Abstract: Light-matter interactions allow adding functionalities to photonic on-chip devices, thus enabling developments in classical and quantum light sources, energy harvesters and sensors. These advances have been facilitated by precise control in growth and fabrication techniques that have opened new pathways to the design and realization of semiconductor devices where light emission, trapping and guidance can be efficiently controlled at the nanoscale.
In this context, I will show the implementation of semiconductor quantum dots in nano-photonic devices that can create simultaneously bright and pure, triggered single-photon sources [1], critical for quantum information technology. I will then present photonic geometries for controlling light propagation and brightness in broadband, scalable devices, based on plasmonic nanostructures [2].
Hybrid systems can allow overcoming limitations due to specific material properties and I will present a technique based on the transfer of semiconductor membranes embedding quantum emitters onto different host materials [3]. Finally, I will discuss novel photonic designs based on bio-inspired aperiodic [4] and disordered photonic crystals [5], showing efficient light confinement and optical sensing [6], and I will present our recent work on quantum biology, focused on the investigation of photosynthetic light harvesters on a chip.
References:
[1] L. Sapienza et al., Nanoscale optical positioning of single quantum dots for bright and pure single-photon emission, Nature Communications 6, 7833 (2015).
[2] C. Haws, E. Perez, M. Davanco, J.D. Song, K. Srinivasan, L. Sapienza, Broadband, efficient extraction of quantum light by a photonic device comprised of a metallic nano-ring and a gold back reflector, Applied Physics Letters 120, 081103 (2022).
[3] C. Haws, B. Guha, E. Perez, M. Davanco, J.D. Song, K. Srinivasan, L. Sapienza, Thermal release tape-assisted semiconductor membrane transfer process for hybrid photonic devices embedding quantum emitters, Materials for Quantum Technology 2, 025003 (2022).
[4] O.J. Trojak, S. Gorsky, F. Sgrignuoli, F.A. Pinheiro, S.-I. Park, J.D. Song, L. Dal Negro, L. Sapienza, Cavity quantum electro-dynamics with solid-state emitters in aperiodic nano-photonic spiral devices, Applied Physics Letters 117, 124006 (2020)
[5] T. Crane, O.J. Trojak, J.P. Vasco, S. Hughes, L. Sapienza, Anderson localisation of visible light on a nanophotonic chip, ACS Photonics 4, 2274 (2017).
[6] O.J. Trojak, T. Crane, L. Sapienza, Optical sensing with Anderson-localised light, Applied Physics Letters 111, 141103 (2017).