Researchers at NIST have developed a new technique to precisely locate quantum dots on semiconductor wafers, which could significantly improve the efficiency of manufacturing high-performance nanophotonic devices. The method uses two LED flashes to activate quantum dots and simultaneously illuminate orientation marks, allowing researchers to map the dots’ locations with sub-30 nanometer precision.
This location information enables the placement of photonic control structures with high accuracy, resulting in devices that capture up to 50% of emitted photons and produce over 99% single-photon purity. The technique could reduce the need for trial-and-error manufacturing, increasing the yield of functional devices from the current 1% to potentially 100%.
The research, published in Nature Communications, was conducted at NIST’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and involved collaboration with the University of Southampton and University of Rochester. The development could have significant implications for quantum technologies like secure communications and quantum computing.
Keywords: photon, quantum dot, single photon source, photonic device, nanofabrication
