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Quantum Dots Emit Single Photons at High Temps

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In the Feb. 23 issue of Applied Physics Letters, Richard P. Mirin of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colo., presents the findings of his recent investigation into single-photon emission in optically stimulated quantum dots at various temperatures. His observations of such behavior at up to 120 K and photon antibunching at up to 135 K indicate that quantum dots may serve as the basis of single-photon sources for use in quantum cryptography and in low-light-level metrology.

In the work, Mirin excited samples of self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots at temperatures of 5 to 135 K with subpicosecond pulses of 850-nm radiation from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. A microscope collected the infrared response, which was directed onto a monochromator and then to a CCD or to photon-counting avalanche photodiodes in a Hanbury Brown-Twiss interferometer. As the temperature increased, higher pump intensities were required to generate single photons.
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Published: April 2004
Glossary
metrology
Metrology is the science and practice of measurement. It encompasses the theoretical and practical aspects of measurement, including the development of measurement standards, techniques, and instruments, as well as the application of measurement principles in various fields. The primary objectives of metrology are to ensure accuracy, reliability, and consistency in measurements and to establish traceability to recognized standards. Metrology plays a crucial role in science, industry,...
quantum dots
A quantum dot is a nanoscale semiconductor structure, typically composed of materials like cadmium selenide or indium arsenide, that exhibits unique quantum mechanical properties. These properties arise from the confinement of electrons within the dot, leading to discrete energy levels, or "quantization" of energy, similar to the behavior of individual atoms or molecules. Quantum dots have a size on the order of a few nanometers and can emit or absorb photons (light) with precise wavelengths,...
As We Go To PressBreaking Newslow-light-level metrologymetrologyMicroscopyNational Institute of Standards and TechnologyPresstime Bulletinquantum cryptographyquantum dotsSingle-photon emission

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