Single photon sources based upon single quantum dots in semiconductor microcavity pillars

• Published in: Journal of modern optics Vol. 54; no. 2-3; pp. 453 - 465
• Main Authors: Timpson, J. A., Sanvitto, D., Daraei, A., Guimaraes, P. S. S., Vinck, H., Lam, S., Whittaker, D. M., Skolnick, M. S., Fox, A. M., Hu, C. Y., Ho, Y.-L. D., Gibson, R., Rarity, J. G., Pellegrini, S., Gordon, K. J., Warburton, R. E., Tahraoui, A., Buller, G. S., Fry, P. W., Hopkinson, M.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 20.01.2007; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Cavity quantum electrodynamics ; micromasers; Classical and quantum physics: mechanics and fields; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Optics; Physics; Quantum information; Quantum optics; Purcell effect; Lifetime; Optical microcavity; Semiconductor quantum dots; Quantum information; Photon antibunching; Single photon source
• ISSN: 0950-0340; 1362-3044
• DOI: 10.1080/09500340600785055

Semiconductor microcavity pillars with both circular and elliptical cross-section containing semiconductor quantum dots are shown to be good candidates for efficient single photon sources. Pillars with small diameters are shown to have exceptionally high quality factors and the reduction in the measured quality factor as the pillar diameter is reduced is shown to agree well with finite difference time domain simulation. These pillars exhibit a Purcell enhancement of the quantum dot emission when the dots are on-resonance with the cavity mode and strong photon antibunching. The use of the polarized modes of an elliptical micropillar allows the polarization of the emitted single photons to be selected.