Origin of spectral brightness variations in InAs/InP quantum dot telecom single photon emitters

Abstract

Long-distance quantum communication relies on the ability to efficiently generate and prepare single photons at telecom wavelengths. Low-density InAs quantum dots on InP surfaces are grown in a molecular beam epitaxy system using a modified Stranski–Krastanov growth paradigm. This material is a source of bright and indistinguishable single photons in the 1.3 μm telecom band. Here, the exploration of the growth parameters is presented as a phase diagram, while low-temperature photoluminescence and atomic resolution images are presented to correlate structure and spectral performance. This work identifies specific stacking faults and V-shaped defects that are likely causes of the observed low brightness emission at 1.55 μm telecom wavelengths. The different locations of the imaged defects suggest possible guidance for future development of InAs/InP single photon sources for c-band, 1.55 μm wavelength telecommunication systems.