Solid-state quantum optics with quantum dots in photonic nanostructures

TL;DR

This review discusses recent advances in solid-state quantum optics using quantum dots embedded in nanophotonic structures, highlighting control over light-matter interactions for quantum information applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of experimental progress with quantum dots in photonic nanostructures and discusses new functionalities enabled by photonic band-gap and defect structures.

Findings

Control of spontaneous emission via photonic band-gap structures

Construction of efficient cavity-quantum-electrodynamics systems

Tailoring light speed in photonic-crystal waveguides

Abstract

Quantum nanophotonics has become a new research frontier where quantum optics is combined with nanophotonics in order to enhance and control the interaction between strongly confined light and quantum emitters. Such progress provides a promising pathway towards quantum-information processing on an all-solid-state platform. Here we review recent progress on experiments with single quantum dots in nanophotonic structures. Embedding the quantum dots in photonic band-gap structures offers a way of controlling spontaneous emission of single photons to a degree that is determined by the local light-matter coupling strength. Introducing defects in photonic crystals implies new functionalities. For instance, efficient and strongly confined cavities can be constructed enabling cavity-quantum-electrodynamics experiments. Furthermore, the speed of light can be tailored in a photonic-crystal waveguide forming the basis for highly efficient single-photon sources where the photons are channeled into the slowly propagating mode of the waveguide. Finally, we will discuss some of the surprises that arise in solid-state implementations of quantum-optics experiments in comparison to their atomic counterparts. In particular, it will be shown that the celebrated point-dipole description of light-matter interaction can break down when quantum dots are coupled to plasmon nanostructures.