Full photon statistics of collective effects in semiconductor nanostructures

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Stephan Reitzenstein; Professor Dr. Jan Wiersig
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics ; Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2018 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 409799969

Semiconductor nanostructures embedded into optical microcavities are of enormous interest both for fundamental research of cavity-enhanced nanophotonic devices and their future applications for instance in photonic quantum technology. The study and understanding of few-photon operation and collective effects require an analysis of not only the emitted light intensity but also the second-order photon autocorrelation function. Both quantities constitute the first two moments of the photon statistics. For a comprehensive characterization and understanding it is highly beneficial to have access to the full photon statistics, which would equivalent of knowing all moments. Using photon-number resolving transition edge sensors we intend to measure and theoretically analyze the full photon statistics of specifically designed semiconductor quantum dot systems exhibiting collective effects: (i) superradiant quantum dots in an homogeneous medium and in optical micropillars and (ii) bimodal micropillar lasers with quantum dot gain. In both cases we apply an advanced deterministic growth technique to control the number and position of the quantum dots involved in the collective emission process. For the latter we intend to explore the photon statistics in particular at a so-called exceptional point, which is a spectral singularity in open systems that attracted great attention recently.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants