量子点双链中电子自旋极化输运性质

利用非平衡格林函数方法, 研究了与单个量子点耦合的量子点双链中电子自旋极化输运性质. 由于系统中Rashba自旋轨道耦合产生的自旋相关的相位, 电子通过上下两种路径时, 自旋不同的电子干涉情况不同, 从而导致了电极中的自旋极化流. 左右两电极间的偏压使单个量子点中的自旋积聚在很大能量区域内能够保持较大的值. 由于系统结构的左右不对称, 正负偏压下自旋积聚情况完全不同. 这些计算结果将有助于实验上设计新型的自旋电子学器件.     

Semiconductor heterostructures for spintronics and quantum information

A selection of optical experiments is presented, demonstrating the utility of semiconductors in two novel areas of research: spintronics and quantum information. First we show examples of spin manipulation in semiconductor quantum wells. The light is used to generate a spin polarization and to detect it. Next we discuss application of optical methods in studies of carrier-induced ferromagnetism in quantum wells. Finally, we present examples of single quantum dot spectroscopy related to perspectives of application of quantum dots in quantum information, and, in particular, the use of photon correlation measurements as a tool to study the quantum dot excitation mechanisms. To cite this article: J.A. Gaj et al., C. R. Physique 8 (2007).     

Optically probing the fine structure of a single Mn atom in an InAs quantum dot

We report on the optical spectroscopy of a single InAs/GaAs quantum dot doped with a single Mn atom in a longitudinal magnetic field of a few Tesla. Our findings show that the Mn impurity is a neutral acceptor state A0 whose effective spin J=1 is significantly perturbed by the quantum dot potential and its associated strain field. The spin interaction with photocarriers injected in the quantum dot is shown to be ferromagnetic for holes, with an effective coupling constant of a few hundreds of mueV, but vanishingly small for electrons.     

旁耦合于介观环与铁磁电极量子点系统中的自旋极化输运

借助单杂质Anderson模型哈密顿量,及利用格林函数和运动方程等理论,研究旁耦合于介观环和铁磁电极的量子点系统中的极化输运特性.结果表明,通过调节点-环耦合强度、铁磁电极中的极化强度、磁矩相对取向及温度等,均能实现控制体系中自旋极化电流的目的,达到自旋阀效应.为此系统作为一种新的自旋电子材料提供理论依据.     

Electrical control of a single Mn atom in a quantum dot

We report on the reversible electrical control of the magnetic properties of a single Mn atom in an individual quantum dot. Our device permits us to prepare the dot in states with three different electric charges, 0, +1e, and -1e which result in dramatically different spin properties, as revealed by photoluminescence. Whereas in the neutral configuration the quantum dot is paramagnetic, the electron-doped dot spin states are spin rotationally invariant and the hole-doped dot spins states are quantized along the growth direction.     

基于应变锗空穴双量子点的可调耦合和自旋阻塞研究

应变锗空穴量子点是实现超大规模量子计算最有前景的平台之一.由于锗空穴不受超精细相互作影响，有着较长的自旋弛豫时间和量子退相干时间，且锗中本征的强旋轨道耦合和空穴载流子的低有效质量，使得全电场操控空穴自旋量子比特得以实现，极大地降低了器件加工难度，增加了量子点的可扩展性.本文介绍了一种使用应变锗异质结制备重叠栅空穴双量子点器件的方法，完成了应变锗异质结性质测量，空穴双量子点器件制作，单量子点输运性质和双量子点输运性质研究，双量子点耦合可研究调节性研究，以及外磁场存在下的漏电流性质研究和泡利自旋阻塞解除机制的研究.这些工作为未来实现高质量自旋量子比特制备和高保真度量子逻辑门操控提供了实验平台和基本参数.     

Transport spectroscopy of an impurity spin in a carbon nanotube double quantum dot

We make use of spin selection rules to investigate the electron spin system of a carbon nanotube double quantum dot. Measurements of the electron transport as a function of the magnetic field and energy detuning between the quantum dots reveal an intricate pattern of the spin state evolution. We demonstrate that the complete set of measurements can be understood by taking into account the interplay between spin-orbit interaction and a single impurity spin coupled to the double dot. The detection and tunability of this coupling are important for quantum manipulation in carbon nanotubes.     

Nuclear spin nanomagnet in an optically excited quantum dot

Linearly polarized light tuned slightly below the optical transition of the negatively charged exciton (trion) in a single quantum dot causes the spontaneous nuclear spin polarization (self-polarization) at a level close to 100%. The effective magnetic field of spin-polarized nuclei shifts the optical transition energy close to resonance with photon energy. The resonantly enhanced Overhauser effect sustains the stability of the nuclear self-polarization even in the absence of spin polarization of the quantum dot electron. As a result the optically selected single quantum dot represents a tiny magnet with the ferromagnetic ordering of nuclear spins-the nuclear spin nanomagnet.     

Zeeman energy and spin relaxation in a one-electron quantum dot

We have measured the relaxation time, T1, of the spin of a single electron confined in a semiconductor quantum dot (a proposed quantum bit). In a magnetic field, applied parallel to the two-dimensional electron gas in which the quantum dot is defined, Zeeman splitting of the orbital states is directly observed by measurements of electron transport through the dot. By applying short voltage pulses, we can populate the excited spin state with one electron and monitor relaxation of the spin. We find a lower bound on T1 of 50 micros at 7.5 T, only limited by our signal-to-noise ratio. A continuous measurement of the charge on the dot has no observable effect on the spin relaxation.     

Electrically tunable spin polarization in a carbon nanotube spin diode

We have studied the current through a carbon-nanotube quantum dot with one ferromagnetic and one normal-metal lead. For the values of gate voltage at which the normal lead is resonant with the single available nondegenerate energy level on the dot, we observe a pronounced decrease in the current for one bias direction. We show that this rectification is spin dependent, and that it stems from the interplay between the spin accumulation and the Coulomb blockade on the quantum dot. The degree of resulting spin polarization is fully and precisely tunable using the gate and bias voltages.     

Measurement of a heavy-hole hyperfine interaction in InGaAs quantum dots using resonance fluorescence

We measure the strength and the sign of hyperfine interaction of a heavy hole with nuclear spins in single self-assembled quantum dots. Our experiments utilize the locking of a quantum dot resonance to an incident laser frequency to generate nuclear spin polarization. By monitoring the resulting Overhauser shift of optical transitions that are split either by electron or exciton Zeeman energy with respect to the locked transition using resonance fluorescence, we find that the ratio of the heavy-hole and electron hyperfine interactions is -0.09 ± 0.02 in three quantum dots. Since hyperfine interactions constitute the principal decoherence source for spin qubits, we expect our results to be important for efforts aimed at using heavy-hole spins in quantum information processing.     

Thermal Bias on the Pumped Spin-Current in a Single Quantum Dot

Temperature effect on the spin pump in a single quantum dot (QD) connected to Normal (NM) and/or Ferromagnetic (FM) leads is investigated with the help of master equation method. Results show that the magnitude and the direction of the temperature difference between the source (L) and drain (R) leads have great impact on the spin current processes. In practical devices, the thermal bias is quite general and then our results may be useful in quantum information processing and spintronics.     

Thermal Bias on the Pumped Spin-Current in a Single Quantum Dot

Temperature effect on the spin pump in a single quantum dot(QD) connected to Normal(NM) and/or Ferromagnetic(FM) leads is investigated with the help of master equation method. Results show that the magnitude and the direction of the temperature difference between the source(L) and drain(R) leads have great impact on the spin current processes. In practical devices, the thermal bias is quite general and then our results may be useful in quantum information processing and spintronics.     

Pumped Spin-Current in Single Quantum Dot with Spin-Dependent Electron Temperature

Spin-dependent electron temperature effect on the spin pump in a single quantum dot connected to Normal and/or Ferromagnetic leads are investigated with the help of master equation method. Results show that spin heat accumulation breaks the tunneling rates balance at the thermal equilibrium state thus the charge current and the spin current are affected to some extent. Pure spin current can be obtained by adjusting pumping intensity or chemical potential of the lead. Spin heat accumulation of certain material can be detected by measuring the charge current strength in symmetric leads architectures. In practical devices, spin-dependent electron temperature effect is quite significant and our results should be useful in quantum information processing and spin Caloritronics.     

Spin–orbit interaction induced current dip in a single quantum dot coupled to a spin

Experiments on semiconductor quantum dot systems have demonstrated the coupling between electron spins in quantum dots and spins localized in the neighboring area of the dots. Here we show that in a magnetic field the electrical current flowing through a single quantum dot tunnel-coupled to a spin displays a dip at the singlet–triplet anticrossing point which appears due to the spin–orbit interaction. We specify the requirements for which the current dip is formed and examine the properties of the dip for various system parameters, such as energy detuning, spin–orbit interaction strength, and coupling to leads. We suggest a parameter range in which the dip could be probed.     

Detection of single spin decoherence in a quantum dot via charge currents

We consider a quantum dot attached to leads in the Coulomb blockade regime that has a spin 1 / 2 ground state. We show that, by applying an ESR field to the dot spin, the stationary current in the sequential tunneling regime exhibits a new resonance peak whose linewidth is determined by the single spin decoherence time T2. The Rabi oscillations of the dot spin are shown to induce coherent current oscillations from which T2 can be deduced in the time domain. We describe a spin inverter which can be used to pump current through a double dot via spin flips generated by ESR.     

Optical manipulation of a single Mn spin in a CdTe quantum dot

In this paper we demonstrate optical writing of information on the spin state of a single Mn ion embedded in a CdTe/ZnTe quantum dot. As a tool for Mn spin orientation we use a spin-conserving transfer of excitation between two coupled quantum dots, one of them containing the Mn ion. Excitons created by circularly polarized light act on the Mn ion via the sp–d exchange interaction and orient its spin. The magnetic field of 1 T strongly enhances the orientation efficiency due to suppression of fast Mn spin relaxation mechanisms. Dynamics of the Mn spin under polarized excitation was measured in a time-resolved experiment, in which the intensity and polarization of excitation were modulated. Observed dynamics of the Mn spin can be described with a simple rate equation model.     

Probing a Kondo-correlated quantum dot with spin spectroscopy

We investigate the Kondo effect and spin blockade observed in a many-electron quantum dot and study the magnetic field dependence. At lower fields, a pronounced Kondo effect is found, which is replaced by the spin blockade at higher fields. In an intermediate regime, both effects are visible. We make use of this combined effect to gain information about the internal spin configuration of our quantum dot. We find that the data cannot be explained assuming regular filling of electronic orbitals. Instead, spin polarized filling seems to be probable.     

Quantum information transfer between topological and spin qubit systems

We propose a method to coherently transfer quantum information, and to create entanglement, between topological qubits and conventional spin qubits. Our suggestion uses gated control to transfer an electron (spin qubit) between a quantum dot and edge Majorana modes in adjacent topological superconductors. Because of the spin polarization of the Majorana modes, the electron transfer translates spin superposition states into superposition states of the Majorana system, and vice versa. Furthermore, we show how a topological superconductor can be used to facilitate long-distance quantum information transfer and entanglement between spatially separated spin qubits.     

Optical spin orientation of a single manganese atom in a quantum dot

The magnetic state of a single magnetic atom (Mn) embedded in an individual semiconductor quantum dot is optically probed using micro-spectroscopy. A high degree of spin polarization can be achieved for an individual Mn atom localized in a quantum dot using quasi-resonant or fully-resonant optical excitation at zero magnetic field. Optically created spin polarized carriers generate an energy splitting of the Mn spin and enable magnetic moment orientation controlled by the photon helicity and energy. The dynamics and the magnetic field dependence of the optical pumping mechanism shows that the spin lifetime of an isolated Mn atom at zero magnetic field is controlled by a magnetic anisotropy induced by the built-in strain in the quantum dots. The Mn spin distribution prepared by optical pumping is fully conserved for a few microseconds. This opens the way to full optical control of the spin state of an individual magnetic atom in a solid state environment.