Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

HL: Fachverband Halbleiterphysik

HL 74: Joint Session: Quantum Optics of Solid State Photon Sources

HL 74.5: Talk

Thursday, March 17, 2011, 11:45–12:00, HSZ 02

Photon blockade in a strongly coupled quantum-dot cavity system — •Thomas Volz, Andreas Reinhard, and Atac Imamoglu — Institute of Quantum Electronics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland

A long-standing goal in the field of mesoscopic cavity quantum electrodynamics is the demonstration of photon blockade in a strongly coupled quantum-dot cavity system. While signatures of quantum correlations in resonant scattering have been observed previously, here we demonstrate for the first time strong photon blockade in such a device. Our system consists of a single self-assembled InGaAs quantum dot positioned at the field maximum of a photonic crystal L3 cavity (Q≈24000), leading to a coupling strength of g ≈ 150 µeV. In order to tune the cavity in resonance with the neutral quantum dot transition we employ a nitrogen tuning technique. We then probe the strongly coupled device with a resonant laser employing a cross-polarization technique to suppress the excitation-laser light. Due to strong classical blinking dynamics of the quantum dot we additionally use a repump laser to enhance the polariton signal. The photons scattered from the strongly-coupled system are analysed in a standard Hanbury-Brown-Twiss correlation setup. Due to the fast decay dynamics of the polaritons we carry out the experiment in pulsed mode. When the laser is resonant with the polaritons we observe strong antibunching - clear signature of photon blockade. Our results pave the way for the realization of non-linear photonic devices, such as a single-photon transistor or the quantum optical Josephson interferometer.