Single photon emission from individual nanophotonic-integrated colloidal quantum dots

Eich A., Spiekermann T. C., Gehring H., Sommer L., Bankwitz J. R., Schrinner P. P. J., Preuß J. A., Michaelis de Vasconcellos S., Bratschitsch R., Pernice W. H. P., Schuck C.

Abstract

Solution-processible colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) hold great promise for realizing single-photon sources embedded into scalable quantum technology platforms. However, the high-yield integration of large numbers of individually addressable CQDs in a photonic circuit has remained an outstanding challenge. Here, we report on integrating individual colloidal core–shell QDs into a nanophotonic network that allows for excitation and efficient collection of single photons via separate waveguide channels. An iterative electron beam lithography process provides a viable method to position single emitters at predefined positions on a chip with a yield that approaches unity. Our work moves beyond the bulk optic paradigm of confocal microscopy and paves the way for supplying chip-scale quantum networks with single photons from large numbers of simultaneously controllable quantum emitters.