Organic photonic bandgap microcavities doped with semiconductor nanocrystals for room-temperature on-demand single-photon sources

• Published in: Journal of modern optics Vol. 56; no. 2-3; pp. 167 - 174
• Main Authors: Lukishova, Svetlana G., Bissell, Luke J., Menon, Vinod M., Valappil, Nikesh, Hahn, Megan A., Evans, Chris M., Zimmerman, Brandon, Krauss, Todd D., Stroud, C.R., Boyd, Robert W.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 20-01-2009; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Atoms & subatomic particles; Classical and quantum physics: mechanics and fields; colloidal quantum dots; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorescence; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Liquid crystals; microcavities; Nanocrystals; Optical materials; Optics; Photonic bandgap materials; Physics; Quantum dots; Quantum information; Quantum physics; Semiconductors; single-photon sources; Temperature; Photonic band gap; Circular polarization; Quantum dots; Single photon; Fluorescence; Binary compounds; Bragg reflection; Liquid crystals; Photon antibunching; Single photon source; II-VI semiconductors; Ambient temperature; Quantum information; Polymers; Cadmium Selenides; Nanostructured materials; Nanocrystal
• ISSN: 0950-0340; 1362-3044
• DOI: 10.1080/09500340802410106

We report the first experimental observation of fluorescence from single semiconductor nanocrystals (colloidal quantum dots) in microcavities. In these room-temperature experiments we observed photon antibunching from single CdSe nanocrystals doped into a chiral one-dimensional photonic bandgap liquid-crystal microcavity. The chirality resulted in high-purity, circular polarization of definite handedness of the emitted single photons. We also report the fabrication of chiral microcavities for telecom wavelengths doped with PbSe nanocrystals as well as a solution-processed-polymer microcavity with a defect layer doped with CdSe nanocrystals between two distributed Bragg reflectors. These systems with their low host fluorescence background are attractive for on-demand single-photon sources for quantum information and communication.