Semiconductor Cavity QED

空腔量子电动力学（cQED）是光学物理学中最奇特和最基本的方面之一，它探索了单个量子物体与电磁谐振器强耦合使两个物体成为一个复合量子系统的量子动力学过程。使用原子进行cQED实验的一个实验瓶颈是原子运动。最近，通过使用激光和磁铁来冷却和捕获原子，原子的运动被减少了，但没有停止。在这个项目中，半导体量子系统（量子点）将耦合到一个谐振器。这个系统将探索不同于原子对应的物理，因为量子点不会移动。所提出的实验系统的附加特征是量子点将耦合到一个由称为光子晶体的结构材料构成的电磁谐振器上。光子晶体谐振腔的体积接近最小，电磁场的约束非常大，因此量子点与电磁场之间的耦合非常强。此外，该结构稳定且完全集成，因此可以反复使用。该研究项目将集中于该小组研究半导体纳米系统的新兴能力，其中单个量子起决定性作用。这个项目的第一个具体目标是从单个量子点观察激光的行为。其他目标是演示“光子封锁”，将入射激光束转换成显示量子力学统计的光子序列，并观察腔和量子点之间的多光子耦合。两名研究生将在半导体样品操作、纳米定位、分辨率限制光学、连续波和超快激光光谱学以及光子统计测量方面获得广泛的经验。纳米光子学产业也受到受过纳米器件基本物理和实验技能训练的本科生和研究生教育的影响。该项目的负责人是光学科学学院的高级副教授，该学院是NSF ADVANCE机构转型奖的一部分，旨在创建一个多层次的战略，以提高女性在科学、技术、工程和数学领域的代表性和进步。强耦合的腔量子电动力学使纳米科学超越了传统的非线性光学和激光物理，进入了一个新的动态过程和有源器件，现在涉及量子点和光子一个接一个地进行。这项研究将使原子和半导体材料社区之间的联系成为可能。

Cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED), one of the most curious and fundamental aspects of optical physics, explores quantum dynamical processes for individual quantum objects strongly coupled to an electromagnetic resonator making two objects into one composite quantum system. One experimental bottleneck for cQED experiments using atoms is atomic motion. Atomic motion was recently reduced, but not stopped, by using lasers and magnets to cool and trap the atoms. In this project a semiconductor quantum system (quantum dot) will be coupled to a resonator. This system will explore different physics than atomic counterparts because the quantum dot does not move. Added features of the proposed experimental system are that the quantum dots will be coupled to an electromagnetic resonator constructed of a structured material called a photonic crystal. The photonic crystal resonator volume is near the minimum possible and confinement of the electromagnetic field is very high, so the coupling between the quantum dot and the electromagnetic field is very strong. Moreover, the structure is stable and totally integrated so it can be used over and over again. This research project will focus on the group's emerging capability to investigate a semiconductor nanosystem where individual quanta play a decisive role. The first specific goal of this project is to observe laser behavior from a single quantum dot. Other goals are to demonstrate a "photon blockade," which turns a incident laser beam into sequence of photons exhibiting quantum mechanical statistics, and to see the multiphoton coupling between the cavity and the quantum dot.Two graduate students will gain broad experience with semiconductor sample manipulation, nanopositioning, resolution-limited optics, continuous-wave and ultrafast-laser spectroscopy, and photon statistics measurements. The nanophotonics industry is also impacted by the education of undergraduate and graduate students trained in the basic physics and experimental skills of nanodevices. The PI of this project is the senior Faculty Associate for the College of Optical Sciences as a part of the NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation award to create a multi-tiered strategy for improving the representation and advancement of women in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Cavity quantum electrodynamics with strong coupling enables nanoscience to go beyond traditional nonlinear optics and laser physics into a new regime with dynamical processes and active devices now involving quantum dots and photons taken one by one. This research will enable links between the atomic and semiconductor materials communities.