Solid State Quantum Optics with a Quantum Dot in a Nano-Photonic Cavity

This thesis describes the first and second-order correlation measurements that were performed on a III-V self-assembled quantum dot weakly coupled to a H1 nanophotonic crystal cavity. The system has an exceptionally large Purcell factor, which enables new regimes of light-matter coupling to be explored. In particular, the Purcell effect enhances the radiative recombination rate by an unprecedented factor, allowing measurements to take advantage of the fast lifetime and broad, transform-limited linewidth of the excitons excited in the quantum dot. The main results of this thesis are presented in three chapters, which explore, respectively, the application of the system as a single-photon source, the interactions between the quantum dot excitons and their solid-state environment, and the effect of spectral filtering on resonance fluorescence photon statistics. None of these experiments would have been possible without the very large Purcell enhancement of the radiative emission from the quantum dot. In the first set of experiments, the emission properties of the cavity-coupled quantum dot under p-pulsed resonant excitation were investigated. Hanbury Brown and Twiss second-order correlation measurements were used to measure the single-photon purity of the quantum dot emission. Hong-Ou-Mandel measurements were performed to investigate the indistinguishability of the single-photons produced. The emission from the cavity-coupled dot was then investigated under continuous wave excitation. In the second set of experiments, first-order correlation measurements were made in conjunction with spectroscopic measurements to investigate the phonon sideband properties of the quantum dot, both under resonant and slightly detuned excitation. In the final set of measurements, spectral filtering was used to alter the photon statistics observed when measuring the resonance fluorescence from the cavity-coupled quantum dot. Here, the effect of filtering in both the weak and strong driving regimes was investigated by filtering both above and below the linewidth of the quantum dot.