Quantum Dot Architecture Nanodynamics

Site controlled semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are the subject of world-wide interest because of their potential use in quantum information technologies and nanoscale optoelectronics. The goal is to create advanced QD architectures by controlling the precise position of single dots or molecules during epitaxial growth. However, a significant limitation in the realisation of site controlled III-V quantum structures is our inability to observe how they form in real-time and hence understand how to precisely tailor their characteristics. This project will utilise a unique electron microscope in Cardiff to obtain the first real-time movies of how QDs actually form in advanced architectures. This will provide unprecedented feedback to the National Centre for III-V Technologies and allow us to fabricate QDs with the best site control and optical properties ever achieved. These optimal structures will be tested optically with a view to commercial exploitation with Hitachi Europe Ltd for the large scale integration of single-photon (SP) sources into quantum photonic circuits and networks.