Strain-Gradient Position Mapping of Semiconductor Quantum Dots

P.-L. de Assis (1) , I. Yeo (1, 2) , A. Gloppe (3) , A. Nguyen (4) , D. Tumanov (1) , E. Dupont-Ferrier (3) , Nitin S. Malik (2) , E. Dupuy (2) , J. Claudon (2) , Jean-Michel Gérard (2) , A. Auffèves (1) , Olivier Arcizet (3) , Maxime Richard (1) , J.-P. Poizat (1)

1 NEEL - NPSC - Nanophysique et Semiconducteurs
2 NPSC - Nanophysique et Semiconducteurs
3 NEEL - NOF - Nano-Optique et Forces
4 University of New Orleans

In the context of fast developing quantum technologies, locating single quantum objects embedded in solid or fluid environment while keeping their properties unchanged is a crucial requirement as well as a challenge. Such ``quantum microscopes'' have been demonstrated already for NV-centers embedded in diamond [1], and for single atoms within an ultracold gas [2]. In this work, we demonstrate a new method to determine non-destructively the position of randomly distributed semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) deeply embedded in a solid photonic waveguide. By setting the wire in an oscillating motion, we generate large stress gradients across the QDs plane. We then exploit the fact that the QDs emission frequency is highly sensitive to the local material stress [3-5] to infer their positions with an accuracy ranging from +/- 35 nm down to +/-1 nm for close-to-axis QDs.

Mots clés: strain; imaging; Quantum dot

Domaines: Autre [cond-mat.other]

P.-L. de Assis, I. Yeo, A. Gloppe, A. Nguyen, D. Tumanov, et al.. Strain-Gradient Position Mapping of Semiconductor Quantum Dots. Physical Review Letters, 2017, 118 (11), pp.117401. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.117401⟩. ⟨hal-01347133v2⟩