Tailoring Wavelength- and Emitter-Orientation-Dependent Propagation of Single Photons in Silicon Nanowires

Abstract

Quantum nano-optics aims at transposing the concepts of quantum optics at the nanoscale. In this context, nitrogen-vacancy color centers in nanodiamonds are particularly interesting sources as they emit single photons one by one with a broad spectral distribution between 600 and 800 nm. We deposit such quantum emitters at the extremities of silicon nanowires and analyze the effects of this interaction via spectrally resolved confocal microscopy. We demonstrate that the single photon emission can be guided over several microns under conservation of their quantum statistics, and with efficiencies of up to 15 %.n We show that the silicon nanowires can be used as spectral filters for the quantum emission. Numerical simulations are in very good agreement with experiments, and indicate that the modal landscape of these nano-waveguides and the according coupling efficiencies with quantum emitters can be designed such that only light from emitters of specific orientations is efficiently guided through the nanowire, enabling a unique quantum state selectivity at a micrometer length scale. Our work opens the door to a genuine modal control of single photon transfer in subwavelength nanowaveguides, paving the way to future fundamental studies and towards integrated and multi-wavelength photonics applications in quantum nano-optics.

Nano antenna-assisted quantum dots emission into high-index planar waveguide

“…Notably, linear optics quantum computation (LOQC) requires triggered single-photon sources, which supply photons into photonic circuit [3]. Recently, several groups have achieved direct on chip integration of single photon source [4][5][6][7][8]. Realizing non classical light source working at room temperature is a hot topic and colloidal QDs are among the candidates thanks to their engineerable optical properties [9].…”

Large-scale controlled coupling of single-photon emitters to high-index dielectric nanoantennas by AFM nanoxerography

“…8,14,15 Such nanoantennas support Mie resonances in the visible and near-infrared spectra, which are responsible for strong confinement and enhancement of the electromagnetic field inside and in close proximity to the nanostructures composing them. 16–19 However, only a few works in the literature have addressed the coupling between high-index dielectric nanoantennas and nanoemitters (in particular single-photon emitters), 20–22 especially when involving silicon (Si) antennas, 11,20,21,23–26 since an accurate positioning of the nanoemitters in the near-field of the antennas becomes mandatory.…”

Retrieving the subwavelength cross-section of dielectric nanowires with asymmetric excitation of Bloch surface waves

“…3 Particularly, 1D subwavelength nanostructures including nanowires, 4–6 nanoslits, 7,8 nanochains 9,10 and grooves 11,12 have been applied in photonic integrated circuits, 13–15 nano/micro lasers, 16–18 photodetectors, 19 dichroic splitters, 20 planar lenses, 21 polarization switches, 22 displacement measurements, 23 spectrometers 24,25 and the asymmetric excitation of surface waves. 26,27 The properties of nanodevices are strongly related to the geometric size of nanowires such as in superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs), 28 quantum emitters 29,30 and luminescence spectrum of semiconductor nanowires, 31–33 so it is valuable to characterize the widths of nanowires and to study the interaction between incident light and nanowires.…”