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Title: Strain-driven growth of GaAs(111) quantum dots with low fine structure splitting

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4904944· OSTI ID:22395579
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  1. Departments of Physics and Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725 (United States)
  2. California NanoSystems Institute and Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)
  3. Technische Physik, Physikalisches Institut and Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen-Research Center for Complex Material Systems, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg (Germany)

Symmetric quantum dots (QDs) on (111)-oriented surfaces are promising candidates for generating polarization-entangled photons due to their low excitonic fine structure splitting (FSS). However, (111) QDs are difficult to grow. The conventional use of compressive strain to drive QD self-assembly fails to form 3D nanostructures on (111) surfaces. Instead, we demonstrate that (111) QDs self-assemble under tensile strain by growing GaAs QDs on an InP(111)A substrate. Tensile GaAs self-assembly produces a low density of QDs with a symmetric triangular morphology. Coherent, tensile QDs are observed without dislocations, and the QDs luminescence at room temperature. Single QD measurements reveal low FSS with a median value of 7.6 μeV, due to the high symmetry of the (111) QDs. Tensile self-assembly thus offers a simple route to symmetric (111) QDs for entangled photon emitters.

OSTI ID:
22395579
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 25; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English