We study the optical emission from single semiconductor quantum dots coupled to the optical modes of photonic crystal nanocavities. For dots that are both spectrally and spatially coupled, auto-correlation measurements reveal efficient single photon generation, with a drastically reduced lifetime due to the Purcell-effect. However, the multi-photon emission probability is enhanced compared to the same QD transition when it is detuned from the cavity mode by controlled $N_2$-deposition. This indicates the presence of an emission background that is shown to be related to the dot using photon cross-correlation spectroscopy. Photon temporal correlations persist even for large spectral detunings beyond $Δλ\sim-10 nm$, excluding the intrinsic QD continuum and phonon mediated processes as being responsible for the cavity mode emission background. We propose a mechanism based on photon induced shake up processes in the charged quantum dots, enhanced by the optical cavity.
Photonic crystal nanocavities are used to enhance photoluminescence from single-walled carbon nanotubes. Micelle-encapsulated nanotubes are deposited on nanocavities within Si photonic crystal slabs and confocal microscopy is used to characterize the devices. Photoluminescence spectra and images reveal nanotube emission coupled to nanocavity modes. The cavity modes can be tuned throughout the emission wavelengths of carbon nanotubes, demonstrating the ability to enhance photoluminescence from a variety of chiralities.
Ga$_{0.51}$In$_{0.49}$P is a promising candidate for thermally tunable nanophotonic devices due to its low thermal conductivity. In this work we study its thermo-optical response. We obtain the linear thermo-optical coefficient $dn/dT=2.0\pm0.3\cdot 10^{-4}\,\rm{K}^{-1}$ by investigating the transmission properties of a single mode-gap photonic crystal nanocavity.
We design high quality factor photonic crystal nanobeam cavities formed by two mechanically isolated cantilevers. These "split-beam" cavities have a physical gap at the center, allowing mechanical excitations of one or both of the cavity halves. They are designed by analyzing the optical band structures and mode profiles of waveguides perforated by elliptical holes and rectangular gaps, and are predicted to support optical resonances with quality factors exceeding 1E6 at wavelengths of ~ 1.6 um.
We have realized and measured a GaAs nanocavity in a slab photonic crystal based on the design by Kuramochi et al. [Appl. Phys.Lett., \textbf{88}, 041112, (2006)]. We measure a quality factor Q=700,000, which proves that ultra-high Q nanocavities are also feasible in GaAs. We show that, due to larger two-photon absorption (TPA) in GaAs, nonlinearities appear at the microwatt-level and will be more functional in gallium arsenide than in silicon nanocavities.
We present a temperature dependent photoluminescence study of silicon optical nanocavities formed by introducing point defects into two-dimensional photonic crystals. In addition to the prominent TO phonon assisted transition from crystalline silicon at ~1.10 eV we observe a broad defect band luminescence from ~1.05-1.09 eV. Spatially resolved spectroscopy demonstrates that this defect band is present only in the region where air-holes have been etched during the fabrication process. Detectable emission from the cavity mode persists up to room-temperature, in strong contrast the background emi…
Photonic nanocavities are a key component in many applications because of their capability of trapping and storing photons and enhancing interactions of light with various functional materials and structures. The maximal number of photons that can be stored in silicon photonic cavities is limited by the free-carrier and thermo-optic effects at room temperature. To reduce such effects, we performed the first experimental study of optical nonlinearities in ultrahigh-Q silicon disk nanocavities at cryogenic temperatures in a superfluid helium environment. At elevated input power, the cavity trans…
We demonstrate enhancements of Raman scattering from graphene on two-dimensional photonic crystals using double resonances, which originate from simultaneous enhancements by a localized guided mode and a cavity mode. By adjusting the photonic crystal cavity parameters, the double resonance can be tuned to the G' Raman scattering. Excitation wavelength dependence measurements show a large Raman peak enhancement when the excitation and emission wavelengths meet the double resonance condition. Furthermore, spatial imaging measurements are performed to confirm that the enhancement is localized at …
We propose a method to generate path-entangled $N00N$-state photons from quantum dots (QDs) and coupled nanocavities. In the systems we considered, cavity mode frequencies are tuned close to the biexciton two-photon resonance. Under appropriate conditions, the system can have the target $N00N$ state in the energy eigenstate, as a consequence of destructive quantum interference. The $N00N$ state can be generated by the resonant laser excitation. This method, first introduced for two-photon $N00N$ state ($N=2$), can be extended toward higher $N00N$ state ($N>2$) based on our recipe, which is app…
We present a comparative micro-photoluminescence study of the emission intensity of self-assembled germanium islands coupled to the resonator mode of two-dimensional silicon photonic crystal defect nanocavities. The emission intensity is investigated for cavity modes of L3 and Hexapole cavities with different cavity quality factors. For each of these cavities many nominally identical samples are probed to obtain reliable statistics. As the quality factor increases we observe a clear decrease in the average mode emission intensity recorded under comparable optical pumping conditions. This clear…
In this paper, we investigate the generation of continuous variable entanglement between two spatially-separate nanocavities mediated by a coupled resonator optical waveguide in photonic crystals. By solving the exact dynamics of the cavity system coupled to the waveguide, the entanglement and purity of the two-mode cavity state are discussed in detail for the initially separated squeezing inputs. It is found that the stable and pure entangled state of the two distant nanocavities can be achieved with the requirement of only a weak cavity-waveguide coupling when the cavities are resonant with …
Integrating quantum emitters into nanocavities which simultaneously couple to the photonic and mechanical modes is critical for interfacing electron spins, photons and phonons in the cavity QED system. Here, we investigate the interaction between the charged boron vacancy $V_B^-$, ultra-high-Q ($\sim10^5$) cavity photonic modes and local phonon modes. A pronounced asymmetry is observed in the emission spectrum for cavities with Q-factor above a threshold of 10$^4$. Similar asymmetries are not observed for cavities without $V_B^-$ centers. To explain our findings, we model the system with phono…
Atomically thin semiconductors can be readily integrated into a wide range of nanophotonic architectures for applications in quantum photonics and novel optoelectronic devices. We report the observation of nonlocal interactions of \textit{free} trions in pristine hBN/MoS$_2$/hBN heterostructures coupled to single mode (Q $>10^4$) quasi 0D nanocavities. The high excitonic and photonic quality of the interaction system stems from our integrated nanofabrication approach simultaneously with the hBN encapsulation and the maximized local cavity field amplitude within the MoS$_2$ monolayer. We observ…
Photonic crystal membranes (PCM) provide a versatile planar platform for on-chip implementations of photonic quantum circuits. One prominent quantum element is a coupled system consisting of a nanocavity and a single quantum dot (QD) which forms a fundamental building block for elaborate quantum information networks and a cavity quantum electrodynamic (cQED) system controlled by single photons. So far no fast tuning mechanism is available to achieve control within the system coherence time. Here we demonstrate dynamic tuning by monochromatic coherent acoustic phonons formed by a surface acoust…
We report on the design, fabrication and optical characterization of bichromatic photonic crystal cavities in thin silicon membranes, with resonances around 1550 nm wavelength. The cavity designs are based on a recently proposed photonic crystal implementation of the Aubry-André-Harper bichromatic potential, which relies on the superposition of two one-dimensional lattices with non-integer ratio between the periodicity constants. In photonic crystal nanocavities, this confinement mechanism is such that optimized figures of merit can be straightforwardly achieved, in particular an ultra-high-Q …
Single-crystal diamond, with its unique optical, mechanical and thermal properties, has emerged as a promising material with applications in classical and quantum optics. However, the lack of heteroepitaxial growth and scalable fabrication techniques remain major limiting factors preventing more wide-spread development and application of diamond photonics. In this work, we overcome this difficulty by adapting angled-etching techniques, previously developed for realization of diamond nanomechanical resonators, to fabricate racetrack resonators and photonic crystal cavities in bulk single-crysta…
Metal/Insulator/Metal nanocavities (MIMs) are highly versatile systems for nanometric light confinement and waveguiding, and their optical properties are mostly interpreted in terms of surface plasmon polaritons. Although classic electromagnetic theory accurately describes their behavior, it often lacks physical insight, letting some fundamental aspects of light interaction with these structures unexplored. In this work, we elaborate a quantum mechanical description of the MIM cavity as a double barrier quantum well. We identify the square of the imaginary part of the refractive index of the m…
We propose the use of nanostructured photonic nanocavities made of second-order nonlinear materials as prospective passive devices to generate strongly sub-Poissonian light via single-photon blockade of an input coherent field. The simplest scheme is based on the requirement that the nanocavity be doubly resonant, i.e. possess cavity modes with good spatial overlap at both the fundamental and second-harmonic frequencies. We discuss feasibility of this scheme with state-of-the art nanofabrication technology, and the possibility to use it as a passive single-photon source on-demand.
Solid-state single-quantum emitters are a crucial resource for on-chip photonic quantum technologies and require efficient cavity-emitter coupling to realize quantum networks beyond the single-node level. Previous approaches to enhance light-matter interactions rely on forming nanocavities around randomly located quantum dots or color centers but lack spatial control of the quantum emitter itself that is required for scaling. Here we demonstrate a deterministic approach to achieve Purcell-enhancement at lithographically defined locations using the sharp corner of a metal nanocube for both elec…
We investigate the conditions yielding plasmon-exciton strong coupling at the single emitter level in the gap between two metal nanoparticles. A quasi-analytical transformation optics approach is developed that makes possible a thorough exploration of this hybrid system incorporating the full richness of its plasmonic spectrum. This allows us to reveal that by placing the emitter away from the cavity center, its coupling to multipolar dark modes of both even and odd parity increases remarkably. This way, reversible dynamics in the population of the quantum emitter takes place in feasible imple…
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are promising absorbers and emitters to enable novel photonic and optoelectronic applications but are also known to severely suffer from low optical quantum yields. Here we demonstrate SWCNTs excitons coupled to plasmonic nanocavities reaching deeply into the Purcell regime with FP=234 (average FP=76), near unity quantum yields of 70% (average 41%), and a photon emission rate of 1.7 MHz into the first lens. The measured ultra-narrow exciton linewidth (18 micro eV) implies furthermore generation of indistinguishable single photons from a SWCNT. To demonst…
Lasers are ubiquitous for information storage, processing, communications, sensing, biological research, and medical applications [1]. To decrease their energy and materials usage, a key quest is to miniaturize lasers down to nanocavities [2]. Obtaining the smallest mode volumes demands plasmonic nanocavities, but for these, gain comes from only single or few emitters. Until now, lasing in such devices was unobtainable due to low gain and high cavity losses [3]. Here, we demonstrate a plasmonic nanolaser approaching the single-molecule emitter regime. The lasing transition significantly broade…
The coupling between multiple nanocavities in close vicinity leads to hybridization of their modes. Stacked Metal/Insulator/Metal (MIM) nanocavities constitute a highly versatile and very interesting model system to study and engineer such mode coupling, since they can be realized by lithography-free fabrication methods with fine control on the optical and geometrical parameters. The resonant modes of such MIM cavities are epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) resonances, which are appealing for non-linear photophysics and a variety of applications. Here we study the hybridization of ENZ resonances in MIMIM…
Directing and polarizing the emission of a fluorophore is of fundamental importance in the perspective of novel photonic sources based on emerging nano-emitter technologies. These two tasks are usually accomplished by a sophisticated and demanding structuring of the optical environment in which the emitter is immersed, or by non-trivial chemical engineering of its geometry and/or band structure. In this paper, the wavelength and polarization selective spontaneous emission from a dye-embedded in a Metal/Insulator/Metal (d-MIM) nanocavity is demonstrated. A push-pull chromophore with large Stoke…
We develop the analytic theory describing the formation and evolution of entangled quantum states for a fermionic quantum emitter coupled to a quantized electromagnetic field in a nanocavity and quantized phonon or mechanical vibrational modes. The theory is applicable to a broad range of cavity quantum optomechanics problems and emerging research on plasmonic nanocavities coupled to single molecules and other quantum emitters. The optimal conditions for a tri-state entanglement are realized near the parametric resonances in a coupled system. The model includes decoherence effects due to coupl…
We discuss coupling of site-selectively induced quantum emitters in exfoliated monolayers of WSe$_2$ to plasmonic nanostructures. Squared and rectangular gold nanopillars, which are arranged in pitches of \SI{4}{\micro\meter} on the surface, have sizes of tens of nanometers, and act as seeds for the formation of quantum emitters in the atomically thin materials. We observe chraracteristic narrow-band emission signals from the monolayers, which correspond well with the positions of the metallic nanopillars with and without thin dielectric coating. Single photon emission from the emitters is con…
We analyze how the photorelaxation dynamics of a molecule can be controlled by modifying its electromagnetic environment using a nanocavity mode. In particular, we consider the photorelaxation of the RNA nucleobase uracil, which is the natural mechanism to prevent photodamage. In our theoretical work, we identify the operative conditions in which strong coupling with the cavity mode can open an efficient photoprotective channel, resulting in a relaxation dynamics twice as fast than the natural one. We rely on a state-of-the-art chemically-detailed molecular model and a non-Hermitian Hamiltonia…
We study a chain of alternating hot and cold electronic nanocavities -- connected to one another via resonant-tunneling quantum dots -- with the intent of achieving precise thermal control across the chain. This is accomplished by positioning the dots' energy levels such that a predetermined distribution of heat currents is realized across the chain in the steady state. The number of electrons in each cavity is conserved in the steady state which constrains the cavities' chemical potentials. We determine these chemical potentials analytically in the linear response regime where the energy diff…
We present an efficiently pumped single photon source based on single quantum dots (QD) embedded in photonic crystal nanocavities. Resonant excitation of a QD via a higher order cavity mode results in a 100$\times$ reduced optical power at the saturation onset of the photoluminescence, compared with excitation at the same frequency, after the cavity mode is detuned. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this excitation scheme leads to selective excitation of QDs coupled to the cavity by comparing photoluminescence and auto-correlation spectra for the same excitation wavelength with and without the …
Large coupling strengths in exciton-photon interactions are important for quantum photonic network, while strong cavity-quantum-dot interactions have been focused on s-shell excitons with small coupling strengths. Here we demonstrate strong interactions between cavities and p-shell excitons with a great enhancement by the \textit{in situ} wave-function control. The p-shell excitons are demonstrated with much larger wave-function extents and nonlocal interactions beyond the dipole approximation. Then the interaction is tuned from the nonlocal to local regime by the wave-function shrinking, duri…
We demonstrate the controlled enhancement of photoresponsivity in a graphene photodetector by coupling to slow light modes in a long photonic crystal linear defect cavity. Near the Brillouin zone (BZ) boundary, spectral coupling of multiple cavity modes results in broad-band photocurrent enhancement from 1530 nm to 1540 nm. Away from the BZ boundary, individual cavity resonances enhance the photocurrent eight-fold in narrow resonant peaks. Optimization of the photocurrent via critical coupling of the incident field with the graphene-cavity system is discussed. The enhanced photocurrent demonst…
We fabricate and experimentally characterize a $H0$ photonic crystal slab nanocavity with a design optimized for maximal quality factor, $Q = 1.7$ million. The cavity, fabricated from a silicon slab, has a resonant mode at $λ= 1.59 \mathrm{μm}$ and a measured $Q$-factor of $400,000$. It displays nonlinear effects, including high-contrast optical bistability, at a threshold power among the lowest ever reported for a silicon device. With a theoretical modal volume as small as $V = 0.34(λ/n)^3$, this cavity ranks among those with the highest $Q/V$ ratios ever demonstrated, while having a small fo…
We propose a method to overcome Auger recombination in nanocrystal quantum dot lasers using cavity-enhanced spontaneous emission. We derive a numerical model for a laser composed of nanocrystal quantum dots coupled to optical nanocavities with small mode-volume. Using this model, we demonstrate that spontaneous emission enhancement of the biexciton transition lowers the lasing threshold by reducing the effect of Auger recombination. We analyze a photonic crystal nanobeam cavity laser as a realistic device structure that implements the proposed approach.
We demonstrate the effects of cavity quantum electrodynamics for a quantum dot coupled to a photonic molecule, consisting of a pair of coupled photonic crystal cavities. We show anti-crossing between the quantum dot and the two super-modes of the photonic molecule, signifying achievement of the strong coupling regime. From the anti-crossing data, we estimate the contributions of both mode-coupling and intrinsic detuning to the total detuning between the super-modes. Finally, we also show signatures of off-resonant cavity-cavity interaction in the photonic molecule.
Efficient conversion of electrical signal to optical signal in nano-photonics enables solid state integration of electronics and photonics. Combination of graphene with photonic crystals is promising for electro-optic modulation. In this paper, we demonstrate that by electrostatic gating a single layer of graphene on top of a photonic crystal cavity, the cavity resonance can be changed significantly. A ~2nm change in the cavity resonance linewidth and almost 400% (6 dB) change in resonance reflectivity is observed. In addition, our analysis shows that a graphene-photonic crystal device can pot…
We investigate plasmon-emitter interactions in a nanoparticle-on-a-mirror cavity. We consider two different sorts of emitters, those that sustain dipolar transitions, and those hosting only quadrupolar, dipole-inactive, excitons. By means of a fully analytical two-dimensional transformation optics approach, we calculate the light-matter coupling strengths for the full plasmonic spectrum supported by the nanocavity. We reveal the impact of finite-size effects in the exciton charge distribution and describe the population dynamics in a spontaneous emission configuration. Pushing our model beyond…
Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) in photonic nanocavities provide monolithic, robust platforms for both quantum information processing and cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED). An inherent feature of such solid-state cavity QED systems is the presence of electron-phonon interactions, which distinguishes these systems from conventional atomic cavity QED. Understanding the effects of electron-phonon interactions on these systems is indispensable for controlling and exploiting the rich physics that they exhibit. Here we investigate the effects of electron-phonon interactions on a QD-based cavity …
Silicon carbide is evolving as a prominent solid-state platform for the realization of quantum information processing hardware. Angle-etched nanodevices are emerging as a solution to photonic integration in bulk substrates where color centers are best defined. We model triangular cross-section waveguides and photonic crystal cavities using Finite-Difference Time-Domain and Finite-Difference Eigensolver approaches. We analyze optimal color center positioning within the modes of these devices and provide estimates on achievable Purcell enhancement in nanocavities with applications in quantum com…
We demonstrate off-resonant coupling between a single quantum dot and a nanobeam photonic crystal cavity, under resonant excitation of the quantum dot or the cavity. These results are consistent with previous descriptions of off-resonant coupling as an incoherent phonon-mediated process. The extension of this phenomenon to a nanobeam photonic crystal cavity presents interesting possibilities for coherent control of this interaction by tailoring the phonon density of states.
We performed an experimental study of coupled optical cavity arrays in a photonic crystal platform. We find that the coupling between the cavities is significantly larger than the fabrication-induced disorder in the cavity frequencies. Satisfying this condition is necessary for using such cavity arrays to generate strongly correlated photons, which has potential application to the quantum simulation of many-body systems.
We propose a realistic protocol for the preparation and readout of mechanical Bell states in an optomechanical system. The proposal relies on parameters characterizing a photonic crystal cavity mode, coupled to two localized flexural modes of the structure, but equally applies to other optomechanical systems in the same parameter range. The nonclassical states are heralded via optical postselection and revealed in specific interference patterns characterizing the emission at the cavity frequency.
We describe the process of electron condensation into a localized state in a structureless jellium that is coupled to a finite cavity. It is shown that there exists a temperature T_0 below which electrons within the jellium localize. This process is driven by enhancement of correlations between the electrons that are coupled to the cavity.
We apply magnetic fields of up to 7 T to an indium arsenide (InAs) quantum dot (QD) strongly coupled to a photonic crystal cavity. The field lifts the degeneracy of QD exciton spin states, and tune their emission energy by a combination of diamagnetic and Zeeman energy shifts. We use magnetic field tuning to shift the energies of the two spin states to be selectively on resonance with the cavity. Strong coupling between the cavity and both spin states is observed. Magnetic field tuning enables energy shifts as large as 0.83 meV without significant degradation of the QD-cavity coupling strength…
Cavities embedded in photonic crystal waveguides offer a promising route towards large scale integration of coupled resonators for quantum electrodynamics applications. In this letter, we demonstrate a strongly coupled system formed by a single quantum dot and such a photonic crystal cavity. The resonance originating from the cavity is clearly identified from the photoluminescence mapping of the out-of-plane scattered signal along the photonic crystal waveguide. The quantum dot exciton is tuned towards the cavity mode by temperature control. A vacuum Rabi splitting of ~ 140 \mueV is observed a…
This chapter will primarily focus on the studies of quantum optics with semiconductor, epitaxially grown quantum dots embedded in photonic crystal cavities. We will start by giving brief introductions into photonic crystals and quantum dots, then proceed with the introduction to cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects, with a particular emphasis on the demonstration of these effects on the quantum dot-photonic crystal platform. Finally, we will focus on the applications of such cavity QED effects.
Topological phonics has emerged as a novel approach to engineer the flow of light and provides unprecedented means for developing diverse photonic elements, including robust optical waveguides immune to structural imperfections. However, the development of nanoscale standing-wave cavities in topological photonics is rather slow, despite its importance when building densely-integrated photonic integrated circuits. In this Letter, we report a photonic crystal nanocavity based on a topological corner state, supported at a 90-degrees-angled rim of a two dimensional photonic crystal. A combination …
We demonstrate reversible strain-tuning of a quantum dot strongly coupled to a photonic crystal cavity. We observe an average redshift of 0.45 nm for quantum dots located inside the cavity membrane, achieved with an electric field of 15 kV/cm applied to a piezo-electric actuator. Using this technique, we demonstrate the ability to tune a quantum dot into resonance with a photonic crystal cavity in the strong coupling regime, resulting in a clear anti-crossing. The bare cavity resonance is less sensitive to strain than the quantum dot and shifts by only 0.078 nm at the maximum applied electric …
We propose methods for realization of continuous two photon source using coherently pumped quantum dot embedded inside a photonic crystal cavity. We analyze steady state population in quantum dot energy levels and field inside the cavity mode. We find conditions for population inversion in coherently pumped and incoherently pumped quantum dot. We show that squeezing in the output for two two photon laser is not visible using coherent as well as incoherent pump. We discuss effect of phonon coupling using recently developed polaron transformed master equation at low temperatures. We also propose…
We experimentally characterize the spatial far-field emission profiles for the two lowest confined modes of a photonic crystal cavity of the L3 type, finding a good agreement with FDTD simulations. We then link the far-field profiles to relevant features of the cavity mode near-fields, using a simple Fabry-Perot resonator model. The effect of disorder on far-field cavity profiles is clarified through comparison between experiments and simulations. These results can be useful for emission engineering from active centers embedded in the cavity.
We show unusual cooperative two-photon resonance between two-modes of field inside a photonic crystal cavity. The two-photon resonance occurs when two off resonant quantum dots emit one photon in each cavity mode and de-excite simultaneously. In the presence of phonon coupling the conditions for two-photon resonance change significantly. Using such two-photon two-mode interaction we propose to generate entangled state of two qutrits. The basis of a qutrit are formed by the state of the cavity mode containing $0$, $1$ and $2$ photons. We also discuss effect of phonon coupling on negativity of t…
The discovery of robust transport via topological states in electronic, photonic and phononic materials has deepened our understanding of wave propagation in condensed matter with prospects for critical applications of engineered metamaterials in communications, sensing, and controlling the environment. Topological protection of transmission has been demonstrated in the face of bent paths and on-site randomness in the structure. Here we measure the propagation of microwave radiation in a topological medium possessing time reversal symmetry with a cavity adjacent to the edge channel. A coupled-…
We propose a versatile, free-space cavity optomechanics platform built from two photonic crystal membranes, one of which is freely suspended, and designed to form a microcavity less than one wavelength long. This cavity features a series of photonic bound states in the continuum that, in principle, trap light forever and can be favorably used together with evanescent coupling for realizing various types of optomechanical couplings, such as linear or quadratic coupling of either dispersive or dissipative type, by tuning the photonic crystal patterning and cavity length. Crucially, this platform…
Quantum photonic integrated circuit (QPIC) is a promising tool for constructing integrated devices for quantum technology applications. In the optical regime, silicon photonics empowered by complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology provides optical components useful for realizing large-scale QPICs. Optical nonlinearity at the single-photon level is required for QPIC to facilitate photon-photon interaction. However, to date, realization of optical elements with deterministic( i.e., not probabilistic) single-photon nonlinearity by using silicon-based components is challenging, de…
