Research
The Quantum Nano Optics of Semiconductors (QNOS) Group at University of Arizona in Tucson, led by Professor Galina Khitrova, is dedicated to researching the basic physics of semiconductor quantum optics. Our focus is investigating light-matter coupling between semiconductor quantum heterostructure (quantum dots and/or wells) and nanocavities (dielectric photonic crystals nanocavities, silicon nanobeam cavities, and metallic cavities). The optical properties of semiconductor heterostructures, including photoluminescence (PL), transmission/reflection, and carrier time dynamics, would be strongly altered because of coupling to the vacuum field produced by the nanocavities. The magnitude of the vacuum field is inversely proportional to the square root of the volume of the nanocavity driving us to exploring smaller and smaller cavities benefitting from the developments of nanotechnology.
We grow our III-V semiconductor heterostructures using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We characterize our samples using atomic force microscopy (AFM), room temperature and low temperature PL, and transmission/reflection/absorption. We collaborate with groups all over the world to fabricate nanocavities on our semiconductor structures. The completed samples are returned, and we begin our fundamental quantum optics experiments, which include time-resolved femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy, low-temperature micro-photoluminescence (ability to observe single lines of quantum dots, coupling to cavity), g2 measurement (Hanbury-Brown-Twiss).