Coherent generation of nonclassical light on chip via detuned photon blockade

Abstract

The on-chip generation of non-classical states of light is a key-requirement for future optical quantum hardware. In solid-state cavity quantum electrodynamics, such non-classical light can be generated from self-assembled quantum dots strongly coupled to photonic crystal cavities. Their anharmonic strong light-matter interaction results in large optical nonlinearities at the single photon level, where the admission of a single photon into the cavity may enhance (photon-tunnelling) or diminish (photon-blockade) the probability for a second photon to enter the cavity. Here, we demonstrate that detuning the cavity and QD resonances enables the generation of high-purity non-classical light from strongly coupled systems. For specific detunings we show that not only the purity but also the efficiency of single-photon generation increases significantly, making high-quality single-photon generation by photon-blockade possible with current state-of-the-art samples.