J.-G. Rousset

Designing quantum dots for solotronics

Solotronics, optoelectronics based on solitary dopants, is an emerging field of research and technology reaching the ultimate limit of miniaturization. It aims at exploiting quantum properties of individual ions or defects embedded in a semiconductor matrix. It has already been shown that optical control of a magnetic ion spin is feasible using the carriers confined in a quantum dot. However, a serious obstacle was the quenching of the exciton luminescence by magnetic impurities. Here we show, by photoluminescence studies on thus-far-unexplored individual CdTe dots with a single cobalt ion and CdSe dots with a single manganese ion, that even if energetically allowed, nonradiative exciton recombination through single-magnetic-ion intra-ionic transitions is negligible in such zero-dimensional structures. This opens solotronics for a wide range of as yet unconsidered systems. On the basis of results of our single-spin relaxation experiments and on the material trends, we identify optimal magnetic-ion quantum dot systems for implementation of a single-ion-based spin memory.

MBE growth and characterization of a II–VI distributed Bragg reflector and microcavity lattice-matched to MgTe

Abstract We present the realization and characterization of a 20-fold, fully lattice-matched epitaxial distributed Bragg reflector based on (Cd,Zn)Te and (Cd,Zn,Mg)Te layers. We also present a microcavity based on (Cd,Zn,Mg)Te containing a (Cd,Zn)Te quantum well. Reflectivity spectra, photoluminescence imaging in real space and in far field are presented.

Distributed Bragg reflectors obtained by combining Se and Te compounds: Influence on the luminescence from CdTe quantum dots

We report on the optical properties of structures containing self assembled CdTe quantum dots (QDs) combined with Te and Se based distributed Bragg reflectors either in a half cavity geometry with a relatively broad cavity mode or in a full cavity geometry where the cavity mode is much narrower. We show that for both structures the extraction coefficient of the light emitted from the QDs ensemble is enhanced by more than one order of magnitude with respect to the QDs grown on a ZnTe buffer. However, a single QD line broadening is observed and attributed to an unintentional incorporation of Se in the vicinity of the CdTe QDs. We show that postponing the QDs growth for 24 h after the distributed Bragg reflector deposition allows recovering sharp emission lines from individual QDs. This two step growth method is proven to be efficient also for the structures with CdTe QDs containing a single Mn2+ ion.

Strong coupling and polariton lasing in Te based microcavities embedding (Cd,Zn)Te quantum wells

We report on properties of an optical microcavity based on (Cd,Zn,Mg)Te layers and embedding (Cd,Zn)Te quantum wells. The key point of the structure design is the lattice matching of the whole structure to MgTe, which eliminates the internal strain and allows one to embed an arbitrary number of unstrained quantum wells in the microcavity. We evidence the strong light-matter coupling regime already for the structure containing a single quantum well. Embedding four unstrained quantum wells results in further enhancement of the exciton-photon coupling and the polariton lasing in the strong coupling regime.

Magnetic field effect on the lasing threshold of a semimagnetic polariton condensate

We evidence magnetic field triggered polariton lasing in a microcavity containing semimagnetic quantum wells. This effect is associated with a decrease of the polariton lasing threshold power in magnetic field. The observed magnetic field dependence of the threshold power systematically exhibits a minimum which only weakly depends on the zero-field photon-exciton detuning. These results are interpreted as a consequence of the polariton giant Zeeman splitting which in magnetic field: leads to a decrease of the number of accessible states in the lowest polariton branch by a factor of two, and substantially changes the photon-exciton detuning.

Comparison of magneto-optical properties of various excitonic complexes in CdTe and CdSe self-assembled quantum dots.

We present a comparative study of two self-assembled quantum dot (QD) systems based on II-VI compounds: CdTe/ZnTe and CdSe/ZnSe. Using magneto-optical techniques we investigated a large population of individual QDs. The systematic photoluminescence studies of emission lines related to the recombination of neutral exciton X, biexciton XX, and singly charged excitons (X(+), X(-)) allowed us to determine average parameters describing CdTe QDs (CdSe QDs): X-XX transition energy difference 12 meV (24 meV); fine-structure splitting δ1=0.14 meV (δ1=0.47 meV); g-factor g  =  2.12 (g  =  1.71); diamagnetic shift γ=2.5 μeV T(-2) (γ =1.3 μeV T(-2)). We find also statistically significant correlations between various parameters describing internal structure of excitonic complexes.

Relation between exciton splittings, magnetic circular dichroism, and magnetization in wurtzite Ga_(1-x)Fe_xN

The question of the correlation between magnetization, band splittings, and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) in the fundamental gap region of dilute magnetic semiconductors is examined experimentally and theoretically taking the case of wurtzite Ga(1-x)FexN as an example. Magnetization and polarization-resolved reflectivity measurements have been performed down to 2K and up to 7T for x = 0.2%. Optical transitions originating from all three free excitons A, B and C, specific to the wurtzite structure, have been observed and their evolution with the magnetic field determined. It is demonstrated that the magnitude of the exciton splittings evaluated from reflectivity-MCD data can be overestimated by more than a factor of 2, as compared to the values obtained by describing the polarization-resolved reflectivity spectra with appropriate dielectric functions. A series of model calculations shows that the quantitative inaccuracy of MCD originates from a substantial influence of the magnetization-dependent exchange interactions not only on the spin splittings of excitons but also upon their linewidth and oscillator strength. At the same time, a method is proposed that allows to evaluate the field and temperature dependencies of the magnetization from MCD spectra. The accurate values of the excitonic splittings and of the magnetization reported here substantiate the magnitudes of the apparent

Spin polarized semimagnetic exciton-polariton condensate in magnetic field

sp-d

Ultra low density of CdTe quantum dots grown by MBE

exchange integrals in (Ga,Fe)N previously determined.

MBE grown microcavities based on selenium and tellurium compounds

Owing to their integer spin, exciton-polaritons in microcavities can be used for observation of non-equilibrium Bose-Einstein condensation in solid state. However, spin-related phenomena of such condensates are difficult to explore due to the relatively small Zeeman effect of standard semiconductor microcavity systems and the strong tendency to sustain an equal population of two spin components, which precludes the observation of condensates with a well defined spin projection along the axis of the system. The enhancement of the Zeeman splitting can be achieved by introducing magnetic ions to the quantum wells, and consequently forming semimagnetic polaritons. In this system, increasing magnetic field can induce polariton condensation at constant excitation power. Here we evidence the spin polarization of a semimagnetic polaritons condensate exhibiting a circularly polarized emission over 95% even in a moderate magnetic field of about 3 T. Furthermore, we show that unlike nonmagnetic polaritons, an increase on excitation power results in an increase of the semimagnetic polaritons condensate spin polarization. These properties open new possibilities for testing theoretically predicted phenomena of spin polarized condensate.