Letter abstract


Nature Physics 3, 106 - 110 (2007)
doi:10.1038/nphys494

Subject Categories: Electronics, photonics and device physics | Condensed-matter physics | Nanotechnology | Optical physics | Quantum physics

Superradiance of quantum dots

Michael Scheibner1, Thomas Schmidt1, Lukas Worschech1, Alfred Forchel1, Gerd Bacher2, Thorsten Passow3 and Detlef Hommel3

aPresent address: Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC 20375, USA

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In 1954, Dicke pointed out that the description of a spontaneously radiating gas has to include the fact that all atoms or molecules interact with a common radiation field1. Consequently, the individual particles may not be considered as independent sources of radiation. In this regard, the question arises of whether quantum dot (QD) systems may also exhibit signatures of cooperative radiation and hence have to be considered as coupled quantum systems. Here, we present experimental evidence for a long-range electromagnetic interaction between laterally arranged QDs. The experimental results suggest that the QDs do not behave like independent objects as long as they form an ensemble of QDs. By removing QDs from the sample, we found that the coupling was reduced. The range of interaction is shown to be at least 150 nm. This may therefore provide a mechanism to couple discrete quantum objects on a large scale.

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  1. Physikalisches Institut, Technische Physik, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
  2. Werkstoffe der Elektrotechnik, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Bismarckstrasse 81, D-47057 Duisburg, Germany
  3. Institut für Festkörperphysik, Universität Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee, D-28359 Bremen, Germany

Correspondence to: Michael Scheibner1 e-mail: michael.scheibner@physik.uni-wuerzburg.de

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