Optical properties of semiconductor quantum dots in magnetic fields

Optical properties of semiconductor quantum dots in magnetic fields are reviewed. A theory is described based on a multi-band effective-mass approximation with a nonparabolic conduction electron dispersion, the direct Coulomb interaction, and the electron-hole exchange interaction taken into account. The transition from the quantum-confined Zeeman effect for a weak magnetic field to the quantum-confined Paschen-Back effect to a strong magnetic field is discussed in comparison with atomic spectra in magnetic fields. Experimental results of the optical properties of isolated CuCl, CdSSe, and Si quantum dots in magnetic fields are also discussed in conjunction with the theoretical results.     

Spatial weak-light ring soliton in self-assembled quantum dots

By using semiclassical theory combined with multiple-scale method, we analytically study the linear absorption and the nonlinear dynamical properties in a lifetime broadened Λ-type three-level self-assembled quantum dots. It is found that this system can exhibit the transparency, and the width of the transparency window becomes wider with the increase of control light field. Interestingly, a weak probe light beam can form spatial weak-light dark solitons. When it propagates along the axial direction, the soliton will transform into a steady spatial weak-light ring dark soltion. In addition, the stability of two-dimensional spatial optical solitons is testified numerically.     

Assemblies of semiconductor quantum dots and light-harvesting-complex II

A novel hybrid system composed of fluorescent core/shell semiconductor quantum dots and the light harvesting complex II (LHCIIb), a membrane protein of higher plants, has been assembled. Experiments with different mutants show that hybrid formation can be mediated by a C-terminal His₆ tag attached to the protein as well as by positive charges of the first N-terminal amino acids of LHCIIb. Quenching of the quantum dot fluorescence upon binding of LHCIIb was partially attributed to energy transfer from the quantum dots to LHCIIb.     

Strongly confined semiconductor quantum dots: Pair excitations and optical properties

This paper reviews a microscopic model of basic electron-hole pair excitation processes in strongly confined semiconductor quantum dots (QD) and their influence on the optical QD properties. The effects of valence band mixing, Coulomb interaction, and surface polarization are taken into account. The exciton and biexciton wave functions and energies are obtained using a numerical diagonalization method. The computed optical spectra, such as absorption, gain, pump-probe, and two-photon absorption, agree well with experiments.     

Coherent spectroscopy of semiconductor quantum dots

Coherent spectroscopy of semiconductor quantum dots, such as photon echo, accumulated photon echo, interferometric coherency measurement, quantum beat and coherent phonon measurement, are reviewed in relation to the historical progress in the coherent spectroscopy of semiconductors.     

A lattice of electromagnetic solitons in a superlattice formed by a system of quantum dots

Considering the Maxwell equations for the electromagnetic-field propagation in a solid with a three-dimensional superlattice of quantum dots linked by strong tunneling along one axis, we obtained a phenomenological equation in the form of the classical 2+1-dimensional sine-Gordon equation. Electrons were considered classically in the formalism of the Boltzmann kinetic equation for the distribution function. Solutions were obtained as a soliton lattice for the vector potential of the electric field. These lattices emerge as a consequence of the coherent change of the classical distribution function and the electric field generated by tunneling electrons in a system of quantum wells.     

Ultraslow optical solitons in tunnel-coupled double semiconductor quantum well

This paper investigates the nonlinear evolution of the pulse probe field in an asymmetric coupled-quantum well driven coherently by a pulse probe field and two controlled fields. This study shows that, by choosing appropriate physical parameters, self-modulation can precisely balance group velocity dispersion in the investigated system, leading to the formation of ultraslow optical solitons of the probe field. The proposed scheme may lead to the development of the controlled technique of optical buffers and optical delay lines.     

Fabrication and characterization of a PbTe quantum dots multilayer structure

Multilayer PbTe quantum dots (QDs) and SiO₂ were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) techniques. The crystalline structure, QD size and size dispersion were observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) measurements. This technique allows one to grow PbTe QDs as small as 1.8 nm diameter and 0.6 nm size dispersion. The whole structure can be used in a Fabry–Perot cavity for an optical device operating at the mid-infrared region.     

Ultra-short scalar and vector solitons in self-inductively transparent media

The analytical form of the one-soliton solutions to the Maxwell–Bloch equations is found without the slowly-varying envelope approximation with application to the ultra-short (few-cycle or sub-cycle) light pulses propagating in media of two-level atoms as well as to fluxons in the long Josephson junctions. Also, we discuss the dynamics of the ultra-short vector solitons propagating in specific three-level media and magnetic-flux transmission lines (of two long Josephson junctions sharing a common superconducting plate). Studies of the (ultra-short) pulse collisions lead to the prediction of pulse stability against the collisions. In particular, the collisions of the ultra-short vector solitons are investigated in detail. Their collision-induced polarization transform is found to be similar to the polarization transform of the vector (Manakov) solitons propagating in self-focusing media.     

微腔增强发射的半导体量子点单光子源

单光子源是实现量子密匙分配、线性光学量子计算的基本单元。作者回顾了单光子源在量子信息科学发展中的作用,讨论了光子的统计特性,分析了具有类似原子二能级结构的半导体量子点作为单光子发射源的特点,介绍了微腔与二能级系统的耦合以及微腔量子电动力学基本原理。在弱耦合区,Purcell效应导致微腔中量子点激子复合寿命降低,因此可用微腔来改善量子点单光子发射效率。文章总结了近年来在半导体微腔增强量子点单光子发射领域的进展,探讨了分布式布拉格反射微腔、柱状微腔和光子晶体微腔等结构对改善半导体量子点单光子发射和收集效率、光子极化以及光子全同性等方面的作用,并对未来半导体量子点单光子源的发展进行了展望。     

LO-phonon overheating in quantum dots

Longitudinal optical phonons have been used to interpret the electronic energy relaxation in quantum dots and at the same time they served as a reservoir, with which the electronic subsystem is in contact. Such a phonon subsystem is expected to be passive, namely, in a long-time limit the whole system should be able to achieve such a stationary state, in which statistical distributions of both subsystems do not change in time. We pay attention to this property of the LO phonon bath. We show the passivity property of the so far used approximations to electronic transport in quantum dots. Also we show a way how to improve the passivity of LO phonon bath using canonical Lang-Firsov transformation. Presented at the X-th Symposium on Suface Physics, Prague, Czech Republic, July 11–15, 2005.     

半导体量子点中的杂化量子比特

文章介绍了半导体新型量子比特——杂化量子比特。通过与半导体量子点中自旋量子比特和电荷量子比特进行比较,阐述了杂化量子比特兼具长相干与快操控的优点。在总结了杂化量子比特发展与现状的基础上,进一步简单介绍了中国科学技术大学中国科学院量子信息重点实验室在改进型杂化量子比特方面的工作成果。     

Spin–spin interaction in magnetic semiconductor quantum dots

Self-assembled Cd(Mn)Se/Zn(Mn)Se quantum dots have been investigated by means of spatially and time-resolved magneto-optical spectroscopy. In such quasi zero-dimensional diluted magnetic semiconductors, the exchange interaction couples the spins of optically generated charge carriers with localized magnetic ion spins. We demonstrate that this can be used on the one hand to monitor nanoscale magnetization with a resolution of <100 μ_B by a purely optical technique and on the other hand to optically manipulate the magnetization in a semiconductor quantum dot.     

Confined states in two-dimensional flat elliptic quantum dots and elliptic quantum wires

The energy spectrum and corresponding wave functions of a flat quantum dot with elliptic symmetry are obtained exactly. A detailed study is made of the effect of ellipticity on the energy levels and the corresponding wave functions. The analytical behavior of the energy levels in certain limiting cases is obtained.     

Nonlocal quantum cloning via quantum dots trapped in distant cavities

A scheme for implementing nonlocal quantum cloning via quantum dots trapped in cavities is proposed.By modulating the parameters of the system,the optimal 1 → 2 universal quantum cloning machine,1 → 2 phase-covariant cloning machine,and 1 → 3 economical phase-covariant cloning machine are constructed.The present scheme,which is attainable with current technology,saves two qubits compared with previous cloning machines.     

A quantum walk in phase space with resonator-assisted double quantum dots

We implement a quantum walk in phase space with a new mechanism based on the superconducting resonator-assisted double quantum dots.By analyzing the hybrid system,we obtain the necessary factors implementing a quantum walk in phase space:the walker,coin,coin flipping and conditional phase shift.The coin flipping is implemented by adding a driving field to the resonator.The interaction between the quantum dots and resonator is used to implement conditional phase shift.Furthermore,we show that with different driving fields the quantum walk in phase space exhibits a ballistic behavior over 25 steps and numerically analyze the factors influencing the spreading of the walker in phase space.     

Charged magneto-exciton states in semiconductor quantum dots

By embedding a layer of self-assembled quantum dots into a field-effect structure, we are able to control the exciton charge in a single dot. We present the results of photoluminescence experiments as a function of both charge and magnetic field. The results demonstrate a hierarchy of energy scales determined by quantization, the direct Coulomb interaction, the electron–electron exchange interaction, and the electron–hole exchange interaction. For excitons up to the triply charged exciton, the behavior can be understood from a model assuming discrete levels within the quantum dot. For the triply charged exciton, this is no longer the case. In a magnetic field, we discover a coherent interaction with the continuum states, the Landau levels associated with the wetting layer.     

Photochromism and magneto-optic response of ZnO:Mn semiconductor quantum dots fabricated by microemulsion route

ZnO:Mn semiconductor quantum dots were prepared by solution casting led microemulsion route. Quantum dots of average size ∼2 nm were noticed in transmission electron micrographs. The present work highlights colour change phenomena (photochromic effect) of quantum dots while subjected to photon illumination. The magneto-optic measurements e.g. magnetic field (H) vs angle of rotation (θ) show step like behavior and is ascribed to the quantum confinement effect of diluted magnetic ZnO:Mn nanostructures. Further, underlying mechanism responsible for exhibiting photochromism and magneto-optic effects are also discussed.