Spins in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are promising local quantum memories to generate polarization-encoded photonic cluster states, as proposed in the pioneering Lindner and Rudolph scheme (2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 113602). However, harnessing the polarization degree of freedom of the optical transitions is hindered by resonant excitation schemes that are widely used to obtain high photon indistinguishability. Here we show that acoustic phonon-assisted excitation, a scheme that preserves high indistinguishability, also allows to fully exploit the polarization selective optical transitions to initialise and measure single spin states. We access the coherence of hole spin systems in a low transverse magnetic field and directly monitor the spin Larmor precession both during the radiative emission process of an excited state or in the QD ground state. We report a spin state detection fidelity of 94.7 ± 0.2 % granted by the optical selection rules and a 25 ± 5 ns hole spin coherence time, demonstrating the potential of this scheme and system to generate linear cluster states with a dozen of photons.

The development of sensors working in a large range of temperature is of crucial importance in areas such as monitoring of industrial processes or personal tracking using smart objects. Devices integrating GaN/Ga₂O₃ core/shell nanowires (NWs) are a promising solution for monitoring carbon monoxide (CO). Because the performances of sensors primarily depend on the material properties composing the active layer of the device, it is essential to control them and achieve material synthesis in the first time. In this work, we investigate the synthesis of GaN/Ga₂O₃ core-shell NWs with a special focus on the formation of the shell. The GaN NWs grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, are post-treated following thermal oxidation to form a Ga₂O₃-shell surrounding the GaN-core. We establish that the shell thickness can be modulated from 1 to 14 nm by changing the oxidation conditions and follows classical oxidation process: A first rapid oxide-shell growth, followed by a reduced but continuous oxide growth. We also discuss the impact of the atmosphere on the oxidation growth rate. By combining XRD-STEM and EDX analyses, we demonstrate that the oxide-shell is crystalline, presents the β-Ga₂O₃ phase, and is synthesized in an epitaxial relationship with the GaN-core.

We report on a GaN/AlGaN quantum cascade detector operating in the terahertz spectral range. The device was grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on a c-sapphire substrate and relies on polar GaN/AlGaN step quantum wells. The active region thickness is in micrometer range. The structural, electrical, and optical investigations attest of high structural quality of the synthetized nitride material. The detector exhibits a peak photocurrent at 5.7 THz (23.6 meV) with a responsivity of 0.1 mA/W at 10 K under surface normal irradiation through a 10 μm period grating. The photocurrent persists up to 20 K.