Nuclear spin diffusion effects in optically pumped quantum wells

We studied the influence of the nuclear spin diffusion on the dynamical nuclear polarization of low dimensional nanostructures subject to optical pumping. Our analysis shows that the induced nuclear spin polarization in semiconductor nanostructures will develop both a time and position dependence due to a nonuniform hyperfine interaction as a result of the geometrical confinement provided by the system. In particular, for the case of semiconductor quantum wells, nuclear spin diffusion is responsible for a nonzero nuclear spin polarization in the quantum well barriers. As an example we considered a 57 Å GaAs square quantum well and a 1000 Å Al _x Ga_1?x As parabolic quantum well both within 500 Å Al_0.4Ga_0.6As barriers. We found that the average nuclear spin polarization in the quantum well barriers depends on the strength of the geometrical confinement provided by the structure and is characterized by a saturation time of the order of few hundred seconds. Depending on the value of the nuclear spin diffusion constant, the average nuclear spin polarization in the quantum well barriers can get as high as 70% for the square quantum well and 40% for the parabolic quantum well. These results should be relevant for both time resolved Faraday rotation and optical nuclear magnetic resonance experimental techniques.     

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization in III–V Semiconductors

We report on electron spin resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance and Overhauser shift experiments on two of the most commonly used III–V semiconductors, GaAs and InP. Localized electron centers in these semiconductors have extended wavefunctions and exhibit strong electron–nuclear hyperfine coupling with the nuclei in their vicinity. These interactions not only play a critical role in electron and nuclear spin relaxation mechanisms, but also result in transfer of spin polarization from the electron spin system to the nuclear spin system. This transfer of polarization, known as dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), may result in an enhancement of the nuclear spin polarization by several orders of magnitude under suitable conditions. We determine the critical range of doping concentration and temperature conducive to DNP effects by studying these semiconductors with varying doping concentration in a wide temperature range. We show that the electron spin system in undoped InP exhibits electric current-induced spin polarization. This is consistent with model predictions in zinc-blende semiconductors with strong spin–orbit effects.     

Orientation Information from the Dipolar Interaction Between a Complex in the Excited Quartet State and a Doublet Spin Label

An algorithm is proposed for deriving the position of a stable radical relative to a photoexcited quartet state from the electron spin–spin interactions measured by double resonance methods. Intersystem crossing generates multiplet polarization in the quartet state and microwave excitation of the ±3/2 ? ±1/2 transitions converts the multiplet polarization into net polarization of the ±1/2 levels. The dependence of the electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) of the +1/2 ? ?1/2 transition on the field/frequency of the stimulation pulse is demonstrated. The algorithm is tested by comparing the predicted ESEEM patterns to those from explicit numerical calculations of the spin evolution (so-called numerical experiments), which act as a model for experiment results. The comparison demonstrates that within the point-dipole approximation it is feasible to obtain not only the distance between the two paramagnetic centers but also the orientation of the distance vector relative to the principal axes of the quartet state.     

Spin dependence of the parity non-conserving neutron-nucleus interaction

We show that the spin dependence of the parity violating amplitudes can provide a clue to the precise origin of the large parity non-conserving effects observed in neutron scattering on nuclei. The polarization asymmetries for longitudinal and transverse polarization of the incoming neutrons allow the separation of these spin amplitudes. In the mechanism of parity admixing of the virtually excited compound nucleus states, the spin dependence of the weak amplitudes is determined by the spin dependence of the strong interaction amplitudes for the elastic channel of the decay of the p-wave resonance     

170 nm nuclear magnetic resonance imaging using magnetic resonance force microscopy

We demonstrate one-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the semiconductor GaAs with 170 nm slice separation and resolve two regions of reduced nuclear spin polarization density separated by only 500 nm. This was achieved by force detection of the magnetic resonance, magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM), in combination with optical pumping to increase the nuclear spin polarization. Optical pumping of the GaAs created spin polarization up to 12 times larger than the thermal nuclear spin polarization at 5K and 4T. The experiment was sensitive to sample volumes of 50 microm(3) containing approximately 4 x 10(11)71 Ga/Hz. These results demonstrate the ability of force-detected magnetic resonance to apply magnetic resonance imaging to semiconductor devices and other nanostructures.     

Polarization of nuclear spins from the conductance of quantum wire

We devise an approach to measure the polarization of nuclear spins via conductance measurements. Specifically, we study the combined effect of external magnetic field, nuclear spin polarization, and Rashba spin-orbit interaction on the conductance of a quantum wire. Nonequilibrium nuclear spin polarization affects the electron energy spectrum making it time dependent. Changes in the extremal points of the spectrum result in time dependence of the conductance. The conductance oscillation pattern can be used to obtain information about the amplitude of the nuclear spin polarization and extract the characteristic time scales of the nuclear spin subsystem.     

Role of spin noise in the detection of nanoscale ensembles of nuclear spins

When probing nuclear spins in materials on the nanometer scale, random fluctuations of the spin polarization will exceed the mean Boltzmann polarization for sample volumes below about (100 nm){3}. In this Letter, we use magnetic resonance force microscopy to observe nuclear spin fluctuations in real time. We show how reproducible measurements of the polarization variance can be obtained by controlling the spin correlation time and rapidly sampling a large number of independent spin configurations. This allows significant improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio for nanometer-scale magnetic resonance imaging.     

Electron–Nuclear Spin Dynamics in Semiconductor QDs

This work presents an overview of investigations of the nuclear spin dynamics in nanostructures with negatively charged InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots characterized by strong quadrupole splitting of nuclear spin sublevels. The main method of the investigations is the experimental measurements and the theoretical analysis of the photoluminescence polarization as a function of the transverse magnetic field (effect Hanle). The dependence of the Hanle curve profile on the temporal protocol of optical excitation is examined. Experimental data are analyzed using an original approach based on separate consideration of behavior of the longitudinal and transverse components of the nuclear polarization. The rise and decay times of each component of the nuclear polarization and their dependence on transverse magnetic field strength are determined. To study the role of the Knight field in the dynamic of nuclear polarization, a weak additional magnetic field parallel to the optical axis is used. We have found that, only taking into account the nuclear spin fluctuations, we can accurately describe the measured Hanle curves and evaluate the parameters of the electron–nuclear spin system in the studied quantum dots. A new effect of the resonant optical pumping of nuclear spin polarization in an ensemble of the singly charged (In,Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots subjected to a transverse magnetic field is discussed. Nuclear spin resonances for all isotopes in the quantum dots are detected in that way. In particular, transitions between the states split off from the ±1/2 doublets by the nuclear quadrupole interaction are identified.     

Dynamic nuclear spin resonance in n-GaAs

The dynamics of optically detected nuclear magnetic resonance is studied in n-GaAs via time-resolved Kerr rotation using an on-chip microcoil for rf field generation. Both optically allowed and optically forbidden NMR are observed with a dynamics controlled by the interplay between dynamic nuclear polarization via hyperfine interaction with optically generated spin-polarized electrons and nuclear spin depolarization due to magnetic resonance absorption. Comparing the characteristic nuclear spin relaxation rate obtained in experiment with master equation simulations, the underlying nuclear spin depolarization mechanism for each resonance is extracted.     

Dynamic Polarization and Relaxation of <Superscript>75</Superscript>As Nuclei in Silicon at High Magnetic Field and Low Temperature

We present the results of experiments on dynamic nuclear polarization and relaxation of ⁷⁵As in silicon crystals. Experiments are performed in strong magnetic fields of 4.6 T and temperatures below 1 K. At these conditions donor electron spins are fully polarized, and the allowed and forbidden electron spin resonance transitions are well resolved. We demonstrate effective nuclear polarization of ⁷⁵As nuclei via the Overhauser effect on the time scale of several hundred seconds. Excitation of the forbidden transitions leads to a polarization through the solid effect. The relaxation rate of donor nuclei has strong temperature dependence characteristic of Orbach process.     

Phase Coherence and Spin Squeezing in One-Axis Twisting Model with Decay

We investigate phase coherence and spin squeezing of a collective spin governed by one-axis twisting Hamiltonian with decay. Here we are interested in the dependence of phase coherence and spin squeezing parameter on the decay. The analytical expressions of phase coherence and spin squeezing parameter are obtained. The stronger decay can induce a stronger spin squeezing, and the squeezing can maintain a longer time interval. Moreover, more squeezing can be achieved by increasing the number of particles.     

Coherently Controlling Spin Squeezing in Optomechanical System

We investigate spin squeezing in optomechanical system. We first derive the mean spin direction, the optimally squeezed angle and then calculate the spin squeezing parameter, which is independent of the frequency of the cavity field. The lager coupling strength more rapidly generates spin squeezed state, but the corresponding spin squeezed state maintains shorter time interval.     

Scalable spin amplification with a gain over a hundred

We propose a scalable and practical implementation of spin amplification which does not require individual addressing nor a specially tailored spin network. We have demonstrated a gain of 140 in a solid-state nuclear spin system of which the spin polarization has been increased to 0.12 using dynamic nuclear polarization with photoexcited triplet electron spins. Spin amplification scalable to a higher gain opens the door to the single spin measurement for a readout of quantum computers as well as practical applications of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to infinitesimal samples which have been concealed by thermal noise.     

Controlling Single-Particle Coherence and Spin Squeezing with Stimulated Raman Transition

We present a scheme for controlling single-particle coherence and spin squeezing of atom-photon with stimulated Raman transition. Here we are focus on the dependence of spin squeezing parameter on the mean photon number. We first derive the effective Hamiltonian and then obtain the analytical solution for state vector, the single-particle coherence and spin squeezing parameter. The stronger spin squeezing can be created by adding the mean photon number.     

Efficient polarization squeezing in optical fibers

We report on a novel and efficient source of polarization squeezing that uses a single pass through an optical fiber. Using the fiber's two orthogonal polarization axes produces two identical squeezed beams. Combining these in a Stokes measurement generates polarization squeezing of up to 5.1 +/- 0.3 dB. Furthermore, this scheme enables us to directly measure, for both polarizations, the noise of any given quadrature.     

The transient EPR spectra and spin dynamics of coupled three-spin systems in photosynthetic reaction centres

The concept of introducing an additional, stable paramagnetic species into photosynthetic reaction centres to increase the information content of their spin polarized transient EPR spectra is investigated theoretically. The light-induced electron transfer in such systems generates a series of coupled three-spin states consisting of sequential photoinduced radical pairs coupled to the stable spin which acts as an “observer”. The spin polarized transient EPR spectra are investigated using the coupled three-spin system P⁺I⁻Q⁻ _A in pre-reduced bacterial reaction centres as a specific example which has been studied experimentally. The evolution of the spin system and the spin polarized EPR spectra of P⁺I⁻Q⁻ _A and Q⁻ _A following recombination of the radical pair (P = primary donor, I = primary acceptor, Q_A = quinone acceptor) are calculated numerically by solving the equations of motion for the density matrix. The net polarization of the observer spin is also calculated analytically by perturbation theory for the case of a single, short-lived, charge-separated state. The result bears a close resemblance to the chemically induced nuclear polarization (CIDNP) generated in photolysis reactions in which a nuclear spin plays the role of the observer interacting with the radical pair intermediates. However, because the Zeeman frequencies of the three electron spins involved are usually quite similar, the polarization of the electron observer spin in strong magnetic fields can reflect features of the CIDNP effect in both, high and low magnetic fields. The dependence of the quinone spin polarization on the exchange couplings in the three-spin system is investigated by numerical simulations, and it is shown that the observed emissive polarization pattern is compatible with either sign, positive or negative, for a range of exchange couplings, J_PI, in the primary pair. The microwave frequency and orientation dependence of the spectra are discussed as two of several possible criteria for determining the sign of J_PI.     

Spin squeezing and entanglement via hole-burning in atomic coherent states

We study the generation of spin squeezing via the hole burning of selected Dicke states out of an atomic coherent state prepared for a collection of N two-level atoms or ions. The atoms or ions of the atomic coherent state are not entangled, but the removal of one or more Dicke states generates entanglement, and spin squeezing occurs for some ranges of the relevant parameters. Spin squeezing in a collection of two-level atoms or ions is of importance for precision spectroscopy.     

Quantum Coherence and Spin Squeezing in Optomechanical System

We investigate quantum coherence and spin squeezing in optomechanical system. We first determine the mean spin direction, the optimally squeezed angle and then calculate the first-order temporal correlation function, the squeezing parameter, which are independent of the frequency of the cavity field. The lager coupling strength more rapidly generates spin squeezed state, but the corresponding spin squeezed state maintains shorter time interval.     

Optical nuclear spin polarization in quantum dots

Hyperfine interaction between electron spin and randomly oriented nuclear spins is a key issue of electron coherence for quantum information/computation. We propose an efficient way to establish high polarization of nuclear spins and reduce the intrinsic nuclear spin fluctuations. Here, we polarize the nuclear spins in semiconductor quantum dot(QD) by the coherent population trapping(CPT) and the electric dipole spin resonance(EDSR) induced by optical fields and ac electric fields. By tuning the optical fields, we can obtain a powerful cooling background based on CPT for nuclear spin polarization. The EDSR can enhance the spin flip–flop rate which may increase the cooling efficiency. With the help of CPT and EDSR, an enhancement of 1300 times of the electron coherence time can be obtained after a 10-ns preparation time.