Quantum-dot photon turnstile device

US6728281B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignees

• The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University · US
• Japan Science and Technology · JP

Inventors

• Charles M. Santori · Palo Alto, US
• Oliver Benson · Berlin, DE
• Yoshihisa Yamamoto · Stanford, US
• Matthew Pelton · Chicago, US
• Jungsang Kim · Chapel Hill, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 9, 2001
• Grant date: Apr 27, 2004
• Expiry date: Jun 29, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S977/951
• WIPO field: Micro-structural and nano-technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A quantum-dot photon turnstile device is capable of producing a stream of regulated and directed single pairs of photons with opposite circular polarizations. This device operates by injecting pairs of electrons and holes, alternately, into a single quantum dot, where they combine to form photons. The device will efficiently and reliably produce a directed beam of such photons at regular time intervals. It will be able to operate at high frequency and at high temperature. Such a stream of regulated photon pairs will be useful in quantum cryptography, quantum computing, low-power optical communications, as a light standard, and in many other areas of technology and fundamental science.