arXiv subjects

C. H. van der Wal

Publications and source records attributed to C. H. van der Wal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2022

Vanadium in Silicon Carbide: Telecom-ready spin centres with long relaxation lifetimes and hyperfine-resolved optical transitions

Vanadium in silicon carbide (SiC) is emerging as an important candidate system for quantum technology due to its optical transitions in the telecom wavelength range. However, several key characteristics of this defect family including their spin relaxation lifetime (T1), charge state dynamics, and level structure are not fully understood. In this work, we determine the T1 of an ensemble of vanadium defects, demonstrating that it can be greatly enhanced at low temperature. We observe a large spin contrast exceeding 90% and long spin-relaxation times of up to 25s at 100mK, and of order 1s at 1.3K. These measurements are complemented by a characterization of the ensemble charge state dynamics. The stable electron spin furthermore enables high-resolution characterization of the systems' hyperfine level structure via two-photon magneto-spectroscopy. The acquired insights point towards high-performance spin-photon interfaces based on vanadium in SiC.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Evolution of atomic optical selection rules upon gradual symmetry lowering

For atoms and crystals with an ideal symmetry, the optical selection rules for electronic transitions are well covered in physics textbooks. However, in studies of material systems one often encounters systems with a weakly distorted symmetry. Insight and intuition for how optical selection rules change when an ideal symmetry is gradually distorted is, nevertheless, little addressed in literature. We present here a detailed analysis of how a gradual symmetry distortion leads to a complete alteration of optical selection rules. As a model system, we consider the transitions between $1s$ and $2p$ sublevels of the hydrogen atom, which get distorted by placing charged particles in its environment. Upon increasing the distortion, part of the optical selection rules evolve from circular via elliptical to linear character, with an associated evolution between allowed and forbidden transitions. Our presentation combines an analytical approach with quantitative results from numerical simulations, thus providing insight in how the evolution occurs as a function of the strength of the distortion.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2015

Stabilizing nuclear spins around semiconductor electrons via the interplay of optical coherent population trapping and dynamic nuclear polarization

We experimentally demonstrate how coherent population trapping (CPT) for donor-bound electron spins in GaAs results in autonomous feedback that prepares stabilized states for the spin polarization of nuclei around the electrons. CPT was realized by excitation with two lasers to a bound-exciton state. Transmission studies of the spectral CPT feature on an ensemble of electrons directly reveal the statistical distribution of prepared nuclear spin states. Tuning the laser driving from blue to red detuned drives a transition from one to two stable states. Our results have importance for ongoing research on schemes for dynamic nuclear spin polarization, the central spin problem and control of spin coherence.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Analysis of optical differential transmission signals from co-propagating fields in a lambda system medium

We analyze theoretically and experimentally how nonlinear differential-transmission spectroscopy of a lambda-system medium can provide quantitative understanding of the optical dipole moments and transition energies. We focus on the situation where two optical fields spatially overlap and co-propagate to a single detector. Nonlinear interactions give cross-modulation between a modulated and non-modulated laser field, yielding differential transmission signals. Our analysis shows how this approach can be used to enhance the visibility of relatively weak transitions, and how particular choices in the experimental design minimize systematic errors and the sensitivity to changes in laser field intensities. Experimentally, we demonstrate the relevance of our analysis with spectroscopy on the donor-bound exciton system of silicon donors in GaAs, where the transitions from the two bound-electron spin states to a bound-exciton state form a lambda system. Our approach is, however, of generic value for many spectroscopy experiments on solid-state systems in small cryogenic measurement volumes where in-situ frequency or polarization filtering of control and signal fields is often challenging.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Robust recipe for low-resistance ohmic contacts to a two-dimensional electron gas in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure

The study of electron transport in low-dimensional systems is of importance, not only from a fundamental point of view, but also for future electronic and spintronic devices. In this context heterostructures containing a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) are a key technology. In particular GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures, with a 2DEG at typically 100 nm below the surface, are widely studied. In order to explore electron transport in such systems, low-resistance ohmic contacts are required that connect the 2DEG to macroscopic measurement leads at the surface. Here we report on designing and measuring a dedicated device for unraveling the various resistance contributions in such contacts, which include pristine 2DEG series resistance, the 2DEG resistance under a contact, the contact resistance itself, and the influence of pressing a bonding wire onto a contact. We also report here a robust recipe for contacts with very low resistance, with values that do not change significantly for annealing times between 20 and 350 sec, hence providing the flexibility to use this method for materials with different 2DEG depths. The type of heating used for annealing is found to strongly influence the annealing process and hence the quality of the resulting contacts.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Odd and even Kondo effects from emergent localisation in quantum point contacts

A quantum point contact (QPC) is a very basic nano-electronic device: a short and narrow transport channel between two electron reservoirs. In clean channels electron transport is ballistic and the conductance $G$ is then quantised as a function of channel width with plateaus at integer multiples of $2e^2/h$ ($e$ is the electron charge and $h$ Planck's constant). This can be understood in a picture where the electron states are propagating waves, without need to account for electron-electron interactions. Quantised conductance could thus be the signature of ultimate control over nanoscale electron transport. However, even studies with the cleanest QPCs generically show significant anomalies on the quantised conductance traces and there is consensus that these result from electron many-body effects. Despite extensive experimental and theoretical studies understanding of these anomalies is an open problem. We report evidence that the many-body effects have their origin in one or more spontaneously localised states that emerge from Friedel oscillations in the QPC channel. Kondo physics will then also contribute to the formation of the many-body state with Kondo signatures that reflect the parity of the number of localised states. Evidence comes from experiments with length-tunable QPCs that show a periodic modulation of the many-body physics with Kondo signatures of alternating parity. Our results are of importance for assessing the role of QPCs in more complex hybrid devices and proposals for spintronic and quantum information applications. In addition, our results show that tunable QPCs offer a rich platform for investigating many-body effects in nanoscale systems, with the ability to probe such physics at the level of a single site.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Split-gate quantum point contacts with tunable channel length

We report on developing split-gate quantum point contacts (QPCs) that have a tunable length for the transport channel. The QPCs were realized in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure with a two- dimensional electron gas (2DEG) below its surface. The conventional design uses 2 gate fingers on the wafer surface which deplete the 2DEG underneath when a negative gate voltage is applied, and this allows for tuning the width of the QPC channel. Our design has 6 gate fingers and this provides additional control over the form of the electrostatic potential that defines the channel. Our study is based on electrostatic simulations and experiments and the results show that we developed QPCs where the effective channel length can be tuned from about 200 nm to 600 nm. Length-tunable QPCs are important for studies of electron many-body effects because these phenomena show a nanoscale dependence on the dimensions of the QPC channel.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Public exhibit for demonstrating the quantum of electrical conductance

We present a new robust setup that explains and demonstrates the quantum of electrical conductance for a general audience and which is continuously available in a public space. The setup allows users to manually thin a gold wire of several atoms in diameter while monitoring its conductance in real time. During the experiment, a characteristic step-like conductance decrease due to rearrangements of atoms in the cross-section of the wire is observed. Just before the wire breaks, a contact consisting of a single atom with a characteristic conductance close to the quantum of conductance can be maintained up to several seconds. The setup is operated full-time, needs practically no maintenance and is used on different educational levels.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2011

Ultrafast mapping of optical polarization states onto spin coherence of localized electrons in a semiconductor

We experimentally demonstrate an ultrafast method for preparing spin states of donor-bound electrons in GaAs with single laser pulses. Each polarization state of a preparation pulse has a direct mapping onto a spin state, with bijective correspondence between the Poincaré-sphere (for photon polarization) and Bloch-sphere (for spin) state representations. The preparation is governed by a stimulated Raman process and occurs orders of magnitude faster than the spontaneous emission and spin dephasing. Similar dynamics governs our ultrafast optical Kerr detection of the spin coherence, thus getting access to spin state tomography. Experiments with double preparation pulses show an additive character for the preparation method. Utilization of these phenomena is of value for quantum information schemes.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Polarization-preserving confocal microscope for optical experiments in a dilution refrigerator with high magnetic field

We present the design and operation of a fiber-based cryogenic confocal microscope. It is designed as a compact cold-finger that fits inside the bore of a superconducting magnet, and which is a modular unit that can be easily swapped between use in a dilution refrigerator and other cryostats. We aimed at application in quantum optical experiments with electron spins in semiconductors and the design has been optimized for driving with, and detection of optical fields with well-defined polarizations. This was implemented with optical access via a polarization maintaining fiber together with Voigt geometry at the cold finger, which circumvents Faraday rotations in the optical components in high magnetic fields. Our unit is versatile for use in experiments that measure photoluminescence, reflection, or transmission, as we demonstrate with a quantum optical experiment with an ensemble of donor-bound electrons in a thin GaAs film.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Electromagnetically Induced Transparency with an Ensemble of Donor-Bound Electron Spins in a Semiconductor

We present measurements of electromagnetically induced transparency with an ensemble of donor- bound electrons in low-doped n-GaAs. We used optical transitions from the Zeeman-split electron spin states to a bound trion state in samples with optical densities of 0.3 and 1.0. The electron spin dephasing time T* \approx 2 ns was limited by hyperfine coupling to fluctuating nuclear spins. We also observe signatures of dynamical nuclear polarization, but find these effects to be much weaker than in experiments that use electron spin resonance and related experiments with quantum dots.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Suppressed spin dephasing for 2D and bulk electrons in GaAs wires due to engineered cancellation of spin-orbit interaction terms

We report a study of suppressed spin dephasing for quasi-one-dimensional electron ensembles in wires etched into a GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction system. Time-resolved Kerr-rotation measurements show a suppression that is most pronounced for wires along the [110] crystal direction. This is the fingerprint of a suppression that is enhanced due to a strong anisotropy in spin-orbit fields that can occur when the Rashba and Dresselhaus contributions are engineered to cancel each other. A surprising observation is that this mechanisms for suppressing spin dephasing is not only effective for electrons in the heterojunction quantum well, but also for electrons in a deeper bulk layer.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2009

Optical probing of spin dynamics of two-dimensional and bulk electrons in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction system

We present time-resolved Kerr rotation measurements of electron spin dynamics in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction system that contains a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). Due to the complex layer structure of this material the Kerr rotation signals contain information from electron spins in three different layers: the 2DEG layer, a GaAs epilayer in the heterostructure, and the underlying GaAs substrate. The 2DEG electrons can be observed at low pump intensities, using that they have a less negative g-factor than electrons in bulk GaAs regions. At high pump intensities, the Kerr signals from the GaAs epilayer and the substrate can be distinguished when using a barrier between the two layers that blocks intermixing of the two electron populations. This allows for stronger pumping of the epilayer, which results in a shift of the effective g-factor. Thus, three populations can be distinguished using differences in g-factor. We support this interpretation by studying how the spin dynamics of each population has its unique dependence on temperature, and how they correlate with time-resolved reflectance signals.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Spin-dephasing anisotropy for electrons in a diffusive quasi-1D GaAs wire

We present a numerical study of dephasing of electron spin ensembles in a diffusive quasi-one-dimensional GaAs wire due to the D'yakonov-Perel' spin-dephasing mechanism. For widths of the wire below the spin precession length and for equal strength of Rashba and linear Dresselhaus spin-orbit fields a strong suppression of spin-dephasing is found. This suppression of spin-dephasing shows a strong dependence on the wire orientation with respect to the crystal lattice. The relevance for realistic cases is evaluated by studying how this effect degrades for deviating strength of Rashba and linear Dresselhaus fields, and with the inclusion of the cubic Dresselhaus term.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Electrical detection of spin pumping: dc voltage generated by ferromagnetic resonance at ferromagnet/nonmagnet contact

We describe electrical detection of spin pumping in metallic nanostructures. In the spin pumping effect, a precessing ferromagnet attached to a normal-metal acts as a pump of spin-polarized current, giving rise to a spin accumulation. The resulting spin accumulation induces a backflow of spin current into the ferromagnet and generates a dc voltage due to the spin dependent conductivities of the ferromagnet. The magnitude of such voltage is proportional to the spin-relaxation properties of the normal-metal. By using platinum as a contact material we observe, in agreement with theory, that the voltage is significantly reduced as compared to the case when aluminum was used. Furtheremore, the effects of rectification between the circulating rf currents and the magnetization precession of the ferromagnet are examined. Most significantly, we show that using an improved layout device geometry these effects can be minimized.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Compact cryogenic Kerr microscope for time-resolved studies of electron spin transport in microstructures

A compact cryogenic Kerr microscope for operation in the small volume of high-field magnets is described. It is suited for measurements both in Voigt and Faraday configuration. Coupled with a pulsed laser source, the microscope is used to measure the time-resolved Kerr rotation response of semiconductor microstructures with ~1 micron spatial resolution. The microscope was designed to study spin transport, a critical issue in the field of spintronics. It is thus possible to generate spin polarization at a given location on a microstructure and probe it at a different location. The operation of the microscope is demonstrated by time-resolved measurements of micrometer distance diffusion of spin polarized electrons in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction quantum well at 4.2 K and 7 Tesla.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

The annealing mechanism of AuGe/Ni/Au ohmic contacts to a two-dimensional electron gas in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures

Ohmic contacts to a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures are often realized by annealing of AuGe/Ni/Au that is deposited on its surface. We studied how the quality of this type of ohmic contact depends on the annealing time and temperature, and how optimal parameters depend on the depth of the 2DEG below the surface. Combined with transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry studies of the annealed contacts, our results allow for identifying the annealing mechanism and proposing a model that can predict optimal annealing parameters for a certain heterostructure.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2008

Spin Accumulation and Spin Relaxation in a Large Open Quantum Dot

We report electronic control and measurement of an imbalance between spin-up and spin-down electrons in micron-scale open quantum dots. Spin injection and detection was achieved with quantum point contacts tuned to have spin-selective transport, with four contacts per dot for realizing a non-local spin-valve circuit. This provides an interesting system for studies of spintronic effects since the contacts to reservoirs can be controlled and characterized with high accuracy. We show how this can be used to extract in a single measurement the relaxation time for electron spins inside the dot ~ 300 ps and the degree of spin polarization of the contacts P ~ 0.8.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗