Abstract
The development of efficient solid-state sources of single photons is a major challenge in the context of quantum communication, optical quantum information processing and metrology1. Such a source must enable the implementation of a stable, single-photon emitter, like a colour centre in diamond2,3,4 or a semiconductor quantum dot5,6,7. Achieving a high extraction efficiency has long been recognized as a major issue, and both classical solutions8 and cavity quantum electrodynamics effects have been applied1,9,10,11,12. We adopt a different approach, based on an InAs quantum dot embedded in a GaAs photonic nanowire with carefully tailored ends13. Under optical pumping, we demonstrate a record source efficiency of 0.72, combined with pure single-photon emission. This non-resonant approach also provides broadband spontaneous emission control, thus offering appealing novel opportunities for the development of single-photon sources based on spectrally broad emitters, wavelength-tunable sources or efficient sources of entangled photon pairs.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the pioneering experimental work of R. Hahner and Y.-R. Nowicki-Bringuier, as well as stimulating discussion with I. Friedler, B. Gayral, J.-P. Hugonin, G. Lecamp, J. Mørk and T.R. Nielsen. The work was supported financially by IST-FET European project QPhoton (J.C., J.M.G. and N.G.), ‘Nanosciences aux limites de la Nanoélectronique’ Fundation (J.C. and N.S.M.), Danish Research Council for Technology and Production (N.G.) and NanoEPR project of the 2006 NanoSci-ERA European programm (C.S. and P.L.). Sample fabrication was carried out in the ‘Plateforme technologique amont’ and CEA LETI MINATEC/DOPT clean rooms.
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J.C., N.S.M. and M.B. fabricated the sample. J.B. and P.J. conducted the optical characterizations. N.G., C.S. and P.L. provided theoretical modelling. J.M.G. supervised the project. J.C, J.B. and J.M.G. wrote the paper. All authors commented on the results and the manuscript.
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Claudon, J., Bleuse, J., Malik, N. et al. A highly efficient single-photon source based on a quantum dot in a photonic nanowire. Nature Photon 4, 174–177 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2009.287x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2009.287x
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