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Fabrication of ultralow-density quantum dots by droplet etching epitaxy

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Abstract

Isolated single quantum dots (QDs) enable the investigation of quantum-optics phenomena for the application of quantum information technologies. In this work, ultralow-density InAs QDs are grown by combining droplet etching epitaxy and the conventional epitaxy growth mode. An extreme low density of QDs (∼106 cm−2) is realized by creating low-density self-assembled nanoholes with the high temperature droplet etching epitaxy technique and then nanohole-filling. The preferred nucleation of QDs in nanoholes has been explained by a theoretical model. Atomic force microscopy and the photoluminescence technique are used to investigate the morphological and optical properties of the QD samples. By varying In coverages, the size of InAs QDs can be controlled. Moreover, with a thin GaAs cap layer, the position of QDs remains visible on the sample surface. Such a low density and surface signature of QDs make this growth method promising for single QD investigation and single dot device fabrication.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation of the U.S. (EPSCoR Grant No. OIA-1457888), National Program on Key Basic Research Project (2013CB933301), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (61474015). The authors wish to dedicate this article to the memory of Dr. Jan H. van der Merwe.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK

    Jiang Wu

  2. Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, People’s Republic of China

    Zhiming M. Wang

  3. MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, People’s Republic of China

    Xinlei Li

  4. Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701, USA

    Yuriy I. Mazur & Gregory J. Salamo

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  1. Jiang Wu
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  2. Zhiming M. Wang
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  3. Xinlei Li
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  5. Gregory J. Salamo
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Correspondence to Jiang Wu or Zhiming M. Wang.

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Wu, J., Wang, Z.M., Li, X. et al. Fabrication of ultralow-density quantum dots by droplet etching epitaxy. Journal of Materials Research 32, 4095–4101 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2017.408

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