Preparation of non-classical photon states in laser-driven quantum-dot-cavity systems under the influence of acoustic phonons

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Vollrath Martin Axt
• Subject Area: Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 419036043

• Final Report Year: 2023

Final Report Abstract

With the help of numerically exact path integral methods we explored possibilities to manipulate photon states by laser excitations of a quantum dot embedded in a resonantor. Major goals were the targeted preparation of non-classical photon states and the question what role phonons play in such schemes. We developed, e.g., protocols that can be realized with current resources for the preparation of higher Fock- or Schrödinger-cat-states as well as for the realization of a photon storage and a scheme for time dependent changing the entanglement type or switching between entangled and non-entangled states. The excitation conditions also determine the strength of coherences between different photon number states, which turned out to be relevant for applications in quantum cryptography. Unexpectedly, we found that under certain circumstances higher degrees of entanglement can be reached with phonons than without. Positive phonon influences were also found in studies of single-photon sources of high purity, that were realized by phonon-assisted preparation of excitons where the emitted photons are spectrally separated from the exciting laser. However, in other cases phonons turn out to be problematic for applications. Phonons, e.g., destroy the photon number statistics of N -photon-bundle states. In permanently driven exciton-biexciton systems phonons induce a phase transition-like behavior: above a critical temperatur or field strength the entanglement of the emitted photons disappears completely. Further, we could identify a limiting influence of the finite pulse duration on the achievable degree of entanglement. Phonons enhance this limitation and introduce a temperature dependence. Since the path integral method developed by us does not make any approximation to the model, such as, e.g., a neglection of memory effects, we were able to quantify without prejudice the error introduced by using the quantum regression theorem (QRT). Using the QRT underestimates systematically indistinguishabilities of photons by up to 18%. The introduction of a new numerically exact algorithm termed Automated Compression of Environments (ACE) opens new perspectives for the simulation of quantum dissipative systems. ACE is distinguished by its high flexibility. ACE can deal simultaneously with multiple different environment influences on a microscopic level. Bosonic, Fermionic or spin-environments can be accounted for without restriction concerning the memory depth or the strength of the correlations. Gaussian and non-Gaussian environments can be treated as well as linear and non-linear or diagonal and non-diagonal system-bath couplings.

Publications

• Distinctive characteristics of carrier-phonon interactions in optically driven semiconductor quantum dots. Advances in Physics: X, 4(1), 1655478.
  Reiter, D. E.; Kuhn, T. & Axt, V. M.
  
• Emission-Frequency Separated High Quality Single-Photon Sources Enabled by Phonons. Physical Review Letters, 123(1).
  Cosacchi, M.; Ungar, F.; Cygorek, M.; Vagov, A. & Axt, V. M.
  
• From strong to weak temperature dependence of the two-photon entanglement resulting from the biexciton cascade inside a cavity. Physical Review B, 99(24).
  Seidelmann, T.; Ungar, F.; Cygorek, M.; Vagov, A.; Barth, A. M.; Kuhn, T. & Axt, V. M.
  
• Phonon-Induced Enhancement of Photon Entanglement in Quantum Dot-Cavity Systems. Physical Review Letters, 123(13).
  Seidelmann, T.; Ungar, F.; Barth, A. M.; Vagov, A.; Axt, V. M.; Cygorek, M. & Kuhn, T.
  
• Different ways how phonons affect photon entanglement in dot-cavity systems. invited talk 15. International Conference on Nonlinear Optics and Excitation Kinetics in Semiconductors u (NOEKS), Münster, Germany, 13.-17. Sep. 2020.
  V.M. Axt, T. Seidelmann, A. Vagov, M. Cygorek, D.E. Reiter & T. Kuhn
  
• Enhancing the quality of photonic sources by the exciton-phonon coupling. International Conference on Optics of Excitons in Confined Systems (OECS), St. Petersburg, Russia, 16.-20. Sep. 2019.
  M. Cosacchi, T. Seidelmann, F. Ungar, M. Cygorek, A.M. Barth, A. Vagov, V.M. Axt & T. Kuhn
  
• Entanglement of two photons in the biexciton cascade inside a cavity: phonon effects in four different dot-cavity configurations. 6. International workshop on the optical properties of nanostructures (OPON), Warsaw, Poland, 12.-14. Feb. 2020.
  M. Cosacchi, T. Seidelmann, F. Ungar, M. Cygorek, A. Vagov, A.M. Barth, T. Kuhn & V.M. Axt
  
• How photonic properties of dot-cavity systems can benefitt from phonons. 6. International workshop on the optical properties of nanostructures (OPON), Warsaw, Poland, 12.-14. Feb. 2020.
  A. Vagov, M. Cosacchi, T. Seidelmann, F. Ungar, M. Cygorek & V.M. Axt
  
• Non-equivalence of photon-pair concurrences detected in different time-windows after emission from the biexciton cascade in a microcavity. 6. International workshop on the optical properties of nanostructures (OPON), Warsaw, Poland, 12.-14. Feb. 2020.
  T. Seidelmann, M. Cygorek, F. Ungar, A.M. Barth, A. Vagov, V.M. Axt & T. Kuhn
  
• On-demand generation of higher-order Fock states in quantum-dot–cavity systems. Physical Review Research, 2(3).
  Cosacchi, M.; Wiercinski, J.; Seidelmann, T.; Cygorek, M.; Vagov, A.; Reiter, D. E. & Axt, V. M.
  
• Phonon-assisted enhancement of photonic figures of merit in dot-cavity systems. 11. International Conference on Quantum Dots (QD2020), Munich, Germany, 07.-11. Dec. 2020.
  A. Vagov, M. Cosacchi, T. Seidelmann, F. Ungar, M. Cygorek & V.M. Axt
  
• Phonon-induced quality enhancement of photonic states generated from quantum dots. 19. International Conference on Physics of Light-Matter Coupling in Nanostructures (PLMCN), Clermont-Ferrand, France, 27.-30. Oct. 2020.
  T. Seidelmann, M. Cosacchi, F. Ungar, M. Cygorek, A.M. Barth, A. Vagov, V.M. Axt & T. Kuhn
  
• Phonon-induced quality enhancement of quantum dot-based photonic sources. 10. International conference on spontaneous coherence in excitonic systems (ICSCE10), Melbourne, Australia, 28.-31. Jan. 2020.
  ]M. Cosacchi, T. Seidelmann, F. Ungar, M. Cygorek, A.M. Barth, A. Vagov, V.M. Axt & T. Kuhn
  
• Preparation of higher-order Fock states in QD-cavity systems. 11. International Conference on Quantum Dots (QD2020), Munich, Germany, 07.-11. Dec. 2020.
  M. Cosacchi, J. Wiercinski, T. Seidelmann, M. Cygorek, A. Vago, D.E. Reiter & V.M. Axt
  
• Switching between different types of entanglement using a driven four-level emitter inside a cavity. 15. International Conference on Nonlinear Optics and Excitation Kinetics in Semiconductors u (NOEKS), Münster, Germany, 13.-17. Sep. 2020.
  T. Seidelmann, M. Cosacchi, M. Cygorek, D.E. Reiter, A. Vagov & V.M. Axt
  
• Transiently changing shape of the photon number distribution in a quantum-dot–cavity system driven by chirped laser pulses. Physical Review B, 101(20).
  Cosacchi, M.; Seidelmann, T.; Ungar, F.; Cygorek, M.; Vagov, A. & Axt, V. M.
  
• Ultrashort protocol for the preparation of higher-order Fock states in quantum-dot-cavity systems.(upgraded talk) 15. International Conference on Nonlinear Optics and Excitation Kinetics in Semiconductors u (NOEKS), Münster, Germany, 13.-17. Sep. 2020.
  M. Cosacchi, J. Wiercinski, T. Seidelmann, M. Cygorek, A. Vagov, D.E. Reiter & V.M. Axt
  
• Accuracy of the Quantum Regression Theorem for Photon Emission from a Quantum Dot. Physical Review Letters, 127(10).
  Cosacchi, M.; Seidelmann, T.; Cygorek, M.; Vagov, A.; Reiter, D. E. & Axt, V. M.
  
• Preparation of nonclassical multi-photon states in quantum dot–cavity systems. 17. International Conference on Optics of Excitons in Confined (OECS2021), Dortmund, Germany, 30. Aug.-02. Sep. 2021.
  J. Wiercinski, M. Cosacchi, T. Seidelmann, M. Cygorek, A. Vagov, D.E. Reiter & V.M. Axt
  
• Schrödinger cat states in quantum-dot-cavity systems. Physical Review Research, 3(2).
  Cosacchi, M.; Seidelmann, T.; Wiercinski, J.; Cygorek, M.; Vagov, A.; Reiter, D. E. & Axt, V. M.
  
• Time-dependent switching of the photon entanglement type using a driven quantum emitter–cavity system. Applied Physics Letters, 118(16).
  Seidelmann, T.; Reiter, D. E.; Cosacchi, M.; Cygorek, M.; Vagov, A. & Axt, V. M.
  
• Controlling the photon entanglement generated by a driven four-level emitter-cavity system. 9. Conference on Quantum Information and Quantum Control, Toronto, Canada, 29. Aug. - 2. Sep. 2022.
  T. Seidelmann, M. Cosacchi, M. Cygorek, D.E. Reiter, A. Vagov & V.M. Axt
  
• Deterministic Photon Storage and Readout in a Semimagnetic Quantum Dot–Cavity System Doped with a Single Mn Ion. Advanced Quantum Technologies, 5(4).
  Cosacchi, Michael; Seidelmann, Tim; Mielnik‐Pyszczorski, Adam; Neumann, Miriam; Bracht, Thomas K.; Cygorek, Moritz; Vagov, Alexei; Reiter, Doris E. & Axt, Vollrath M.
  
• Different Types of Photon Entanglement from a Constantly Driven Quantum Emitter Inside a Cavity. Advanced Quantum Technologies, 5(9).
  Seidelmann, Tim; Cosacchi, Michael; Cygorek, Moritz; Reiter, Doris E.; Vagov, Alexei & Axt, Vollrath M.
  
• Enhancing quantum cryptography with quantum dot single-photon sources. npj Quantum Information, 8(1).
  Bozzio, Mathieu; Vyvlecka, Michal; Cosacchi, Michael; Nawrath, Cornelius; Seidelmann, Tim; Loredo, Juan C.; Portalupi, Simone L.; Axt, Vollrath M.; Michler, Peter & Walther, Philip
  
• N -photon bundle statistics on different solid-state platforms. Physical Review B, 106(11).
  Cosacchi, M.; Mielnik-Pyszczorski, A.; Seidelmann, T.; Cygorek, M.; Vagov, A.; Reiter, D. E. & Axt, V. M.
  
• Simulation of open quantum systems by automated compression of arbitrary environments. Nature Physics, 18(6), 662-668.
  Cygorek, Moritz; Cosacchi, Michael; Vagov, Alexei; Axt, Vollrath Martin; Lovett, Brendon W.; Keeling, Jonathan & Gauger, Erik M.
  
• Two-Photon Excitation Sets Limit to Entangled Photon Pair Generation from Quantum Emitters. Physical Review Letters, 129(19).
  Seidelmann, T.; Schimpf, C.; Bracht, T. K.; Cosacchi, M.; Vagov, A.; Rastelli, A.; Reiter, D. E. & Axt, V. M.
  
• Beyond the Four-Level Model: Dark and Hot States in Quantum Dots Degrade Photonic Entanglement. Nano Letters, 23(4), 1409-1415.
  Lehner, Barbara Ursula; Seidelmann, Tim; Undeutsch, Gabriel; Schimpf, Christian; Manna, Santanu; Gawełczyk, Michał; Covre, da Silva Saimon Filipe; Yuan, Xueyong; Stroj, Sandra; Reiter, Doris E.; Axt, Vollrath Martin & Rastelli, Armando
  
• Phonon-induced transition between entangled and nonentangled photon emission in constantly driven quantum-dot–cavity systems. Physical Review B, 107(7).
  Seidelmann, T.; Cosacchi, M.; Cygorek, M.; Reiter, D. E.; Vagov, A. & Axt, V. M.
  
• Two-photon excitation with finite pulses unlocks pure dephasing-induced degradation of entangled photons emitted by quantum dots. Physical Review B, 107(23).
  Seidelmann, T.; Bracht, T. K.; Lehner, B. U.; Schimpf, C.; Cosacchi, M.; Cygorek, M.; Vagov, A.; Rastelli, A.; Reiter, D. E. & Axt, V. M.