Nano Light

Nanoscale optical light sources such as nano-LED arrays have been developed in the Epitaxy Competence Centre ec2at Braunschweig, a laboratory jointly operated with OSRAM OS GmbH giving QuantumFrontiers access to state-of-the-art LED technology. Nanoscale LED arrays enable structured-light applications below the optical diffraction limit. Microscopy without lenses has been realised, exploiting the large lateral coherence length of nanoscale LEDs, with a potential extension to optical 3D tomography. Within QuantumFrontiers this will allow the integration of optoelectronics with atom interference experiments, which is envisioned as the basis for future super-compact optical atom traps. Electromagnetic “super-resolution” in scanning THz-microscopy has been developed, based on superconducting quantum devices that combine ultrafast electronics and single flux quantum experiments. 

Within QuantumFrontiers, quantised single electron transistors will be pursued, paving the way for cutting-edge low-noise current sources. These systems will be further developed to enable quantum-optics-like interference experiments with electrons, as well as novel quantum current standards. The atomically precise spatial nano-control of the injection of charge carriers into well-defined single quantum objects like single atoms or single molecules has been achieved by using the tunnel junction of a low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscope. This enables the possibility for injecting quantised current into quantum systems with the highest spatial resolution, with a potential extension towards robust single photon emitters.