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E. Buks

Publications and source records attributed to E. Buks.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Enhanced concentrations of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond through TEM irradiation

The studies of many-body dynamics of interacting spin ensembles, as well as quantum sensing in solid state systems, are often limited by the need for high spin concentrations, along with efficient decoupling of the spin ensemble of interest from its spin-bath environment. In particular, for an ensemble of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond, high conversion efficiencies between nitrogen (P1) defects and NV centers are essential, while maintaining long coherence times of an NV ensemble. In this work, we study the effect of electron irradiation on the conversion efficiency and the coherence time of various types of diamond samples with different initial nitrogen concentrations. The samples were irradiated using a 200 keV transmission electron microscope (TEM). Our study reveals that the efficiency of NV creation strongly depends on the initial conversion efficiency as well as on the initial nitrogen concentration. We observe an order of magnitude improvement in the NV concentration (up to $\sim 10^{11}$ NV/cm^2), without any degradation in their coherence times of $\sim 180$ μm. We address the potential of this technique to pave the way toward the study of many-body physics of ensembles of NV spins, and contribute to the creation of non-classical spin states for quantum sensing.

quant-ph

On-demand source of maximally entangled photon-pairs using the biexciton-exciton radiative cascade

We perform full time resolved tomographic measurements of the polarization state of pairs of photons emitted during the radiative cascade of the confined biexciton in a semiconductor quantum dot. The biexciton was deterministically initiated using a $π$-area pulse into the biexciton two-photon absorption resonance. Our measurements demonstrate that the polarization states of the emitted photon pair are maximally entangled. We show that the measured degree of entanglement depends solely on the temporal resolution by which the time difference between the emissions of the photon pair is determined. A route for fabricating an on demand source of maximally polarization entangled photon pairs is thereby provided.

quant-ph

Effects of electron beam induced carbon deposition on the mechanical properties of a micromechanical oscillator

Electron beam induced deposition of amorphous carbon finds several uses in microlithography, surface micromachining, and the manufacturing of micro- and nanomechanical devices. This process also occurs unintentionally in vacuum chambers of electron microscopes and interferes with normal image acquisition by reducing resolution and causing charging effects. In this work, we show that the resonance frequency of a micromechanical oscillator can be significantly affected by exposing it to a focused electron beam, which induces local carbonization on the surface of the oscillator, resulting in increase in the effective stress along the beam. This \emph{in-situ} carbonization can be utilized for analyzing the amount of residual organic contamination in vacuum chambers. In addition, the method described here allows post-fabrication fine tuning of mechanical resonance frequencies of individual oscillating elements.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Nonlinear dynamics of a microelectromechanical mirror in an optical resonance cavity

The dynamical behavior of a nonlinear micromechanical resonator acting as one of the mirrors in an optical resonance cavity is investigated. The mechanical motion is coupled to the optical power circulating inside the cavity both directly through the radiation pressure and indirectly through heating that gives rise to a frequency shift in the mechanical resonance and to thermal deformation. The the energy stored in the optical cavity is assumed to follow the mirror displacement without any lag. In contrast, a finite thermal relaxation rate introduces retardation effects into the mechanical equation of motion through temperature dependent terms. Using standard averaging and harmonic balance techniques, slow envelope evolution equations are derived. In the limit of small mechanical vibrations, the micromechanical system can be described as a nonlinear Duffing-like oscillator. Coupling to the optical cavity is shown to introduce corrections to the linear dissipation, the nonlinear dissipation and the nonlinear elastic constants of the micromechanical mirror. The magnitude and the sign of these corrections depend on the exact position of the mirror and on the optical power incident on the cavity. In particular, the effective linear dissipation can become negative, causing self-sustained mechanical oscillations to occur. The full slow envelope evolution equations are used to derive the amplitudes and the corresponding oscillation frequencies of different limit cycles, and the bifurcation behavior is analyzed in detail. Finally, the theoretical results are compared to numerical simulations using realistic values of different physical parameters, showing a very good correspondence.

cond-mat.other

Forced and self-excited oscillations of an optomechanical cavity

We experimentally study forced and self oscillations of an optomechanical cavity which is formed between a fiber Bragg grating that serves as a static mirror and between a freely suspended metallic mechanical resonator that serves as a moving mirror. In the domain of small amplitude mechanical oscillations, we find that the optomechanical coupling is manifested as changes in the effective resonance frequency, damping rate and cubic nonlinearity of the mechanical resonator. Moreover, self oscillations of the micromechanical mirror are observed above a certain optical power threshold. A comparison between the experimental results and a theoretical model that we have recently presented yields a good agreement. The comparison also indicates that the dominant optomechanical coupling mechanism is the heating of the metallic mirror due to optical absorption.

cond-mat.other

Nonlinear damping in a micromechanical oscillator

Nonlinear elastic effects play an important role in the dynamics of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Duffing oscillator is widely used as an archetypical model of mechanical resonators with nonlinear elastic behavior. In contrast, nonlinear dissipation effects in micromechanical oscillators are often overlooked. In this work, we consider a doubly clamped micromechanical beam oscillator, which exhibits nonlinearity in both elastic and dissipative properties. The dynamics of the oscillator is measured in frequency domain and time domain and compared to theoretical predictions based on Duffing-like model with nonlinear dissipation. We especially focus on the behavior of the system near bifurcation points. The results show that nonlinear dissipation can have a significant impact on the dynamics of micromechanical systems. To account for the results, we have developed a continuous model of a nonlinear viscoelastic string with Voigt-Kelvin dissipation relation, which shows a relation between linear and nonlinear damping. However, the experimental results suggest that this model alone cannot fully account for all the experimentally observed nonlinear dissipation, and that additional nonlinear dissipative processes exist in our devices.

cond-mat.other

Analogue Hawking Radiation in a dc-SQUID Array Transmission Line

We propose the use of a superconducting waveguide formed from an array of dc-SQUID's for investigating analogue Hawking radiation. Biasing the array with a space-time varying flux modifies the propagation velocity of the waveguide, leading to an effective metric with an horizon. Being a fundamentally quantum mechanical device, this setup allows for investigations of quantum effects such as back-reaction and analogue space-time fluctuations on the Hawking process.

quant-ph

Quantum analysis of a nonlinear microwave cavity-embedded dc SQUID displacement detector

We carry out a quantum analysis of a dc SQUID mechanical displacement detector, comprising a SQUID with mechanically compliant loop segment, which is embedded in a microwave transmission line resonator. The SQUID is approximated as a nonlinear, current dependent inductance, inducing an external flux tunable, nonlinear Duffing self-interaction term in the microwave resonator mode equation. Motion of the compliant SQUID loop segment is transduced inductively through changes in the external flux threading SQUID loop, giving a ponderomotive, radiation pressure type coupling between the microwave and mechanical resonator modes. Expressions are derived for the detector signal response and noise, and it is found that a soft-spring Duffing self-interaction enables a closer approach to the displacement detection standard quantum limit, as well as cooling closer to the ground state.

cond-mat.supr-con

Quantum analysis of a linear DC SQUID mechanical displacement detector

We provide a quantum analysis of a DC SQUID mechanical displacement detector within the sub-critical Josephson current regime. A segment of the SQUID loop forms the mechanical resonator and motion of the latter is transduced inductively through changes in the flux threading the loop. Expressions are derived for the detector signal response and noise, which are used to evaluate the position and force detection sensitivity. We also investigate cooling of the mechanical resonator due to back reaction noise from the detector.

cond-mat.supr-con

Noise Squeezing in a Nanomechanical Duffing Resonator

We study mechanical amplification and noise squeezing in a nonlinear nanomechanical resonator driven by an intense pump near its dynamical bifurcation point, namely, the onset of Duffing bistability. Phase sensitive amplification is achieved by a homodyne detection scheme, where the displacement detector's output, which has correlated spectrum around the pump frequency, is down converted by mixing with a local oscillator operating at the pump frequency with an adjustable phase. The down converted signal at the mixer's output could be either amplified or deamplified, yielding noise squeezing, depending on the local oscillator phase.

cond-mat.other

High intermodulation gain in a micromechanical Duffing resonator

In this work we use a micromechanical resonator to experimentally study small signal amplification near the onset of Duffing bistability. The device consists of a PdAu beam serving as a micromechanical resonator excited by an adjacent gate electrode. A large pump signal drives the resonator near the onset of bistability, enabling amplification of small signals in a narrow bandwidth. To first order, the amplification is inversely proportional to the frequency difference between the pump and signal. We estimate the gain to be about 15dB for our device.

cond-mat.other

Intermodulation Gain in Nonlinear NbN Superconducting Microwave Resonators

We report the measurement of intermodulation gain in NbN superconducting stripline resonators. In the intermodulation measurements we inject two unequal tones into the oscillator, the pump and signal, both lying within the resonance band. At the onset of instability of the reflected pump we obtain a simultaneous gain of both the idler and the reflected signal. The measured gain in both cases can be as high as 15 dB, whereas to the best of our knowledge intermodulation gain greater than unity in superconducting resonators has not been reported before in the scientific literature.

cond-mat.supr-con

Electrically Tunable Collective Modes in a MEMS Resonator Array

Using optical diffraction, we study the mechanical vibrations of an array of micromechanical resonators. Implementing tunable electrostatic coupling between the suspended, doubly-clamped Au beams leads to the formation of a band of collective vibrational modes within these devices. The evolution of these modes with coupling strength is clearly manifested in the optical diffraction pattern of light transmitted through the array. The experimental results are analyzed using a simple model for one-dimensional phonons. These structures offer unique prospects for spectral analysis of complex mechanical stimuli.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Metastability and the Casimir Effect in Micromechanical Systems

Electrostatic and Casimir interactions limit the range of positional stability of electrostatically-actuated or capacitively-coupled mechanical devices. We investigate this range experimentally for a generic system consisting of a doubly-clamped Au suspended beam, capacitively-coupled to an adjacent stationary electrode. The mechanical properties of the beam, both in the linear and nonlinear regimes, are monitored as the attractive forces are increased to the point of instability. There "pull-in" occurs, resulting in permanent adhesion between the electrodes. We investigate, experimentally and theoretically, the position-dependent lifetimes of the free state (existing prior to pull-in). We find that the data cannot be accounted for by simple theory; the discrepancy may be reflective of internal structural instabilities within the metal electrodes.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Stiction, Adhesion Energy and the Casimir Effect in Micromechanical Systems

We measure the adhesion energy of gold using a micromachined doubly-clamped beam. The stress and stiffness of the beam are characterized by measuring the spectrum of mechanical vibrations and the deflection due to an external force. To determine the adhesion energy we induce stiction between the beam and a nearby surface by capillary forces. Subsequent analysis yields a value $γ=0.06$ J/m$^{2}$ that is a factor of approximately six smaller than predicted by idealized theory. This discrepancy may be resolved with revised models that include surface roughness and the effect of adsorbed monolayers intervening between the contacting surfaces in these mesoscopic structures.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Controlled Dephasing via Phase Detection of Electrons: Demonstration of Bohr's Complementarity Principle

Interference results when a quantum particle is free to choose among a few indistinguishable paths. A canonical example of Bohr's complementarity principle [1] is a two-path interferometer with an external detector coupled to one of the paths. Then, interference between the two paths vanishes (i.e. dephasing) if one is able to detect, even in principle, the path taken by the particle. This type of which path (WP) experiment was already executed with photons, cooled atoms, neutrons, solitons, and more recently with electrons in a mesoscopic system [2]. In the latter experiment path determination was provided by inducing a change in the current flowing through the detector. In the present experiment we perform a more intriguing WP determination: only a phase change is being induced in the detector while the current remains unaffected. We show that such detector-interferometer interaction can be understood both, from the WP information obtained by the detector, or alternatively by understanding the disturbance in the interferometer caused by the detector. Moreover, we address the subtle role of detector coherency and point out difficulties in the intuitive interpretation of the experiment.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Dephasing due to Which Path Detector

We study dephasing of electrons induced by a which path detector and thus verify Bohr's complementarity principle for fermions. We utilize a double path interferometer with two slits, with one slit being replaced by a coherent quantum dot (QD). A short one dimensional channel, in the form of a quantum point contact (QPC), in close proximity to the QD, serves as a which path detector. We find that by varying the properties of the QPC detector we affect the visibility of the interference, inducing thus dephasing. We develop a simple model to explain the dephasing due to the nearby detector and find good agreement with the experiment.

quant-ph