Introduction to the Issue on Quantum and Nanoscale Photonics

The purpose of this issue is to highlight the recent progress and trends in the development of novel nano- and quantum photonic technologies. The articles published in this issue cover a broad range of areas, including: 1) novel nanophotonic light sources??both classical (lasers) and nonclassical (single- and entangled photon sources); 2) nonlinear optics in nanophotonic structures; 3) quantum optics and quantum information processing based on nanophotonics platform; 4) efficient devices for optical interconnects and optical information processing based on novel nanophotonic structures. This issue contains 25 papers, including eight invited, authored by well-established research groups and promising scientists from all over the world. The invited articles include extended reviews on entangled photon generation using silicon nanowire waveguides; cavity quantum electrodynamics and lasing oscillation in single quantum dot photonic crystal nanocavity systems; quantum plasmonic circuits; theoretical analysis of few-photon single-atom cavity quantum electrodynamics; semiconductor quantum dot micropillar microcavities for quantum optics in solid state; nanofiber-based optical trapping of cold neutral atoms; switching and counting with atomic vapors in photonic-crystal fibers; and production of multiple diamondbased single-photon sources. The contributed articles cover a broad variety of key nanophotonics and quantum photonics research areas, including recently obtained results on bright single-photon emission from a quantum dot in a circular Bragg grating microcavity, supercontinuum generation in nanostructured silicon waveguides, electrically driven photonic crystal nanocavity devices, and silicon quantum dots.