We propose a novel design of all-electric single photon emitter with a single electron pump and a lateral p-n junction based on AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure. The promise of single photon emission is achieved by injecting one and only one electron into the p-n junction, where one photon will be generated after e-h radiative recombination. This ensures an intrinsically on-demand and deterministic single photon source. Up to GHz repetition rate is expected as the single electron pump has showed quantized generation of electrons in the GHz range [1].

The so-called dopant-free lateral p-n junction is formed by gate-induced carriers in a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) and a two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) in purely intrinsic materials. Earlier work on lateral p-n junction relied either on modulation doping and/or selective etching [2][3][4]. The former pre-determines the carrier type and density at a fixed level and risks parallel conduction at very high doping levels. The latter, however, introduces non-radiative centres due to etching, which inevitably lowers the emission efficiency. We will show switchable carrier types and tunable carrier densities in our device with engineered ambipolar design.

Another obstacle with lateral p-n junction is the unwanted charge accumulation in the intrinsic p-n junction which kills radiative recombination shortly after turning on. The operation has to be interrupted for a full thermal cycle from cryogenic to room temperature, and resumed after a new cool-down process [5]. In this work, we will present an in-situ set-reset gating protocol to restore light emission. Promising electro-luminescence signals will be presented in an analogous design where the single electron pump is not yet included.

This is joint work with F. Sfigakis, A. Shetty, H. S. Kim, N. Sherlekar, S. Hosseini, M. C. Tam, B. van Kasteren, B. Buonacorsi, Z. R. Wasilewski, J. Baugh and M. E. Reimer. This research was undertaken thanks in part to funding from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (Transformative Quantum Technologies), Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), and Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

Reference:
[1] B. Buonacorsi, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 119, 114001 (2021).
[2] B. Kaestner, et al., Microelectronic Engineering 67-68, 797 (2003).
[3] M. Cecchini, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 636 (2003).
[4] J. R. Gell, et al., Appl. Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 243505 (2006).
[5] T. K. Hsiao, et al., Nat Commun. 11, 917 (2020).