arXiv subjects

L. R. Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to L. R. Wilson.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Chiral Quantum Optics with Scalable Quantum Dot Dimers

We present a scalable method for electrically tuning multiple spatially separated quantum dots embedded in photonic crystal waveguides. Ion implantation into the top p-doped layer of a p-i-n diode creates high-resistivity tracks, providing electrical isolation between adjacent regions. Unlike physical etching, this method preserves the guided-mode profile of the photonic crystal without introducing significant scattering, limiting refractive index perturbations to below 0.001 with 0.01% additional loss. In contrast, physical etching can reduce single-band transmission by more than 30% for an etch width of 100 nm. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach using quantum dots embedded in a glideplane photonic crystal waveguide, controlling the detuning between different spin-state combinations of two highly chiral quantum dots coupled to the same mode. Second-order photon correlation measurements provide a sensitive probe of the chirality-dependent photon statistics, which are in good agreement with a waveguide-QED master equation model. Our results mark an important step towards scalable, multi-emitter architectures for chiral quantum networks.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Stark Tuning and Charge State Control in Individual Telecom C-Band Quantum Dots

Telecom wavelength quantum dots (QDs) are emerging as a promising solution for generating deterministic single photons compatible with existing fiber optic infrastructure. Emission in the low loss C band minimizes transmission losses, making them ideal for long distance quantum communication. In this work, we present a demonstration of both Stark tuning and charge state control of individual InAs/InP QDs operating within the telecom C-band. These QDs are grown by droplet epitaxy and embedded in an InP based n++-i-n+ heterostructure fabricated using MOVPE. The gated architecture enables the tuning of emission energy via the quantum confined Stark effect, with a tuning range exceeding 2.4 nm. It also allows for control over the QD charge occupancy, enabling access to multiple discrete excitonic states. Electrical tuning of the fine structure splitting is further demonstrated, opening a route to entangled photon pair generation at telecom wavelengths. The single photon character is confirmed via second order correlation measurements. These advances enable QDs to be tuned into resonance with other systems, such as cavity modes and emitters, marking a critical step toward scalable, fiber compatible quantum photonic devices.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Topological and conventional nano-photonic waveguides for directional integrated quantum optics

Chirality in integrated quantum photonics has emerged as a promising route towards achieving scalable quantum technologies with quantum nonlinearity effects. Topological photonic waveguides, which utilize helical optical modes, have been proposed as a novel approach to harnessing chiral light-matter interactions on-chip. However, uncertainties remain regarding the nature and strength of the chiral coupling to embedded quantum emitters, hindering the scalability of these systems. In this work, we present a comprehensive investigation of chiral coupling in topological photonic waveguides using a combination of experimental, theoretical, and numerical analyses. We quantitatively characterize the position-dependence nature of the light-matter coupling on several topological photonic waveguides and benchmark their chiral coupling performance against conventional line defect waveguides for chiral quantum optical applications. Our results provide crucial insights into the degree and characteristics of chiral light-matter interactions in topological photonic quantum circuits and pave the way towards the implementation of quantitatively-predicted quantum nonlinear effects on-chip.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Controlling coherence between waveguide-coupled quantum dots

We present a novel waveguide design that incorporates a split-diode structure, allowing independent electrical control of transition energies of multiple emitters over a wide range with minimal loss in waveguide coupling efficiency. We use this design to systematically map out the transition from superradiant to independent emission from two quantum dots. We perform both lifetime as well as Hanbury Brown-Twiss measurements on the device, observing anti-dips in the photon coincidences indicating collective emission while at the same time observing a drop in lifetime around zero detuning, indicating superradiant behaviour. Performing both measurement types allows us to investigate detuning regions which show both superradiant rate enhancement and inter-emitter coherence, as well as regions in which correlations persist in the absence of rate enhancement.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Nonlinear Quantum Optics at a Topological Interface Enabled by Defect Engineering

The integration of topology into photonics has generated a new design framework for constructing robust and unidirectional waveguides, which are not feasible with traditional photonic devices. Here, we overcome current barriers to the successful integration of quantum emitters such as quantum dots (QDs) into valley-Hall (VH) topological waveguides, utilising photonic defects at the topological interface to stabilise the local charge environment and inverse design for efficient topological-conventional mode conversion. By incorporating QDs within defects of VH-photonic crystals, we demonstrate the first instances of single-photon resonant fluorescence and resonant transmission spectroscopy of a quantum emitter at a topological waveguide interface. Our results bring together topological photonics with optical nonlinear effects at the single-photon level, offering a new avenue to investigate the interaction between topology and quantum nonlinear systems.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Engineering strong chiral light-matter interactions in a waveguide-coupled nanocavity

Spin-dependent, directional light-matter interactions form the basis of chiral quantum networks. In the solid state, quantum emitters commonly possess circularly polarised optical transitions with spin-dependent handedness. We demonstrate numerically that spin-dependent chiral coupling can be realised by embedding such an emitter in a waveguide-coupled nanocavity, which supports two near-degenerate, orthogonally-polarised cavity modes. The chiral behaviour arises due to direction-dependent interference between the cavity modes upon coupling to two single-mode output waveguides. Notably, an experimentally realistic cavity design simultaneously supports near-unity chiral contrast, efficient ($β> 0.95$) waveguide coupling and enhanced light-matter interaction strength (Purcell factor $F_P > 70$). In combination, these parameters could enable the development of highly coherent spin-photon interfaces, ready for integration into nanophotonic circuits.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

A chiral topological add-drop filter for integrated quantum photonic circuits

The integration of quantum emitters within topological nano-photonic devices opens up new avenues for the control of light-matter interactions at the single photon level. Here, we realise a spin-dependent, chiral light-matter interface using individual semiconductor quantum dots embedded in a topological add-drop filter. The filter is imprinted within a valley-Hall photonic crystal (PhC) membrane and comprises a resonator evanescently coupled to a pair of access waveguides. We show that the longitudinal modes of the resonator enable the filter to perform wavelength-selective routing of light, protected by the underlying topology. Furthermore, we demonstrate that for a quantum dot located at a chiral point in the resonator, selective coupling occurs between well-defined spin states and specific output ports of the topological device. This behaviour is fundamental to the operation of chiral devices such as a quantum optical circulator. Our device therefore represents a topologically-protected building block with potential to play an enabling role in the development of chiral integrated quantum photonic circuits.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

A Semiconductor Topological Photonic Ring Resonator

Unidirectional photonic edge states arise at the interface between two topologically-distinct photonic crystals. Here, we demonstrate a micron-scale GaAs photonic ring resonator, created using a spin Hall-type topological photonic crystal waveguide. Embedded InGaAs quantum dots are used to probe the mode structure of the device. We map the spatial profile of the resonator modes, and demonstrate control of the mode confinement through tuning of the photonic crystal lattice parameters. The intrinsic chirality of the edge states makes them of interest for applications in integrated quantum photonics, and the resonator represents an important building block towards the development of such devices with embedded quantum emitters.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

Tunable photon statistics exploiting the Fano effect in a waveguide

A strong optical nonlinearity arises when coherent light is scattered by a semiconductor quantumdot (QD) coupled to a nano-photonic waveguide. We exploit the Fano effect in such a waveguide to control the phase of the quantum interference underpinning the nonlinearity, experimentally demonstrating a tunable quantum optical filter which converts a coherent input state into either a bunched, or antibunched non-classical output state. We show theoretically that the generation of non-classical light is predicated on the formation of a two-photon bound state due to the interaction of the input coherent state with the QD. Our model demonstrates that the tunable photon statistics arise from the dependence of the sign of two-photon interference (either constructive or destructive) on the detuning of the input relative to the Fano resonance.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Non-Reciprocal Transmission and Reflection of a Chirally-Coupled Quantum Dot

We report strongly non-reciprocal behaviour for quantum dot exciton spins coupled to nano-photonic waveguides under resonant laser excitation. A clear dependence of the transmission spectrum on the propagation direction is found for a chirally-coupled quantum dot, with spin up and spin down exciton spins coupling to the left and right propagation directions respectively. The reflection signal shows an opposite trend to the transmission, which a numerical model indicates is due to direction-selective saturation of the quantum dot. The chiral spin-photon interface we demonstrate breaks reciprocity of the system and opens the way to spin-based quantum optical components such as optical diodes and circulators in a chip-based solid-state environment.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Electro-mechanical control of an on-chip optical beam splitter containing an embedded quantum emitter

We demonstrate electro-mechanical control of an on-chip GaAs optical beam splitter containing a quantum dot single-photon source. The beam splitter consists of two nanobeam waveguides, which form a directional coupler (DC). The splitting ratio of the DC is controlled by varying the out-of-plane separation of the two waveguides using electro-mechanical actuation. We reversibly tune the beam splitter between an initial state, with emission into both output arms, and a final state with photons emitted into a single output arm. The device represents a compact and scalable tuning approach for use in III-V semiconductor integrated quantum optical circuits.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2018

High Purcell factor generation of coherent on-chip single photons

On-chip single-photon sources are key components for integrated photonic quantum technologies. Semiconductor quantum dots can exhibit near-ideal single-photon emission but this can be significantly degraded in on-chip geometries owing to nearby etched surfaces. A long-proposed solution to improve the indistinguishablility is by using the Purcell effect to reduce the radiative lifetime. However, until now only modest Purcell enhancements have been observed. Here we use pulsed resonant excitation to eliminate slow relaxation paths, revealing a highly Purcell-shortened radiative lifetime (22.7 ps) in a waveguide-coupled quantum dot-photonic crystal cavity system. This leads to near-lifetime-limited single-photon emission which retains high indistinguishablility (93.9%) on a timescale in which 20 photons may be emitted. Nearly background-free pulsed resonance fluorescence is achieved under $π$-pulse excitation, enabling demonstration of an on-chip, on-demand single-photon source with very high potential repetition rates.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Electrical control of nonlinear quantum optics in a nano-photonic waveguide

Local control of the generation and interaction of indistinguishable single photons is a key requirement for photonic quantum networks. Waveguide-based architectures, in which embedded quantum emitters act as both highly coherent single photon sources and as nonlinear elements to mediate photon-photon interactions, offer a scalable route to such networks. However, local electrical control of a quantum optical nonlinearity has yet to be demonstrated in a waveguide geometry. Here, we demonstrate local electrical tuning and switching of single photon generation and nonlinear interaction by embedding a quantum dot in a nano-photonic waveguide with enhanced light-matter interaction. A power-dependent transmission extinction as large as 40$\pm$2% and clear, voltage-controlled bunching in the photon statistics of the transmitted light demonstrate the single photon character of the nonlinearity. The deterministic nature of the nonlinearity is particularly attractive for the future realization of photonic gates for scalable nano-photonic waveguide-based quantum information processing.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Electrically pumped single-defect light emitters in WSe$_2$

Recent developments in fabrication of van der Waals heterostructures enable new type of devices assembled by stacking atomically thin layers of two-dimensional materials. Using this approach, we fabricate light-emitting devices based on a monolayer WSe$_2$, and also comprising boron nitride tunnelling barriers and graphene electrodes, and observe sharp luminescence spectra from individual defects in WSe$_2$ under both optical and electrical excitation. This paves the way towards the realization of electrically-pumped quantum emitters in atomically thin semiconductors. In addition we demonstrate tuning by more than 1 meV of the emission energy of the defect luminescence by applying a vertical electric field. This provides an estimate of the permanent electric dipole created by the corresponding electron-hole pair. The light-emitting devices investigated in our work can be assembled on a variety of substrates enabling a route to integration of electrically pumped single quantum emitters with existing technologies in nano-photonics and optoelectronics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Strong exciton-photon coupling in open semiconductor microcavities

We present a method to implement 3-dimensional polariton confinement with in-situ spectral tuning of the cavity mode. Our tunable microcavity is a hybrid system consisting of a bottom semiconductor distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) with a cavity containing quantum wells (QWs) grown on top and a dielectric concave DBR separated by a micrometer sized gap. Nanopositioners allow independent positioning of the two mirrors and the cavity mode energy can be tuned by controlling the distance between them. When close to resonance we observe a characteristic anticrossing between the cavity modes and the QW exciton demonstrating strong coupling. For the smallest radii of curvature concave mirrors of 5.6 $μ$m and 7.5 $μ$m real-space polariton imaging reveals submicron polariton confinement due to the hemispherical cavity geometry.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Effect of the GaAsP shell on optical properties of self-catalyzed GaAs nanowires grown on silicon

We realize growth of self-catalyzed core-shell GaAs/GaAsP nanowires (NWs) on Si substrates using molecular-beam epitaxy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of single GaAs/GaAsP NWs confirms their high crystal quality and shows domination of the zinc-blende phase. This is further confirmed in optics of single NWs, studied using cw and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL). A detailed comparison with uncapped GaAs NWs emphasizes the effect of the GaAsP capping in suppressing the non-radiative surface states: significant PL enhancement in the core-shell structures exceeding 2000 times at 10K is observed; in uncapped NWs PL is quenched at 60K whereas single core-shell GaAs/GaAsP NWs exhibit bright emission even at room temperature. From analysis of the PL temperature dependence in both types of NW we are able to determine the main carrier escape mechanisms leading to the PL quench.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2007

Intersublevel Polaron Dephasing in Self-Assembled Quantum Dots

Polaron dephasing processes are investigated in InAs/GaAs dots using far-infrared transient four wave mixing (FWM) spectroscopy. We observe an oscillatory behaviour in the FWM signal shortly (< 5 ps) after resonant excitation of the lowest energy conduction band transition due to coherent acoustic phonon generation. The subsequent single exponential decay yields long intraband dephasing times of 90 ps. We find excellent agreement between our measured and calculated FWM dynamics, and show that both real and virtual acoustic phonon processes are necessary to explain the temperature dependence of the polarization decay.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Fingerprints of spatial charge transfer in Quantum Cascade Lasers

We show that mid infrared transmission spectroscopy of a quantum cascade laser provides clear cut information on changes in charge location at different bias. Theoretical simulations of the evolution of the gain/absorption spectrum for the $λ\sim$ 7.4 $μ$m InGaAs/AlInAs/InP quantum cascade laser have been compared with the experimental findings. Transfer of electrons between the ground states in the active region and the states in the injector goes in hand with a decrease of discrete intersubband absorption peaks and an increase of broad high-energy absorption towards the continuum delocalised states above the barriers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗