Full counting statistics of quantum dot resonance fluorescence

TL;DR

This paper analyzes resonance fluorescence fluctuations in quantum dots using photon counting statistics to understand environmental electric field dynamics, providing a simple and effective measurement method.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, experimentally undemanding method to analyze quantum dot fluorescence fluctuations without dynamic feedback on the environment.

Findings

Captures local electric field fluctuations via photon counting statistics

Avoids dynamic feedback by maintaining constant experimental parameters

Provides a practical approach to study quantum dot environment dynamics

Abstract

The electronic energy levels and optical transitions of a semiconductor quantum dot are subject to dynamics within the solid-state environment. In particular, fluctuating electric fields due to nearby charge traps or other quantum dots shift the transition frequencies via the Stark effect. The environment dynamics are mapped directly onto the fluorescence under resonant excitation and diminish the prospects of quantum dots as sources of indistinguishable photons in optical quantum computing. Here, we present an analysis of resonance fluorescence fluctuations based on photon counting statistics which captures the underlying time-averaged electric field fluctuations of the local environment. The measurement protocol avoids dynamic feedback on the electric environment and the dynamics of the quantum dot's nuclear spin bath by virtue of its resonant nature and by keeping experimental control parameters such as excitation frequency and external fields constant throughout. The method introduced here is experimentally undemanding.