Artificial atoms for quantum information processing

Self-assembled quantum dots (QDs), nanosized semiconductors, are often known as artificial atoms due to their atomic-like spectra. For this reason they have long been proposed as a means to mediate interactions between single photons, a useful capability for photonic quantum information technology. I will describe the role of QDs in the latest developments in photonic quantum information technology (QIT), and highlight some of our progress in combining the atomic-like properties of QDs with photonic structures to perform a variety of functionalities.