We report on recent progress towards single photon sources based on quantum dot and quantum post nanostructures which are manipulated using surface acoustic waves. For this concept acoustic charge conveyance in a quantum well is used to spatially separate electron and hole pairs and transport these in the plane of the quantum well. When conveyed to the location of a quantum dot or quantum post these carriers are sequentially captured into the confined levels. Their radiative decays gives rise to the emission of a train of single photons. Three different approaches using (i) straininduced and (ii) self-assembled quantum dots, and (iii) self-assembled quantum posts are discussed and their application potential is discussed. First devices and initial experiments towards the realization of such an acoustically driven single photon source are presented and remote acoustically triggered injection into few individual emitters is demonstrated.

Date Published: 24 February 2010
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 7610, Quantum Dots and Nanostructures: Synthesis, Characterization, and Modeling VII, 76100J (24 February 2010); doi: 10.1117/12.842511

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7610:
Quantum Dots and Nanostructures: Synthesis, Characterization, and Modeling VII
Kurt G. Eyink; Frank Szmulowicz; Diana L. Huffaker, Editor(s)