic crystal cavity, a waveguide, and a pillar etched into a semiconductor substrate.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein said quantum dot molecule is configured to receive a laser beam, and wherein said laser beam triggers a Raman photon.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein a frequency of said Raman photon is shifted from a frequency of said laser beam by an exchange frequency, and wherein a thickness of said tunnel barrier determines said exchange frequency.

7. The device of claim 6 , further configured to feed said Raman photon to a filter, said filter configured to filter said Raman photon from said laser beam.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein said first quantum dot and said second quantum dot comprise indium arsenide quantum dots grown in a gallium arsenide substrate, and wherein gallium arsenide of the substrate constitutes said tunnel barrier.

9. A system for generating a single photon comprising:
a first singly-charged quantum dot;
a second singly-charged quantum dot adjacent to said first singly-charged quantum dot;
an optical cavity for the first and second singly-changed quantum dots; and
a tunnel barrier that separates said first singly-charged quantum dot from said second singly-charged quantum dot.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said optical cavity comprises any of a photonic crystal cavity, a waveguide, and a pillar etched into a semiconductor substrate.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein said first and second single-charged quantum dots are configured to have energy levels comprising:
a first energy level;
a second energy level; and
a third energy level,
wherein said first energy level is lower than said second energy level and said second energy level is lower than said third energy level, and
wherein said first energy level and said second energy level are closely spaced ground states and said third energy level is an optically excited state for said first and second quantum dots.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a filter configured to filter said Raman photon from said laser beam.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein said first quantum dot and said second quantum dot comprise indium arsenide quantum dots grown in a gallium arsenide substrate, and wherein gallium arsenide of the substrate constitutes said tunnel barrier.

Assignees

• Gammon Daniel
• Carter Samuel
• Bracker Allan S
• Vora Patrick
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Gammon Daniel
• Carter Samuel
• Bracker Allan S
• Vora Patrick

Classifications

• B82Y20/00

  Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals · CPC title

• Y10S977/774

  Exhibiting three-dimensional carrier confinement, e.g. quantum dots · CPC title

• G02F1/0126

  Opto-optical modulation, i.e. control of one light beam by another light beam, not otherwise provided for in this subclass · CPC title

• G02F2203/15

  involving resonance effects, e.g. resonantly enhanced interaction · CPC title

• G02F2202/32

  Photonic crystals · CPC title