Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

K. V. Kavokin

Publications and source records attributed to K. V. Kavokin.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Hanle effect in (In,Ga)As quantum dots: Role of nuclear spin fluctuations

The role of nuclear spin fluctuations in the dynamic polarization of nuclear spins by electrons is investigated in (In,Ga)As quantum dots. The photoluminescence polarization under circularly polarized optical pumping in transverse magnetic fields (Hanle effect) is studied. A weak additional magnetic field parallel to the optical axis is used to control the efficiency of nuclear spin cooling and the sign of nuclear spin temperature. The shape of the Hanle curve is drastically modified with changing this control field, as observed earlier in bulk semiconductors and quantum wells. However, the standard nuclear spin cooling theory, operating with the mean nuclear magnetic field (Overhauser field), fails to describe the experimental Hanle curves in a certain range of control fields. This controversy is resolved by taking into account the nuclear spin fluctuations owed to the finite number of nuclei in the quantum dot. We propose a model describing cooling of the nuclear spin system by electron spins experiencing fast vector precession in the random Overhauser fields of nuclear spin fluctuations. The model allows us to accurately describe the measured Hanle curves and to determine the parameters of the electron-nuclear spin system of the studied quantum dots.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Bosonic Cascade Laser

We propose a concept of a quantum cascade laser based on transitions of bosonic quasiparticles (excitons and exciton-polaritons) in a parabolic potential trap in a semiconductor microcavity. This laser would emit terahertz radiation due to bosonic stimulation of excitonic transitions. Dynamics of a bosonic cascade is strongly different from the dynamics of a conventional fermionic cascade laser. We show that populations of excitonic ladders are parity-dependent and quantized if the laser operates without an external terahertz cavity.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

High resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of highly-strained quantum dot nanostructures

Much new solid state technology for single-photon sources, detectors, photovoltaics and quantum computation relies on the fabrication of strained semiconductor nanostructures. Successful development of these devices depends strongly on techniques allowing structural analysis on the nanometer scale. However, commonly used microscopy methods are destructive, leading to the loss of the important link between the obtained structural information and the electronic and optical properties of the device. Alternative non-invasive techniques such as optically detected nuclear magnetic resonance (ODNMR) so far proved difficult in semiconductor nano-structures due to significant strain-induced quadrupole broadening of the NMR spectra. Here, we develop new high sensitivity techniques that move ODNMR to a new regime, allowing high resolution spectroscopy of as few as 100000 quadrupole nuclear spins. By applying these techniques to individual strained self-assembled quantum dots, we measure strain distribution and chemical composition in the volume occupied by the confined electron. Furthermore, strain-induced spectral broadening is found to lead to suppression of nuclear spin magnetization fluctuations thus extending spin coherence times. The new ODNMR methods have potential to be applied for non-invasive investigations of a wide range of materials beyond single nano-structures, as well as address the task of understanding and control of nuclear spins on the nanoscale, one of the central problems in quantum information processing.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Full coherent control of nuclear spins in an optically pumped single quantum dot

Highly polarized nuclear spins within a semiconductor quantum dot (QD) induce effective magnetic (Overhauser) fields of up to several Tesla acting on the electron spin or up to a few hundred mT for the hole spin. Recently this has been recognized as a resource for intrinsic control of QD-based spin quantum bits. However, only static long-lived Overhauser fields could be used. Here we demonstrate fast redirection on the microsecond time-scale of Overhauser fields of the order of 0.5 T experienced by a single electron spin in an optically pumped GaAs quantum dot. This has been achieved using full coherent control of an ensemble of 10^3-10^4 optically polarized nuclear spins by sequences of short radio-frequency (rf) pulses. These results open the way to a new class of experiments using rf techniques to achieve highly-correlated nuclear spins in quantum dots, such as adiabatic demagnetization in the rotating frame leading to sub-micro K nuclear spin temperatures, rapid adiabatic passage, and spin squeezing.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Stimulated emission of terahertz radiation by semiconductor microcavities

We show that planar semiconductor microcavities in the strong coupling regime can be used as sources of stimulated terahertz (THz) radiation. Emitted THz photons would have a frequency of the spliting of the cavity polariton modes. The optical transition between upper and lower polariton branches is allowed due to mixing of the upper polariton state with one of excited exciton states. This transition is stimulated in the polariton laser regime.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Pumping of nuclear spins by the optical solid effect in a quantum dot

We demonstrate that efficient optical pumping of nuclear spins in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) can be achieved by resonant pumping of optically "forbidden" transitions. This process corresponds to one-to-one conversion of a photon absorbed by the dot into a polarized nuclear spin, which also has potential for initialization of hole spin in QDs. Pumping via the "forbidden" transition is a manifestation of the "optical solid effect", an optical analogue of the effect previously observed in electron spin resonance experiments in the solid state. We find that by employing this effect, nuclear polarization of 65% can be achieved, the highest reported so far in optical orientation studies in QDs. The efficiency of the spin pumping exceeds that employing the allowed transition, which saturates due to the low probability of electron-nuclear spin flip-flop.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Spin-orbit terms in multi-subband electron systems: A bridge between bulk and two-dimensional Hamiltonians

We analyze the spin-orbit terms in multi-subband quasi-two-dimensional electron systems, and how they descend from the bulk Hamiltonian of the conduction band. Measurements of spin-orbit terms in one subband alone are shown to give incomplete information on the spin-orbit Hamiltonian of the system. They should be complemented by measurements of inter-subband spin-orbit matrix elements. Tuning electron energy levels with a quantizing magnetic field is proposed as an experimental approach to this problem.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

The puzzle of magnetic resonance effect on the magnetic compass of migratory birds

Experiments on the effect of radio-frequency (RF) magnetic fields on the magnetic compass orientation of migratory birds are analyzed using the theory of magnetic resonance. The results of these experiments were earlier interpreted within the radical-pair model of magnetoreception. However, the consistent analysis shows that the amplitudes of the RF fields used are far too small to noticeably influence electron spins in organic radicals. Other possible agents that could mediate the birds' response to the RF fields are discussed, but apparently no known physical system can be responsible for this effect.

physics.bio-ph↗

Spin relaxation of localized electrons in n-type semiconductors

The mechanisms that determine spin relaxation times of localized electrons in impurity bands of n-type semiconductors are considered theoretically and compared with available experimental data. The relaxation time of the non-equilibrium angular momentum is shown to be limited either by hyperfine interaction, or by spin-orbit interaction in course of exchange-induced spin diffusion. The energy relaxation time in the spin system is governed by phonon-assisted hops within pairs of donors with an optimal distance of about 4 Bohr radii. The spin correlation time of the donor-bound electron is determined either by exchange interaction with other localized electrons, or by spin-flip scattering of free conduction-band electrons. A possibility of optical cooling of the spin system of localized electrons is discussed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Suppression of electron spin relaxation in Mn-doped GaAs

We report a surprisingly long spin relaxation time of electrons in Mn-doped p-GaAs. The spin relaxation time scales with the optical pumping and increases from 12 ns in the dark to 160 ns upon saturation. This behavior is associated with the difference in spin relaxation rates of electrons precessing in the fluctuating fields of ionized or neutral Mn acceptors, respectively. For the latter the antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between a Mn ion and a bound hole results in a partial compensation of these fluctuating fields, leading to the enhanced spin memory.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Bound magnetic polarons in the very dilute regime

We study bound magnetic polarons (BMP) in a very diluted magnetic semiconductor CdMnTe by means of site selective spectroscopy. In zero magnetic field we detect a broad and asymmetric band with a characteristic spectral width of about 5 meV. When external magnetic fields are applied a new line appears in the emission spectrum. Remarkably, the spectral width of this line is reduced greatly down to 0.24 meV. We attribute such unusual behavior to the formation of BMP, effected by sizable fluctuations of local magnetic moments. The modifications of the optical spectra have been simulated by the Monte-Carlo method and calculated within an approach considering the nearest Mn ion. A quantitative agreement with the experiment is achieved without use of fitting parameters. It is demonstrated that the low-energy part of the emission spectra originates from the energetic relaxation of a complex consisting of a hole and its nearest Mn ion. It is also shown that the contribution to the narrow line arises from the remote Mn ions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Exciton spin decay modified by strong electron-hole exchange interaction

We study exciton spin decay in the regime of strong electron-hole exchange interaction. In this regime the electron spin precession is restricted within a sector formed by the external magnetic field and the effective exchange fields triggered by random spin flips of the hole. Using Hanle effect measurements, we demonstrate that this mechanism dominates our experiments in CdTe/(Cd,Mg)Te quantum wells. The calculations provide a consistent description of the experimental results, which is supported by independent measurements of the parameters entering the model.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Cavity polaritons: Classical behaviour of a quantum parametric oscillator

We address theoretically the optical parametric oscillator based on semiconductor cavity exciton-polaritons under a pulsed excitation. A "hyperspin" formalism is developed which allows, in the case of large number of polaritons, to reduce quantum dynamics of the parametric oscillator wavefunction to the Liouville equation for the classical probability distribution. Implications for the statistics of polariton ensembles are analyzed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Suppression of Dyakonov-Perel Spin Relaxation in high mobility n-GaAs

We report a large and unexpected suppression of the free electron spin relaxation in lightly-doped n-GaAs bulk crystals. The spin relaxation rate shows weak mobility dependence and saturates at a level 30 times less then that predicted by the Dyakonov-Perel theory. The dynamics of the spin-orbit field differs substantially from the usual scheme: although all the experimental data can be self-consistently interpreted as a precessional spin relaxation induced by a random spin-orbit field, the correlation time of this random field, surprisingly, is much shorter than, and is independent of, the momentum relaxation time determined from transport measurements. Understanding of this phenomenon could lead to high temperature engineering of the electron spin memory.

cond-mat.other↗

Induced currents, frozen charges and the quantum Hall effect breakdown

Puzzling results obtained from torque magnetometry in the quantum Hall effect (QHE) regime are presented, and a theory is proposed for their explanation. Magnetic moment saturation, which is usually attributed to the QHE breakdown, is shown to be related to the charge redistribution across the sample.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Symmetry of anisotropic exchange interactions in semiconductor nanostructures

The symmetry of exchange interaction of charge carriers in semiconductor nanostructures (quantum wells and quantum dots) is analysed. It is shown that the exchange Hamiltonian of two particles belonging to the same energy band can be universally expressed via pseudospin operators of the particles. The relative strength of the anisotropic exchange interaction is shown to be independent of the binding energy and the isotropic exchange constant.

cond-mat↗

Low-temperature spin relaxation in n-type GaAs

Low-temperature electron spin relaxation is studied by the optical orientation method in bulk n-GaAs with donor concentrations from 10^14 cm^{-3} to 5x10^17 cm^{-3}. A peculiarity related to the metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) is observed in the dependence of the spin lifetime on doping near n_D = 2x10^16 cm^{-3}. In the metallic phase, spin relaxation is governed by the Dyakonov-Perel mechanism, while in the insulator phase it is due to anisotropic exchange interaction and hyperfine interaction

cond-mat↗