Photon-Storage in Optical Memory Cells Based on a Semiconductor Quantum Dot-Quantum Well Hybrid Structure

We report a new type of photonic memory cell based on a semiconductor quantum dot (QD)-quantum well (QW) hybrid structure, in which photo-generated excitons can be decomposed into separated electrons and holes, and stored in QW and QDs respectively. Storage and retrieval of photonic signals are verified by time-resolved photoluminescence experiments. A storage time in excess of 100 ms has been obtained at a temperature of 10 K while the switching speed reaches the order of ten megahertz.