Optically-controlled plasmonic gate to modify the dielectric environment of semiconductor quantum dots

The detailed coupling between single quantum emitters and nearby plasmonic modes is an open area of research in the field of plasmonics. A lot of research is being done to study direct coupling effects between these two systems. In this talk I will instead focus on experimental aspects which indirectly affect their interaction. In a system of semiconductor InGaAs quantum dots very weakly coupled to a silver plasmonic structure, we observe effects similar to the quantum-confined Stark effect. This suggests the presence of a local dc electrical field generated by the launching of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) along the silver/GaAs interface. To understand this effect, we consider the electric field interaction between the SPPs and free carriers in the dielectric from the above band-gap optical excitation, as well as free charge carrier effects in the silver including phenomena such as an enhanced photon drag effect or plasmonic drag.