2025/01/07 by Gregory G. Guymon, Guymon, Gregory G., Hao Nguyen +16 · 1 citation
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Applied Physics (physics.app-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Nanofabrication and Lithography Techniques #Optics (physics.optics) #Photonic Crystals and Applications
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2501.04177
openalex publication_date 2025/01/07 · openalex created_date 2025/01/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The unique optical properties of quantum dots (QDs), size-tunable emission and high quantum yield, make them ideal candidates for applications in secure quantum communication, quantum computing, targeted single-cell and molecular tagging, and sensing. Scalable and deterministic heterointegration strategies for single QDs have, however, remained largely out of reach due to inherent material incompatibilities with conventional semiconductor manufacturing processes. To advance scalable photonic quantum device architectures, it is therefore crucial to adopt placement and heterointegration strategies that can address these challenges. Here, we present an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing model, single particle extraction electrodynamics (SPEED) printing, that exploits a novel regime of nanoscale dielectrophoretics to print and deterministically position single colloidal QDs. Using QDs solubilized in apolar solvents, this additive, zero-waste nanomanufacturing process overcomes continuum fluid surface energetics and stochastic imprecision that limited previous colloidal deposition strategies, achieving selective extraction and deposition of individual QDs at sub-zeptoliter volumes. Photoluminescence and autocorrelation function (g(2)) measurements confirm nanophotonic cavity-QD integration and single-photon emission from single printed QDs. By enabling deterministic placement of single quantum dots, this method provides a powerful, scalable, and sustainable platform for integrating complex photonic circuits and quantum light sources with nanoscale precision.