A pulsed nonclassical light source driven by an integrated electrically triggered quantum dot microlaser

Abstract

We present a novel compact nanophotonic device consisting of a nonclassical light source excited by a monolithically integrated and electrically driven quantum dot (QD) microlaser. Our device concept is based on self-assembled InAs QDs embedded in micropillar cavities and has many potential applications in the fields of quantum communication and quantum optics-based information processing. Electrically driven micropillars act as whispering gallery mode microlasers operable in both continuous and pulsed mode, with narrow pulse widths of 520 ps and decay constants as low as 160 ps observed. These microlasers are used as on-chip excitation sources to laterally excite individual QDs in nearby micropillars, which in turn act as vertically emitting nonclassical light sources. Our compact solid-state platform utilizes cavity-quantum electrodynamic effects to create antibunched light in continuous and pulsed operation with g(2)CW (0) = 0.76 ± 0.03 and g(2)Pulsed (0)= 0.78±0.11, demonstrating its potential for the generation of triggered single photons in a highly integrated chip.