Remotely Pumped GHz Antibunched Emission from Single Exciton Centers in GaAs

• DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.1c00094
• Publication Date: 2021-03-05T20:53:21Z
• Authors: Mingyun Yuan; Klaus Biermann; Shintaro Takada; Christopher Bäuerle; Paulo V. Santos
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified; Immunology; exciton-based on-demand manipulation; FOS: Physical sciences; Remotely Pumped GHz Antibunched Emi.; 530; 7. Clean energy; Single Exciton Centers; quantum; GaAs Quantum communication networks; 03 medical and health sciences; center; Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall); Time-resolved photoluminescence stu.; on-chip transfer; [PHYS]Physics [physics]; Evolutionary Biology; 0303 health sciences; Ecology; Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics; time correlation studies; frequency; Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified; Neuroscience; Physics - Optics; Optics (physics.optics)

Quantum communication networks require on-chip transfer and manipulation of single particles as well as their interconversion to single photons for long-range information exchange. Flying excitons propelled by GHz surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are outstanding messengers to fulfill these requirements. Here, we demonstrate the acoustic manipulation of single exciton centers consisting of individual excitons bound to shallow impurities centers embedded in a semiconductor quantum well. Time-resolved photoluminescence studies show that the emission intensity and energy from these centers oscillate at the SAW frequency of 3.5 GHz. Furthermore, these centers can be remotely pumped via acoustic transport of flying excitons along a quantum well channel over several microns. Time correlation studies reveal that the centers emit anti-bunched light, thus acting as single-photon sources operating at GHz frequencies. Our results pave the way for the exciton-based on-demand manipulation and on-chip transfer of single excitons at microwave frequencies with a natural photonic interface.<br/>Main text: 20 pages, 5 figures. Supporting Information: 5 pages, 4 figures<br/>