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Nowadays, integrated photonics is a key technology in quantum information processing (QIP) but achieving all-optical buses for quantum networks with efficient integration of single photon emitters remains a challenge. Photonic crystals and cavities are good candidates but do not tackle how to effectively address a nanoscale emitter. Using a nanowire nanowaveguide, we realise an hybrid nanodevice which locally excites a single photon source (SPS). The nanowire acts as a passive or active sub-wavelength waveguide to excite the quantum emitter. Our results show that localised excitation of a SPS is possible and is compared with free-space excitation. Our proof of principle experiment presents an absolute addressing efficiency {\eta}a = 10-4 only 50% lower than the one using free-space optics. This important step demonstrates that sufficient guided light in a nanowaveguide made of a semiconductor nanowire is achievable to excite a single photon source. We accomplish a hybrid system offering great potentials for electrically driven SPSs and efficient single photon collection and detection, opening the way for optimum absorption/emission of nanoscale emitters. We also discuss how to improve the addressing efficiency of a dipolar nanoscale emitter with our system., Comment: Accepted in Sci. Rep

We numerically and experimentally investigate graphene-based optical absorbers that exploit guided mode resonances (GMRs) achieving perfect absorption over a bandwidth of few nanometers (over the visible and near-infrared ranges) with a 40-fold increase of the monolayer graphene absorption. We analyze the influence of the geometrical parameters on the absorption rate and the angular response for oblique incidence. Finally, we experimentally verify the theoretical predictions in a one-dimensional, dielectric grating and placing it near either a metallic or a dielectric mirror.

The photon statistics of CdSe/CdS dot-in-rods nanocrystals is studied with a method involving post-selection of the photon detection events based on the photoluminescence count rate. We show that flickering between two states needs to be taken into account to interpret the single-photon emission properties. With post-selection we are able to identify two emitting states: the exciton and the charged exciton (trion), characterized by different lifetimes and different second order correlation functions. Measurements of the second order autocorrelation function at zero delay with post- selection shows a degradation of the single photon emission for CdSe/CdS dot-in-rods in a charged state that we explain by deriving the neutral and charged biexciton quantum yields., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures

A one-dimensional dielectric grating, based on a simple geometry, is proposed and investigated to enhance light absorption in a monolayer graphene exploiting guided mode resonances. Numerical findings reveal that the optimized configuration is able to absorb up to 60% of the impinging light at normal incidence for both TE and TM polarizations resulting in a theoretical enhancement factor of about 26 with respect to the monolayer graphene absorption (about 2.3%). Experimental results confirm this behaviour showing CVD graphene absorbance peaks up to about 40% over narrow bands of few nanometers. The simple and flexible design paves the way for the realization of innovative, scalable and easy-to-fabricate graphene-based optical absorbers.

Images of semiconductor `dot in rods' and their small clusters are studied by measuring the second-order correlation function with a spatially resolving ICCD camera. This measurement allows one to distinguish between a single dot and a cluster and, to a certain extent, to estimate the number of dots in a cluster. A more advanced measurement is proposed, based on higher-order correlations, enabling more accurate determination of the number of dots in a small cluster. Nonclassical features of the light emitted by such a cluster are analyzed., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

In this paper we present a reliable process to fabricate GaN/AlGaN one dimensional photonic crystal (1D-PhC) microcavities with nonlinear optical properties. We used a heterostructure with a GaN layer embedded between two Distributed Bragg Reflectors consisting of AlGaN/GaN multilayers, on sapphire substrate, designed to generate a {\lambda}= 800 nm frequency down-converted signal (\chi^(2) effect) from an incident pump signal at {\lambda}= 400 nm. The heterostructure was epitaxially grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) and integrates a properly designed 1D-PhC grating, which amplifies the signal by exploiting the double effect of cavity resonance and non linear GaN enhancement. The integrated 1D-PhC microcavity was fabricate combing a high resolution e-beam writing with a deep etching technique. For the pattern transfer we used ~ 170 nm layer Cr metal etch mask obtained by means of high quality lift-off technique based on the use of bi-layer resist (PMMA/MMA). At the same time, plasma conditions have been optimized in order to achieve deeply etched structures (depth over 1 micron) with a good verticality of the sidewalls (very close to 90{\deg}). Gratings with well controlled sizes (periods of 150 nm, 230 nm and 400 nm respectively) were achieved after the pattern is transferred to the GaN/AlGaN heterostructure., Comment: presented at Photonics Europe -SPIE 2010