The possibility to generate and manipulate non-classical light using thetools of mature semiconductor technology carries great promise for theimplementation of quantum communication science. This is indeed one of the maindriving forces behind ongoing research on the study of semiconductor quantumdots. Often referred to as artificial atoms, quantum dots can generate singleand entangled photons on demand and, unlike their natural counterpart, can beeasily integrated into well-established optoelectronic devices. However, theinherent random nature of the quantum dot growth processes results in a lack ofcontrol of their emission properties. This represents a major roadblock towardsthe exploitation of these quantum emitters in the foreseen applications. Thischapter describes a novel class of quantum dot devices that uses the combinedaction of strain and electric fields to reshape the emission properties ofsingle quantum dots. The resulting electro-elastic fields allow for control ofemission and binding energies, charge states, and energy level splittings andare suitable to correct for the quantum dot structural asymmetries that usuallyprevent these semiconductor nanostructures from emitting polarization-entangledphotons. Key experiments in this field are presented and future directions arediscussed.
展开▼
