Optical tuning of single quantum dots coupled to photonic crystal molecules using the optical Stark effect

The interaction of semiconductor quantum dots (QD) with photonic crystal resonator systems provides a highly integrated, solid-state platform for studies in ultra-low energy nonlinear optics and quantum optical phenomena. Here, we present a method to tune a semiconductor quantum dot (QD) all-optically into resonance with a cavity mode using the non-resonant optical Stark effect. We use a system comprised of two evanescently coupled photonic crystal cavities containing a single QD in one of the cavities. One mode of the coupled cavity system is used to generate a cavity-enhanced optical Stark shift, enabling the QD to be resonantly tuned to the other cavity mode. We show that the optical tuning of the QD results in a large radiative enhancement of the QD photon emission via the Purcell effect. We will further discuss dynamic experiments in the system using a Stark laser that has a time-duration on the order of the system decay rates. We will show that under this scenario, the cavity-QD spectrum provides a rich array of information on the system dynamics. The experiments are promising for a variety of applications in highly-efficient single photon generation, cavity quantum electrodynamics, ultra-fast optical switching, and classical and quantum information processing.