Coherent spin dynamics of electrons and excitons in nanostructures (a review)

The studies of spin phenomena in semiconductor low-dimensional systems have grown into the rapidly developing area of the condensed matter physics: spintronics. The most urgent problems in this area, both fundamental and applied, are the creation of charge carrier spin polarization and its detection, as well as electron spin control by nonmagnetic methods. Here, we present a review of recent achievements in the studies of spin dynamics of electrons, holes, and their complexes in the pump-probe method. The microscopic mechanisms of spin orientation of charge carriers and their complexes by short circularly polarized optical pulses and the formation processes of the spin signals of Faraday and Kerr rotation of the probe pulse polarization plane as well as induced ellipticity are discussed. A special attention is paid to the comparison of theoretical concepts with experimental data obtained on the n-type quantum well and quantum dot array samples.     

Quantum Cryptography in Spin Networks

In this paper we propose a new scheme of long-distance quantum cryptography based on spin networks with qubits stored in electron spins of quantum dots. By＂ conditional Faraday- rotation, single photon polarization measurement, and quantum state transfer, maximal-entangled Bell states for quantum cryptography between two long-distance parties are created. Meanwhile, efficient quantum state transfer over arbitrary＂ distances is obtained in a spin chain by＂ a proper choice of coupling strengths and using spin memory- technique improved. We also analyse the security＂ of the scheme against the cloning-based attack which can be also implemented in spin network and discover that this spin network cloning coincides with the optimal fidelity- achieved by＂ an eavesdropper for entanglement-based cryptography.     

噪声对一种三粒子量子探针态的影响

量子度量学是研究量子测量与统计推断的一门学科,主要利用量子手段来提高参数估计的精度,在量子信息处理与测量中起到关键作用.量子参数估计的一般过程包含四个步骤:探针态的制备、参数化过程、对参数化后的输出态进行测量以及根据测量结果估计待测参数.其中探针态的选取对测量精度起着至关重要的作用.然而在实际的量子探针态的制备过程中,初始探针态会受到环境噪声的影响.目前人们已经研究了W态与Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger(GHZ)态的量子Fisher信息(QFI)在典型噪声通道下的变化行为.由于W态与GHZ态有着不同的纠缠性质,对于W态与GHZ态的叠加态的QFI动力学研究具有重要的实际意义.故此,本文主要研究典型噪声通道对这两种状态的叠加态的QFI动力学行为的影响,得出了QFI随噪声参数的变化行为.结果表明,叠加态中W态组分可明显对抗相位阻尼噪声对探针态的QFI的影响,而其中的GHZ态组分可明显对抗振幅阻尼噪声的影响,从而为在实际环境中选取高精度的参数估计过程提供参考.     

Strongly enhanced spin squeezing via quantum control

We describe a new approach to spin squeezing based on a double-pass Faraday interaction between an optical probe and an optically dense atomic sample. A quantum eraser is used to remove residual spin-probe entanglement, thereby realizing a single-axis twisting unitary map on the collective spin. This interaction can be phase matched, resulting in exponential enhancement of squeezing as a function of optical density for times short compared to the decoherence time. In practice the scaling and peak squeezing depends on decoherence, technical loss, and noise. Including these imperfections, our model indicates that ～10 dB of squeezing should be achievable with laboratory parameters.     

Optical control of spin coherence in singly charged (In,Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots

Electron spin coherence has been generated optically in n-type modulation doped (In,Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) which contain on average a single electron per dot. The coherence arises from resonant excitation of the QDs by circularly polarized laser pulses, creating a coherent superposition of an electron and a trion. Time dependent Faraday rotation is used to probe the spin precession of the optically oriented electrons about a transverse magnetic field. The coherence generation can be controlled by pulse intensity, being most efficient for (2n+1)pi pulses.     

Polariton spin beats in semiconductor quantum well microcavities

Time-resolved Kerr (Faraday) rotation experiments allow for the observation of polariton spin beats in both InGaAs and CdMnTe quantum well (QW) microcavities. The existence of these beats is an unambiguous manifestation of the coherent energy exchange between exciton and photon components of polariton states created by a circularly polarized and spectrally wide femtosecond laser pulse. The polariton states are also shown to be split into a linearly polarized doublet. This splitting is responsible for the polarization transfer between linearly and circularly polarized states. In a highest-quality sample, the resulting spin dynamics could be detected.     

Optical pumping of nuclear spin magnetization in GaAs/AlAs quantum wells of variable electron density

We report the use of time-resolved Faraday rotation to induce and probe the polarization of nuclear spins within a set of quantum wells with varying background electron density. The electron density was controlled over a broad range by making use of structures of mixed type-I/type-II GaAs/AlAs quantum wells that spatially separate photoexcited electron–hole pairs. We find that the optically detected nuclear magnetic field decreases quasi-monotonically with increasing electron density. The likely factors responsible for this behavior are increased electron spin-lattice relaxation, increased electron spin delocalization, and dilution of the electron spin polarization.     

The quantum origins of the free induction decay signal and spin noise

Experiments are described that elucidate the quantum mechanical origins of the free induction decay voltage and of spin noise. It is shown that the experimentally measured FID voltage induced in a Hertzian loop receiving coil following a 90 degrees pulse is typically two orders of magnitude too large to be accounted for by the current quantum theory of signal reception-coherent spontaneous emission. An experiment is then presented in which spin noise is easily observed in a circuit with a Q-factor of order unity, thereby undermining a popular hypothesis that such noise is due to spontaneous emission and is only observable because of the enhancement in the density of the radiation field in a high Q-factor tuned circuit, the NMR probe. Both the free induction decay and the spin noise are shown to be accurately predicted by near-field Faraday induction, which is described in the theory of quantum electrodynamics by an exchange of virtual photons. A heuristic approach to understanding the nature and role of virtual photons in the signal reception process is then given. Thus current popular statements that observation of the magnetic resonance phenomenon relies on the absorption and emission of radio waves are shown to be wrong.     

Dynamics of confined excitons and biexcitons of CuCl quantum dots

We investigated the dynamics of confined excitons and biexcitons in CuCl quantum dots in an NaCl matrix by using subpicosecond pump and probe absorption spectra, and time-resolved luminescence spectra. Then temporal changes of the absorption, optical gain, and luminescence are interpreted in relation to the exciton dynamics. The optical nonlinearity is discussed in terms of the exciton-exciton interaction in the quantum dot.     

Electron spin dynamics in a self-assembled semiconductor quantum dot: the limit of low magnetic fields

Using the trion as an optical probe, we uncover novel electron spin dynamics in CdSe/ZnSe Stranski-Krastanov quantum dots. The longitudinal spin lifetime obeys an inverse power law associated with recharging processes in the dot ensemble. No hint at spin-orbit mediated spin relaxation is found. At very weak magnetic fields (< 50 mT), electron spin dynamics related to the hyperfine interaction with the lattice nuclei is uncovered. A strong Knight field gives rise to nuclear ordering and formation of dynamical polarization on a 100-micros time scale under continuous electron spin pumping. The associated spin transients are temperature robust and can be observed up to 100 K.     

Paramagnetic Faraday rotation with spin-polarized ytterbium atoms

We report the observation of paramagnetic Faraday rotation of spin-polarized ytterbium (Yb) atoms. As the atomic samples, we used an atomic beam, released atoms from a magneto-optical trap (MOT), and trapped atoms in a far-off-resonant trap (FORT). Since Yb is diamagnetic and includes a spin-1/2 isotope, it is an ideal sample for spin physics, such as quantum non-demolition measurement of spin (spin QND), for example. From the results of the rotation angle, we confirmed that the atoms were almost perfectly polarized. PACS 32.80.Bx; 32.80.Pj; 42.25.Lc     

Four-wave mixing from Fe3+ spins in sapphire

Fe(3+) ions in sapphire exhibit an electron spin resonance which interacts strongly with high-Q whispering gallery modes at microwave frequencies. We report the first observation of a third-order paramagnetic nonlinear susceptibility in such a resonator at cryogenic temperatures and the first demonstration of four-wave mixing using this parametric nonlinearity. This observation of an all-microwave nonlinearity is an enabling step towards a host of quantum measurement and control applications which utilize spins in solids.     

铷原子气体自旋噪声谱的测量与改进

利用自主设计并制作的基于现场可编程门阵列的实时傅里叶变换采集卡(FFTsDAC),采用线偏振光检测碱金属铷原子气样品中的自旋随机涨落(即自旋噪声谱).详细讨论了背景噪声以及自旋噪声随探测光光强的变化关系,证实了自旋噪声来自于系统中自旋的随机涨落.对比了两种FFTsDAC(8 bit采样的FFTsDACl和12 bit采样的FFTsDAC2)的测量性能,分析了影响实验信噪比的因素.FFTsDAC2具有更高的测量效率和采样深度以及更长的单次采样时间,因而具有更高的信噪比和更好的频率分辨率,与数值模拟的结果一致.     

Spin-to-charge conversion of mesoscopic spin currents

Recent theoretical investigations have shown that spin currents can be generated by passing electric currents through spin-orbit coupled mesoscopic systems. Measuring these spin currents has, however, not been achieved to date. We show how mesoscopic spin currents in lateral heterostructures can be measured with a single-channel voltage probe. In the presence of a spin current, the charge current I(qpc) through the quantum point contact connecting the probe is odd in an externally applied Zeeman field B, while it is even in the absence of spin current. Furthermore, the zero-field derivative ?(B)I(qpc) is proportional to the magnitude of the spin current, with a proportionality coefficient that can be determined in an independent measurement. We confirm these findings numerically.     

载流子复合对时间分辨法拉第旋转光谱的影响

利用二能级体系速率方程,推导了半导体中探测光探测到的法拉第旋转光谱的理论模型,发现电子-空穴对的复合对法拉第旋转信号随时间的衰减有重要影响,并利用该模型对GaAs量子阱中实验测得的法拉第旋转光谱进行拟合,得到GaAs量子阱材料中的电子自旋弛豫时间为73.5 ps,而直接利用单指数进行拟合得到的电子自旋弛豫时间仅为51.3 ps. 因此,直接利用单指数对法拉第旋转光谱进行拟合得到电子自旋弛豫时间的传统做法是不准确的. 关键词： 自旋弛豫时间 时间分辨法拉第旋转光谱 GaAs量子阱     

Efficient quantification of non-gaussian spin distributions

We study theoretically and experimentally the quantification of non-gaussian distributions via nondestructive measurements. Using the theory of cumulants, their unbiased estimators, and the uncertainties of these estimators, we describe a quantification which is simultaneously efficient, unbiased by measurement noise, and suitable for hypothesis tests, e.g., to detect nonclassical states. The theory is applied to cold 87Rb spin ensembles prepared in non-gaussian states by optical pumping and measured by nondestructive Faraday rotation probing. We find an optimal use of measurement resources under realistic conditions, e.g., in atomic ensemble quantum memories.     

Single atom transistor in a 1D optical lattice

We propose a scheme utilizing a quantum interference phenomenon to switch the transport of atoms in a 1D optical lattice through a site containing an impurity atom. The impurity represents a qubit which in one spin state is transparent to the probe atoms, but in the other acts as a single atom mirror. This allows a single-shot quantum nondemolition measurement of the qubit spin.     

Optical generation of spin coherence in single-charged (In,Ga)As/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots

The generation of electron spin coherence has been studied in n-modulation-doped (In,Ga)As/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) which contain on average a single electron per dot. The doping has been confirmed by pump–probe Faraday rotation experiments in a magnetic field parallel to the heterostructure growth direction. For studying spin coherence, the magnetic field was rotated by 90° to the Voigt geometry, and the precession of the electron spin about the field was monitored. The coherence is generated by resonant excitation of the QDs with circularly polarized laser pulses, creating a coherent superposition of an electron, and a trion state. The efficiency of the generation can be controlled by the pulse intensity, being most efficient for (2n+1)π pulses.     

Can a quantum nondemolition measurement improve the sensitivity of an atomic magnetometer?

We consider the limitations due to noise (e.g., quantum projection noise and photon shot-noise) on the sensitivity of an idealized atomic magnetometer that utilizes spin squeezing induced by a continuous quantum nondemolition measurement. Such a magnetometer measures spin precession of N atomic spins by detecting optical rotation of far-detuned light. We show that for very short measurement times, the optimal sensitivity scales as N(-3/4); if strongly squeezed probe light is used, the Heisenberg limit of N-1 scaling can be achieved. However, if the measurement time exceeds tau(rel)/N(1/2) in the former case, or tau(rel)/N in the latter, where tau(rel) is the spin relaxation time, the scaling becomes N(-1/2), as for a standard shot-noise-limited magnetometer.