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The efficient generation of entangled photons at telecom wavelength is essential for the success of many quantum communication protocols and the development of fiber-based quantum networks. Entangled light can be generated by solid-state quantum emitters with naturally low fine-structure splitting, such as highly symmetric InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on (111)-oriented surfaces. The incorporation of these QDs into optical cavities is crucial to achieve sufficient signal intensities for applications but has so far shown major complications. In this work, we present droplet epitaxy of telecom-wavelength InAs QDs within an optical cavity on a vicinal (2° miscut) GaAs(111)A substrate. We show a remarkable enhancement of the photon extraction efficiency compared to previous reports together with a reduction of the density that facilitates the isolation of single spectral lines. Moreover, we characterize the exciton-fine-structure splitting and employ numerical simulations under the framework of the empirical-pseudopotential and configuration-interaction methods to study the impact of the miscut on the optical properties of the QDs. We demonstrate that the presence of the miscut steps influences the polarization of the neutral excitons and introduces a preferential orientation in the C3v symmetry of the surface.

We show that independent size and morphology engineering of epitaxial quantum dots can be obtained using a kinetically controlled quantum dot fabrication procedure, namely droplet epitaxy. Due to the far-from-equilibrium droplet epitaxy procedure, which is based on the crystallization, under As flux, of a nanometric droplet of Ga, independent and precise tuning of quantum dot size, aspect ratio, and faceting can be achieved. The dependence of the dot morphology on the growth conditions is interpreted and described quantitatively through a model that takes into account the crystallization kinetics of the Ga stored in the droplet under As flux.

We show that independent size and morphology engineering of epitaxial quantum dots can be obtained using a kinetically controlled quantum dot fabrication procedure, namely droplet epitaxy. Due to the far-from-equilibrium droplet epitaxy procedure, which is based on the crystallization, under As flux, of a nanometric droplet of Ga, independent and precise tuning of quantum dot size, aspect ratio, and faceting can be achieved. The dependence of the dot morphology on the growth conditions is interpreted and described quantitatively through a model that takes into account the crystallization kinetics of the Ga stored in the droplet under As flux.

We address the radiative emission of individual germanium extrinsic centers in Al0.3Ga0.7As epilayers grown on germanium substrates. Microphotoluminescence experiments demonstrate the capability of high temperature emission (70 K) and complex exciton configurations (neutral exciton X and biexciton XX, positive X+ and negative X- charged excitons) of these quantum emitters. Finally, we investigate the renormalization of each energy level showing a large and systematic change of the binding energy of XX and X+ from positive to negative values (from ∼+5 meV up to ∼-7 meV covering ∼70 meV of the emission energy) with increasing quantum confinement. These light emitters, grown on a silicon substrate, may exhibit energy-degenerate X and XX energy levels. Furthermore, they emit at the highest detection efficiency window of Si-based single-photon detectors. These features render them a promising device platform for the generation of entangled photons in the time-reordering scheme.

The authors present a procedure to obtain uniform, ordered arrays of Ga droplets on GaAs(001) substrates. The growth process relies on an interplay between the substrate patterning, in form of a two dimensional array of nanoholes periodically modulated obtained via local anodic oxidation, and self-assembly of Ga droplets in a molecular beam epitaxy environment. The formation of site controlled Ga droplets, characterized by atomic force microscopy, is the outcome of the combined effects of capillary condensation and nucleation kinetics.

We present accurate measurements of Ga cation surface diffusion on GaAs surfaces. The measurement method relies on atomic force microscopy measurement of the morphology of nano-disks that evolve, under group V supply, from nanoscale group III droplets, earlier deposited on the substrate surface. The dependence of the radius of such nano-droplets on crystallization conditions gives direct access to Ga diffusion length. We found an activation energy for Ga on GaAs(001) diffusion EA=1.31±0.15 eV, a diffusivity prefactor of D0-=-0.53(×2.1±1) cm2s-1that we compare with the values present in literature. The obtained results permit to better understand the fundamental physics governing the motion of group III ad-atoms on III-V crystal surfaces and the fabrication of designable nanostructures.

Unlike in bulk materials, energy transport in low-dimensional and nanoscale systems may be governed by a coherent ballistic behavior of lattice vibrations, the phonons. If dominant, such behavior would determine the mechanism for transport and relaxation in various energy-conversion applications. In order to study this coherent limit, both the spatial and temporal resolutions must be sufficient for the length-time scales involved. Here, we report observation of the lattice dynamics in nanoscale quantum dots of gallium arsenide using ultrafast electron diffraction. By varying the dot size from h = 11 to 46 nm, the length scale effect was examined, together with the temporal change. When the dot size is smaller than the inelastic phonon mean-free path, the energy remains localized in high-energy acoustic modes that travel coherently within the dot. As the dot size increases, an energy dissipation toward low-energy phonons takes place, and the transport becomes diffusive. Because ultrafast diffraction provides the atomic-scale resolution and a sufficiently high time resolution, other nanostructured materials can be studied similarly to elucidate the nature of dynamical energy localization.

We study the multiexciton properties of GaAs quantum dots self aggregated on Si substrates. Sequential emission of two photons radiative cascade is observed both in continuous wave and in time resolved measurements. Polarization resolved measurements, with high spectral resolution, allow us to attribute the observed photon cascade to positively charged biexciton. Our results highlight the possibility of obtaining systems showing quantum correlations on a Si based device

We present the fabrication and discuss the growth dynamics of two classes of GaAs quantum nanostructures fabricated by droplet epitaxy, namely, double rings and coupled ring-disks. Their morphological differences has been investigated and found to be originated by the kinetic of the changes in the surface reconstruction around the initially formed Ga droplets during the arsenization step. The control of surface reconstruction dynamics thus permits a fine tuning of the actual nanostructure shape at the nanoscale, based on pure self-assembling techniques. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

We presented an innovative fabrication technique for the self-assembly of GaAs islands on Si substrates by droplet epitaxy. The islands show highly tunable density (from 107 to some 109 islands/ cm 2) and size (from 75 to 250 nm), and small size dispersion (below 10%). The islands, made by single relaxed crystals with lattice parameters close to the GaAs bulk, show well defined shapes, with a high aspect ratio. The low thermal budget required for the island self-assembly, together with the high scalability of the process, make these islands good candidates for local artificial substrates or local strain sources with the required lattice parameters, band alignment, and crystalline quality as now required for the implementation of high quality devices on Si. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

We demonstrate the thermal tunability of the emission of polymer embedded in microcavities. The large thermo-optic coefficients of a conjugated polymer is combined with the possibility to tailor the emission properties by means of cavities acting as optical filters. Both the transmission and the photoluminescence spectra of the polymer in cavities can be finely tuned with slopes up to about -0.2 nm°C. Such an effect could be exploited to realize thermally tunable organic light-emitting devices for optical communication or sensing applications.