Semiconductor Quantum Optics

Semiconductor quantum optics merges semiconductor physics and quantum optics. Semiconductors are usually complicated many-body systems whose properties are dominated by the Coulomb interaction between the charge carriers. Since “regular” quantum optics is performed with dilute atomic systems where particle-particle interactions are weak, the full complexity of many-body interactions is clearly a new quantum aspect one must consider in semiconductor quantum optics.

My group combines theoretical methods from quantum optics and solid state physics to systematically describe realistic low-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures. Our quantum-optics approach is forged on the same systematic foundation as our many-body formalism applied in connection with our terahertz, optoelectronic, and Bose-Einstein condensate investigations. Therefore, we can realistically and quantitative describe quantum phenomena in a broad range of experiments using our first principles approach. Over the years, we have introduced concepts like the semiconductor luminescence equations, quantum-memory effects in nanostructure emission, quantum-optical spectroscopy etc., and we still are still pushing the frontiers of the field further. Besides pure theory development, our work is anchored to through testing of our predictions and designs via experiments.

 

Selected publications:

M. Kira and S.W. Koch, Semiconductor quantum optics, (Cambridge University Press, 2012).

M. Kira, F. Jahnke, and S.W. Koch, Microscopic theory of excitonic signatures in semiconductor photoluminescence, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 3263 (1998).

M. Kira, F. Jahnke, W. Hoyer, and S.W. Koch, Quantum theory of spontaneous emission and coherent effects in semiconductor microstructures, Prog. Quantum Electron. 23 (6), 189-279 (1999).

M. Kira and S.W. Koch, Quantum-optical spectroscopy of semiconductors, Phys. Rev. A 73, 013813 (2006).

M. Kira and S.W. Koch, Many-body correlations and excitonic effects in semiconductor spectroscopy, Prog. Quantum Electron. 30, 155 (2006).

M. Kira and S.W. Koch, Cluster-expansion representation in quantum optics, Phys. Rev. A 78, 022102 (2008).

R. P. Smith, J. K. Wahlstrand, A. C. Funk, R. P. Mirin, S. T. Cundiff, J. T. Steiner, M. Schäfer, M. Kira, and S.W. Koch, Extraction of Many-Body Configurations from Nonlinear Absorption in Semiconductor QuantumWells, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 247401 (2010).

C. Berger, U. Huttner, M. Mootz, M. Kira, S.W. Koch, J.-S. Tempel, M. Aßmann, M. Bayer, A.M. Mintairov, and J.L. Merz, Quantum-memory effects in the emission of quantum-dot microcavities, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 093902 (2014).