Quantum-Optically Resolving the Number of Colloidal Quantum Dots in a Subwavelength Volume

The number resolution of solid-state artificial atoms is of fundamental interest for the study of quantum few-body systems, yet remains experimentally challenging. Quantum optical experiments offer a non-invasive approach which links up macroscopic measurements with the quantity of quantum emitters. In this work, we propose a time-domain quantum optical methodology for the strict numbering of colloidal CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) confined in subwavelength size polystyrene capsules. The non-polarized, homogeneously broadened emission of colloidal QDs in the subwavelength volume satisfies the description of Dicke’s superradiance of identical quantum emitters. An analytic relation describes the numerical dependence of the second-order photon correlation on the number and the collective lifetime of emitters, yielding an experimental counting range from one to ten. This work provides a robust pathway for the non-invasive numbering of artificial atoms and the investigation of collective light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.