Advances in quantum dot light sources for silicon photonics and quantum photonics

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to three US-based scientists by recognizing their 40-year achievement in nanoparticles and colloidal quantum dot (QDs). In parallel, however, in 1981/82, we proposed the concept of 3D quantum-confined heterostructures (i.e., QDs) and their application to lasers as a new development in semiconductor nanophysics that began with semiconductor superlattices. Subsequent advances made QDs one of the fundamental nanostructures in photonics and electronics. In particular, QD lasers are the first practical quantum mechanical devices that take advantage of the fully discrete nature of electron energy, with approximately one million chips shipped to the market each year. Nowadays, QDs are also applied to quantum computing and quantum communications. In this talk, we review the early explorations of QD technology in physics and chemistry and describe recent advances in QD lasers as an essential light source for silicon photonics, enabling COP/IOI. We also discuss the current state of the art for realizing high-quality QD-based single-photon sources for quantum-integrated photonics.