Near-infrared nano-imaging spectroscopy using a phase change mask method.

Abstract

We propose a technique that employs an optical mask layer of a phase-change material, e.g. GeSbTe, which is widely used for rewritable optical recording media, for realizing highly sensitive near-field imaging spectroscopy of single semiconductor quantum constituents at optical telecommunication wavelengths. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have shown great promise as efficient single photon emitters and entangled photon sources, making them attractive for quantum communication and quantum information processing applications. Self-assembled InAs QDs on InP substrate are promising as near-infrared (NIR) single photon and entangled photon emitters. In order to clarify and control the optical properties of QDs for telecommunication devices, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy studies of single QDs with high spatial resolution at NIR wavelength is necessary. The most useful technique to attain this is by using near-field scanning optical miscroscopy (NSOM). However, NSOM has a lower PL collection efficiency at NIR wavelength than at visible wavelength [1]. This problem inhibits NIR-PL spectroscopy based on NSOM to be practically realized. Therefore, we deveopled a method to overcome the low NIR-PL spectroscopy by using a nanoaperture on an optical mask layer of phase-change material (PCM) [2]. Due to the large optical contrast between the crystalline and amorphous phases of the phase-change material at visible wavelengths and its high transparency at NIR wavelengths, an amorphous nanoaperture can be used to realize imaging spectroscopy with a high spatial resolution and a high collection efficiency (Fig.1). We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method by performing numerical simulations and PL measurements of InAs/InP QDs.jmicro;63/suppl_1/i10-a/DFU089F1F1DFU089F1Fig. 1.Schematic illustration of phase change mask method PCM mask effect has also the potential to be applied in emission energy control of QDs. One of the main problems for realization of quantum communication applications is precise control of energy in QDs. We proposed a new approach to control the emission energy of QDs by applying a local strain using volume expansion of phase-change material [3-5]. We calculated the stress and energy shift distribution induced by volume expansion using finite element method. Simulation result reveals that redshift is obtained beneath the flat part of amorphous mark, while blueshift is obtained beneath the edge region of amorphous mark. Simulation result is accompanied by two experimental studies; two-dimensional PL intensity mapping of InAs/InP QD sample deposited by a layer of PCM, and an analysis on the relationship between PL intensity ratio and energy shift were performed.