Electrically Driven Quantum Light Sources

Abstract

Typical applications of quantum light require optical sources which generate either individual photons or entangled (correlated) photons. For the sake of practicality and scalability, these quantum sources should be easily produced, operate at room temperature, and be electrically excited and controlled. Here, recent research on quantum sources obtained from electrically driven (ED) devices constructed from p-n junctions integrated in planar optical cavities, micropillars, nanowires, photonic crystals, and active plasmonic elements is reviewed. Single-photon and entangled-photon sources are distinguished by their different roles in the development of either quantum cryptography or quantum computing protocols, and the different types of devices used to produce them are highlighted, with a focus on their spectral emission, brightness, and conditions of operation. Achievements to date are summarized and compared with prerequisites for the practical use of these sources. Important recent results that could provide future novel quantum sources are also in focus, where more practical requirements could be addressed by the judicious engineering of materials and careful device design

Dynamics of Single-Photon Emission from Electrically Pumped Color Centers

“…However, obtaining of a bright, stable and efficient true single-photon source suitable for practical applications is still a great challenge for quantum optoelectronics. Such sources should be free from blinking, have a narrow emission spectrum, be integrable into large-scale quantum circuits [4,5] and operate at room temperature [6][7][8] . Implementation of electrical pumping is also strongly needed, since optically pumped single-photon sources are characterized by low energy efficiency, poor scalability and require bulky external high-power pump optical sources [7] .…”

“…Such sources should be free from blinking, have a narrow emission spectrum, be integrable into large-scale quantum circuits [4,5] and operate at room temperature [6][7][8] . Implementation of electrical pumping is also strongly needed, since optically pumped single-photon sources are characterized by low energy efficiency, poor scalability and require bulky external high-power pump optical sources [7] . Some defects, known as color centers, in the crystal lattice of diamond and other wide bandgap semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide, gallium nitride, zinc oxide and hexagonal boron nitride, are considered to be the most promising candidates for the role of electrically driven single-photon sources [8] .…”

Latest Advances in the Generation of Single Photons in Silicon Carbide

“…Other paramagnetic defects responsible for emission at longer wavelengths have also been identified. These advances make the material attractive for electrically driven devices providing room temperature quantum light sources [11]. Such paramagnetic defects in 4H-and 6H-SiC were recently demonstrated to be strongly coupled to 29 Si nuclear spins.…”

“…However, due to its broad bandgap of up to 3.3 eV in 4H polytype, SiC possesses many defects or color centers that can be exploited as isolated systems for quantum light generation [11].…”

Advances in Functional Nanomaterials Science

“…Novel materials or sophisticated material systems, which can be for instance used for energy harvesting [16] or (quantum) light generation [17,18] and light-based sensing, [19,20] switchable surfaces, [21,22] as well as for future logic devices, [23] have become increasingly important due to their exotic properties, such as the class of 2D materials, [24] topological insulators [25,26] or perovskites. [12,27] To make best use of their features, material engineering is targeted by the research community, which can lead to improved device functionality and performance in optoelectronics (e.g., refs.…”