Resonance fluorescence of self-assembled quantum dots

Abstract

Resonance fluorescence from solid state devices have been motivated by the capability to obtain a bright source of antibunched and indistinguishable photons from a semiconductor chip. Such a photon source would be a strong candidate for applications in the quantum information field. In this thesis, an experimental setup to obtain high signal to noise resonance fluorescence from a single quantum dot is first presented. I then discuss the photon statistics, power spectrum, second-order correlation function and two-photon interference of the stream of resonance fluorescence. Particular emphasis is placed on a throughout investigation of spectral fluctuations caused by charge noise and Overhauser field generated by fluctuating nuclear spins in the quantum dot. In each case, it is found that noise can be overcome to generate single photons that exhibit high visibility two-photon interference. Finally, an interference effect caused by the interaction of a quantum dot and a nearby metal surface is presented. Preliminary analysis yields quantitative agreement with the data.