Photon-Statistics Excitation Spectroscopy of a Single Two Level System

TL;DR

This study explores how different photon statistics, specifically coherent versus chaotic light, affect the excitation and emission properties of a single two-level quantum system, revealing significant differences in absorption and spectral features.

Contribution

It demonstrates experimentally how photon statistics influence excitation dynamics and emission spectra of a single quantum dot, confirming theoretical predictions.

Findings

Reduced absorption cross-section under chaotic excitation

Disappearance of Rabi oscillations with chaotic light

Loss of Mollow triplet in emission spectrum

Abstract

We investigate the influence of the photon statistics on the excitation dynamics of a single two level system. A single semiconductor quantum dot represents the two level system and is resonantly excited either with coherent laser light, or excited with chaotic light, with photon statistics corresponding to that of thermal radiation. Experimentally, we observe a reduced absorption cross-section under chaotic excitation in the steady-state. In the transient regime, the Rabi oscillations observable under coherent excitation disappear under chaotic excitation. Likewise, in the emission spectrum the well-known Mollow triplet, which we observe under coherent drive, disappears under chaotic excitation. Our observations are fully consistent with theoretical predictions based on the semi-classical Bloch equation approach.