Enhancing the optical excitation efficiency of a single self-assembled quantum dot with a plasmonic nanoantenna

We demonstrate how the controlled positioning of a plasmonic nanoparticle modifies the photoluminescence of a single epitaxial GaAs quantum dot. The antenna particle leads to an increase of the luminescence intensity by about a factor of eight. Spectrally and temporally resolved photoluminescence measurements prove an increase of the quantum dot’s excitation rate. The combination of stable epitaxial quantum emitters and plasmonic nanostructures promises to be highly beneficial for nanoscience and quantum optics.