arXiv subjects

J. R. Petta

Publications and source records attributed to J. R. Petta.

88 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Measurement of Temporal Correlations of the Overhauser Field in a Double Quantum Dot

In quantum dots made from materials with nonzero nuclear spins, hyperfine coupling creates a fluctuating effective Zeeman field (Overhauser field) felt by electrons, which can be a dominant source of spin qubit decoherence. We characterize the spectral properties of the fluctuating Overhauser field in a GaAs double quantum dot by measuring correlation functions and power spectra of the rate of singlet-triplet mixing of two separated electrons. Away from zero field, spectral weight is concentrated below 10 Hz, with 1/f^2 dependence on frequency, f. This is consistent with a model of nuclear spin diffusion, and indicates that decoherence can be largely suppressed by echo techniques.

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arXiv2008

High-quality quantum point contact in two-dimensional GaAs (311)A hole system

We studied ballistic transport across a quantum point contact (QPC) defined in a high-quality, GaAs (311)A two-dimensional (2D) hole system using shallow etching and top-gating. The QPC conductance exhibits up to 11 quantized plateaus. The ballistic one-dimensional subbands are tuned by changing the lateral confinement and the Fermi energy of the holes in the QPC. We demonstrate that the positions of the plateaus (in gate-voltage), the source-drain data, and the negative magneto-resistance data can be understood in a simple model that takes into account the variation, with gate bias, of the hole density and the width of the QPC conducting channel.

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arXiv2008

Suppressing Spin Qubit Dephasing by Nuclear State Preparation

Coherent spin states in semiconductor quantum dots offer promise as electrically controllable quantum bits (qubits) with scalable fabrication. For few-electron quantum dots made from gallium arsenide (GaAs), fluctuating nuclear spins in the host lattice are the dominant source of spin decoherence. We report a method of preparing the nuclear spin environment that suppresses the relevant component of nuclear spin fluctuations below its equilibrium value by a factor of ~ 70, extending the inhomogeneous dephasing time for the two-electron spin state beyond 1 microsecond. The nuclear state can be readily prepared by electrical gate manipulation and persists for > 10 seconds.

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arXiv2008

Exchange Control of Nuclear Spin Diffusion in a Double Quantum Dot

Coherent two-level systems, or qubits, based on electron spins in GaAs quantum dots are strongly coupled to the nuclear spins of the host lattice via the hyperfine interaction. Realizing nuclear spin control would likely improve electron spin coherence and potentially enable the nuclear environment to be harnessed for the long-term storage of quantum information. Toward this goal, we report experimental control of the relaxation of nuclear spin polarization in a gate-defined two-electron GaAs double quantum dot. A cyclic gate-pulse sequence transfers the spin of an electron pair to the host nuclear system, establishing a local nuclear polarization that relaxes on a time scale of seconds. We find nuclear relaxation depends on magnetic field and gate-controlled two-electron exchange, consistent with a model of electron mediated nuclear spin diffusion.

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arXiv2007

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization with Single Electron Spins

We polarize nuclear spins in a GaAs double quantum dot by controlling two-electron spin states near the anti-crossing of the singlet (S) and m_S=+1 triplet (T+) using pulsed gates. An initialized S state is cyclically brought into resonance with the T+ state, where hyperfine fields drive rapid rotations between S and T+, 'flipping' an electron spin and 'flopping' a nuclear spin. The resulting Overhauser field approaches 80 mT, in agreement with a simple rate-equation model. A self-limiting pulse sequence is developed that allows the steady-state nuclear polarization to be set using a gate voltage.

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arXiv2007

Spins in few-electron quantum dots

This review describes the physics of spins in quantum dots containing one or two electrons, from an experimentalist's viewpoint. Various methods for extracting spin properties from experiment are presented, restricted exclusively to electrical measurements. Furthermore, experimental techniques are discussed that allow for: (1) the rotation of an electron spin into a superposition of up and down, (2) the measurement of the quantum state of an individual spin and (3) the control of the interaction between two neighbouring spins by the Heisenberg exchange interaction. Finally, the physics of the relevant relaxation and dephasing mechanisms is reviewed and experimental results are compared with theories for spin-orbit and hyperfine interactions. All these subjects are directly relevant for the fields of quantum information processing and spintronics with single spins (i.e. single-spintronics).

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arXiv2007

Relaxation, dephasing, and quantum control of electron spins in double quantum dots

Recent experiments have demonstrated quantum manipulation of two-electron spin states in double quantum dots using electrically controlled exchange interactions. Here, we present a detailed theory for electron spin dynamics in two-electron double dot systems that was used to guide these experiments and analyze experimental results. The theory treats both charge and spin degrees of freedom on an equal basis. Specifically, we analyze the relaxation and dephasing mechanisms that are relevant to experiments and discuss practical approaches for quantum control of two-electron system. We show that both charge and spin dephasing play important roles in the dynamics of the two-spin system, but neither represents a fundamental limit for electrical control of spin degrees of freedom in semiconductor quantum bits.

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arXiv2006

Effect of Exchange Interaction on Spin Dephasing in a Double Quantum Dot

We measure singlet-triplet dephasing in a two-electron double quantum dot in the presence of an exchange interaction which can be electrically tuned from much smaller to much larger than the hyperfine energy. Saturation of dephasing and damped oscillations of the spin correlator as a function of time are observed when the two interaction strengths are comparable. Both features of the data are compared with predictions from a quasistatic model of the hyperfine field.

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arXiv2005

Charge and spin manipulation in a few-electron double dot

We demonstrate high speed manipulation of a few-electron double quantum dot. In the one-electron regime, the double dot forms a charge qubit. Microwaves are used drive transitions between the (1,0) and (0,1) charge states of the double dot. A local quantum point contact charge detector measures the photon-induced change in occupancy of the charge states. Charge detection is used to measure T1~16 ns and also provides a lower bound estimate for T2* of 400 ps for the charge qubit. In the two-electron regime we use pulsed-gate techniques to measure the singlet-triplet relaxation time for nearly-degenerate spin states. These experiments demonstrate that the hyperfine interaction leads to fast spin relaxation at low magnetic fields. Finally, we discuss how two-electron spin states can be used to form a logical spin qubit.

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arXiv2005

Triplet-Singlet Spin Relaxation via Nuclei in a Double Quantum Dot

The spin of a confined electron, when oriented originally in some direction, will lose memory of that orientation after some time. Physical mechanisms leading to this relaxation of spin memory typically involve either coupling of the electron spin to its orbital motion or to nuclear spins. Relaxation of confined electron spin has been previously measured only for Zeeman or exchange split spin states, where spin-orbit effects dominate relaxation, while spin flips due to nuclei have been observed in optical spectroscopy studies. Using an isolated GaAs double quantum dot defined by electrostatic gates and direct time domain measurements, we investigate in detail spin relaxation for arbitrary splitting of spin states. Results demonstrate that electron spin flips are dominated by nuclear interactions and are slowed by several orders of magnitude when a magnetic field of a few millitesla is applied. These results have significant implications for spin-based information processing.

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arXiv2004

Pulsed-gate measurements of the singlet-triplet relaxation time in a two-electron double quantum dot

A pulsed-gate technique with charge sensing is used to measure the singlet-triplet relaxation time for nearly-degenerate spin states in a two-electron double quantum dot. Transitions from the (1,1) charge occupancy state to the (0,2) state, measured as a function of pulse cycle duration and magnetic field, allow the (1,1) singlet-triplet relaxation time (~70 microseconds) and the (0,2) singlet-triplet splitting to be measured. The use of charge sensing rather than current measurement allows long relaxation times to be readily probed.

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arXiv2004

Singlet-triplet spin blockade and charge sensing in a few-electron double quantum dot

Singlet-triplet spin blockade in a few-electron lateral double quantum dot is investigated using simultaneous transport and charge-sensing measurements. Transport from the (1,1) to the (0,2) electron occupancy states is strongly suppressed relative to the opposite bias [(0,2) to (1,1)]. At large bias, spin blockade ceases as the (0,2) triplet state enters the transport window, giving a direct measure of exchange splitting as a function of magnetic field. A simple model for current and steady-state charge distribution in spin-blockade conditions is developed and found to be in excellent agreement with experiment.

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arXiv2004

Manipulation of a single charge in a double quantum dot

We manipulate a single electron in a fully tunable double quantum dot using microwave excitation. Under resonant conditions, microwaves drive transitions between the (1,0) and (0,1) charge states of the double dot. Local quantum point contact charge detectors enable a direct measurement of the photon-induced change in occupancy of the charge states. From charge sensing measurements, we find T1~16 ns and a lower bound estimate for T2* of 400 ps for the charge two-level system.

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arXiv2004

Spin-dependent transport in molecular tunnel junctions

We present measurements of magnetic tunnel junctions made using a self-assembled-monolayer molecular barrier. Ni/octanethiol/Ni samples were fabricated in a nanopore geometry. The devices exhibit significant changes in resistance as the angle between the magnetic moments in the two electrodes is varied, demonstrating that low-energy electrons can traverse the molecular barrier while maintaining spin coherence. An analysis of the voltage and temperature dependence of the data suggests that the spin-coherent transport signals can be degraded by localized states in the molecular barriers.

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arXiv2002

Measurements of strongly-anisotropic g-factors for spins in single quantum states

We have measured the full angular dependence, as a function of the direction of magnetic field, for the Zeeman splitting of individual energy states in copper nanoparticles. The g-factors for spin splitting are highly anisotropic, with angular variations as large as a factor of five. The angular dependence fits well to ellipsoids. Both the principal-axis directions and g-factor magnitudes vary between different energy levels within one nanoparticle. The variations agree quantitatively with random-matrix theory predictions which incorporate spin-orbit coupling.

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arXiv2001

Studies of spin-orbit scattering in noble-metal nanoparticles using energy level tunneling spectroscopy

The effects of spin-orbit scattering on discrete electronic energy levels are studied in copper, silver, and gold nanoparticles. Level-to-level fluctuations of the effective $g$-factor for Zeeman splitting are characterized, and the statistics are found to be well-described by random matrix theory predictions. The strength of spin-orbit scattering increases with atomic number and also varies between nanoparticles made of the same metal. The spin-orbit scattering rates in the nanoparticles are in order-of-magnitude agreement with bulk measurements on disordered samples.

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