Nonclassical Radiation from a Single Quantum Dot

• Published in: Physica status solidi. B. Basic research Vol. 229; no. 1; pp. 399 - 405
• Main Authors: Michler, P., Imamoglu, A., Kiraz, A., Becher, C., Mason, M.D., Carson, P.J., Strouse, G.F., Buratto, S.K., Schoenfeld, W.V., Petroff, P.M.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin WILEY-VCH Verlag Berlin GmbH 01.01.2002; WILEY‐VCH Verlag Berlin GmbH; Wiley
• Subjects: 78.47.+p; 78.55.Cr; 78.55.Et; 78.67.Bf; 78.67.Hc; 78.67.Hc, S7.12; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Ii-vi semiconductors; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures; Photoluminescence; Physics; Quantum dots; S7.12; S8.11; S8.12; Temperature dependence; Zinc sulfides; Inorganic compounds; Semiconductor materials; Quantum dots; Transition element compounds; Photoluminescence; Binary compounds; Optical pumping; Self-assembled layers; Correlation functions; Indium arsenides; Cadmium selenides; Nanoparticles; Ordered systems; Laser radiation; Excitation spectrum; Anharmonicity
• ISSN: 0370-1972; 1521-3951
• DOI: 10.1002/1521-3951(200201)229:1<399::AID-PSSB399>3.0.CO;2-P

We report the experimental observation of photon antibunching in the photoluminescence of a chemically synthesized CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) at room temperature and from a single self‐assembled InAs/GaAs QD at 4 K. These results prove that a single quantum dot acts like an artificial atom, with a discrete anharmonic spectrum. Using the quantum regression theorem, we find that the normalized second‐order correlation function g(2)(τ) can be described by a single exponential function in the weak‐laser excitation regime. From this model we derive that the time constant of the photon antibunching signal is determined by the effective incoherent pump and recombination rates of the nonresonant optically pumped QD.