Abstract
The growth in demand for bright, efficient and solid state single-photon sources (SPSs) over the last decades has occurred concurrently with the appearance of quantum information applications that employ the quantized nature of photons. This has led to the development of innovative and complex photonic structures that seek to maximize the quality (Q) factor and coupling rate between a single-emitter (such as quantum dots) and a collectible mode. In this thesis I propose that optical Tamm states, an analogue to the electronic Tamm surface states that occur where a periodic material is terminated at an interface, are a potential alternative to these structures for SPSs and other optical devices. Tamm plasmons (TPs), which occur at the interface of a Bragg mirror and metal layer, has the further attraction that confinement can be added by changing the dimensions of the metal layer.In this thesis I will demonstrate the first measured interaction of quantum dots (QDs) within a confined TP (CTP) at 1.3 um. A simulation study is used to explore their mode behaviour as a function of various parameters, such as metal layer thickness and shape, and the tolerance to emitter position within the mode. New physical phenomena and insights into the effect on collection efficiency are demonstrated, as is a general method for optimizing efficiency of low Q photonic structures, such as confined TPs and low Q micropillars, for SPSs. Finally, these structures are fabricated and characterized. The photoluminescence collected through the top of the device is shown to increase by at least an order of magnitude compared to when the metal layer is absent, showing QD coupling to the mode. This effect is successfully utilized to make CTP photodetectors. These results demonstrate that CTPs are suitable modes for making scalable SPSs.
| Date of Award | 23 Jan 2019 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Ruth Oulton (Supervisor) & Edmund G H Harbord (Supervisor) |