We present a generic microcavity platform for cavity experiments on optically active nanostructures, such as quantum dots, nanocrystals, color centers, and carbon nanotubes. The cavity is of the Fabry-Pérot type with a planar back mirror and a miniature concave top mirror with radius of curvature ∼ 100 μm. Optical access is achieved by free beam coupling, allowing good mode-matching to the cavity mode. The cavity has a high Q-factor, reasonably small mode volume, open access, spatial and spectral tunability, and operates at cryogenic temperatures. Spectral and spatial tuning of the Purcell effect (weak coupling regime) on a single InGaAs quantum dot is demonstrated.
A new colloidal system that consists of core–shell “probe” particles embedded in an optically transparent “host” particle suspension is developed. This system enables simultaneous fast confocal imaging and optical tweezing in dense 3D colloidal materials.
The formation and kinetics of grain boundaries are closely related to the topological constraints imposed on their complex dislocation structure. Loop-shaped grain boundaries are unique structures to establish such a link because their overall topological "charge" is zero due to their null net Burgers vector. Here, we observe that a local rotational deformation of a 2D colloidal crystal with an optical vortex results in a grain boundary loop only if the product of its radius and misorientation exceeds a critical value. Above this value, the deformation is plastic and the grain boundary loop spontaneously shrinks at a rate that solely depends on this product, while otherwise, the deformation is elastically restored. We show that this elastic-to-plastic crossover is a direct consequence of the unique dislocation structure of grain boundary loops. At the critical value, the loop is structurally equivalent to the so-called "flower defect" and the shrinkage rate diverges. Our results thus reveal a general limit on the formation of grain boundary loops in 2D crystals and elucidate the central role of defects in both the onset of plasticity and the kinetics of grain boundaries.
Epitaxial liftoff is a post-growth process by which the active part of a semiconductor heterostructure, the epitaxial layer, is removed from its original substrate and deposited onto a new substrate. This is a well established technique in GaAs-based heterostructures where epitaxial liftoff can be achieved by exploiting the contrast in the etch rates of GaAs and AlAs in hydrofluoric acid. We report here successful epitaxial liftoff of a ZnSe-based heterostructure. We find that a metastable layer of MgS acts as a perfect release layer based on the huge contrast in the etch rates of ZnSe and MgS in hydrochloric acid. Epitaxial liftoff of millimeter-sized ZnSe samples takes a fraction of the time required for GaAs liftoff. Photoluminescence experiments confirm that the liftoff layer has the same optical characteristics as the original wafer material.
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