Surface acoustic wave hybrid devices: High sensitivity conductivity probes and low-jitter single photon sources

摘要

We employ surface acoustic waves to probe and manipulate optically active nanosystems. We demonstrate that the attenuation of a SAW provides a high sensitivity probe of the electrical conductivity by measuring the persistent photoconductivity in a multi quantum well structure. Moreover we apply SAW to dissociate photogenerated electron-hole pairs and -by acoustic transport convey these at the speed of sound over macroscopic distances to a remote quantum emitter. After inherently sequential injection of electrons and holes, excitons are formed in these artificial atoms which recombine and emit single photons. Our SAW-based approach provides a low-jitter acoustically pumped single photon source with programmable exciton configuration.