Direct-Laser-Written Polymer Nanowire Waveguides for Broadband Single Photon Collection from Epitaxial Quantum Dots into a Gaussian-like Mode

Abstract: Single epitaxial quantum dots (QDs) embedded in nanophotonic geometries are a leading technology for quantum light generation. However, efficiently coupling their emission into a single mode fiber or Gaussian beam often remains challenging. Here, we use direct laser writing (DLW) to address this challenge by fabricating 1 $\mu$m diameter polymer nanowires (PNWs) in-contact-with and perpendicular-to a QD-containing GaAs layer. QD emission is coupled to the PNW's HE$_{11}$ waveguide mode, enhancing collection efficiency into a single-mode fiber. PNW fabrication does not alter the QD device layer, making PNWs well-suited for augmenting preexisting in-plane geometries. We study standalone PNWs and PNWs in conjunction with metallic nanoring devices that have been previously established for increasing extraction of QD emission. We report methods that mitigate standing wave reflections and heat, caused by GaAs's absorption/reflection of the lithography beam, which otherwise prevent PNW fabrication. We observe a factor of $(3.0 \pm 0.7)\times$ improvement in a nanoring system with a PNW compared to the same system without a PNW, in line with numerical results, highlighting the PNW's ability to waveguide QD emission and increase collection efficiency simultaneously. These results demonstrate new DLW functionality in service of quantum emitter photonics that maintains compatibility with existing top-down fabrication approaches.