Control of single photon emitters in semiconductor nanowires by surface acoustic waves

Abstract

We report on an experimental study into the effects of surface acoustic waves on the optical emission of dot-in-a-nanowire heterostructures in III-V material systems. Under direct optical excitation, the excitonic energy levels in III-nitride dot-in-a-nanowire heterostructures oscillate at the acoustic frequency, producing a characteristic splitting of the emission lines in the time-integrated photoluminescence spectra. This acoustically induced periodic tuning of the excitonic transition energies is combined with spectral detection filtering and employed as a tool to regulate the temporal output of anti-bunched photons emitted from these nanowire quantum dots. In addition, the acoustic transport of electrons and holes along a III-arsenide nanowire injects the electric charges into an ensemble of quantum dot-like recombination centers that are spatially separated from the optical excitation area. The acoustic population and depopulation mechanism determines the number of carrier recombination events taking place simultaneously in the ensemble, thus allowing control of the anti-bunching degree of the emitted photons. The results presented are relevant for the dynamic control of single photon emission in III-V semiconductor heterostructures.