Real Space Observation of Electronic Coupling between Self-Assembled Quantum Dots

International audience; The control of quantum coupling between nano-objects is essential to quantum technologies. Confined nanostructures, such as cavities, resonators, or quantum dots, are designed to enhance interactions between electrons, photons, or phonons, giving rise to new properties, on which devices are developed. The nature and strength of these interactions are often measured indirectly on an assembly of dissimilar objects. Here, we adopt an innovative point of view by directly mapping the coupling of single nanostructures using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM and STS). We take advantage of the unique capabilities of STM/STS to map simultaneously the nano-object's morphology and electronic density in order to observe in real space the electronic coupling of pairs of In(Ga)As/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs), forming quantum dot molecules (QDMs). Differential conductance maps dI/dV (E, x, y) demonstrate the presence of an effective electronic coupling, leading to bonding and antibonding states, even for dissymmetric QDMs. The experimental results are supported by numerical simulations. The actual geometry of the QDMs is taken into account to determine the strength of the coupling, showing the crucial role of quantum dot size and pair separation for device growth optimization