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Michał Gawełczyk

Publications and source records attributed to Michał Gawełczyk.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Fast universal parametric spin control in an acoustically modulated quantum dot

Quantum communication, distributed computing, and hybrid architectures rely on nodes enabling coherent control of qubits and coupling to propagating quantum modes. While semiconductor quantum-dot (QD) spins couple to microwave and optical photons, weak interaction with mechanical waves has limited the integration of single-QD spin qubits into on-chip, acoustically coupled hybrid systems. The existing theory of acoustic QD spin control suffers from a limited range of rotation-axis angles, enforcing complex realizations of gate primitives and long gate times, leaving little margin against decoherence from trion decay and quasi-static nuclear-spin noise. We propose parametric control that overcomes these problems. We use far-detuned optical coupling to a trion state to dress and thus mix spin states, combined with acoustic modulation of the optical transition energy. Instead of relying on direct acoustic resonance with the spin splitting that leads to significant bottlenecks, we induce spin rotations parametrically via resonance with the dressed-spin splitting. We thus develop a spin analog of the ``swing-up'' charge-state excitation. Our scheme provides fast universal qubit control with nearly arbitrary rotation axes. Our ${\sim}$155 ps Pauli-$X$ gate duration is ${\sim}290\times$ faster than in the previous acousto-optical formulation and ${\sim}14\times$ faster than optical Faraday-geometry spin rotation. The parametric scheme naturally enables higher-harmonic processes. Numerical simulations for ${\sim}44$ GHz acoustic driving show average gate fidelity $\ge99.9\%$ even for uncooled nuclear-spin environments of GaAs and InAs QDs for trion lifetime $\gtrsim1.25$ ns. These metrics suggest practically usable control and may introduce a spin-phonon interface with high interaction rates, versatility, and multi-phonon processes, essential for future acoustically coupled hybrid architectures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Towards Stirling cooler operable single-photon sources based on low-noise GaAs quantum dots

For photonic quantum technology applications, sources capable of emitting photons with indistinguishability close to unity are essential. Ideally, these sources should not require demanding cooling systems. Here, we present temperature-dependent two-photon-interference measurements on photons produced by the radiative decay of the negative trion in a low-noise GaAs quantum dot, which are in quantitative agreement with theoretical calculations accounting for carrier-phonon interactions and coupling to excited states. While at at the lowest explored temperatures the emission linewidth reaches values only 6(2) % above the Fourier limit and the indistinguishability I between subsequently emitted photons reaches 0.966(6), the latter drops to 0.05(4) at 55 K. We show that this loss can be explained with the coupling with energetically close excited trion states and suggest that the photon indistinguishability at elevated temperatures can be increased by employing Purcell enhancement of the emission rate or by increasing the energy separation of the excited states. Using cavity-enhanced emission, we experimentally verify the first route and demonstrate an improvement in photon indistinguishability from 0.314(25) to 0.80(3) at 32 K, which - to our knowledge - is the highest reported value at such temperature.

quant-ph↗

Higher-harmonic acoustic control of laser-dressed quantum-dot states at sub-Rabi frequencies

Acoustic control and coupling of quantum systems via phonons can enable miniaturized on-chip quantum devices. Optically active quantum dots (QDs) are essential for such platforms, yet they have long lacked direct acoustic transitions between charge states. The recently proposed hybrid acousto-optical swing-up scheme introduces such high-fidelity transitions but, as typical for coherent control, requires driving fields matching the transition energy and has been proposed for sub-THz phonon frequencies, limiting practical implementations. Here, we overcome this limitation by exploiting higher-harmonic-assisted processes arising from strain-induced modulation of the optical transition energy. This parametric modulation of the optically dressed splitting produces multi-phonon-like resonances when a harmonic of the mechanical modulation matches the generalized Rabi frequency. An effective model reveals a hierarchy of harmonic couplings, while our geometric interpretation shows how modulated dressed splitting enables even harmonics that are otherwise symmetry-forbidden. We predict faithful state preparation with an acoustic frequency being only a fraction of the splitting, specifically 42 GHz for a 0.341 THz splitting, bridging accessible acoustic frequencies and THz energy scales. This establishes control principles that separate optical energy delivery from coherent acoustic control. A non-Markovian calculation of phonon-induced decoherence indicates high state-preparation fidelities comparable to one-phonon and all-optical schemes. Since the same interaction structure arises for a quantized acoustic field, our results provide a foundation for multi-phonon processes in QD-phononic-resonator systems, including entanglement, state transfer, and optical preparation of nonclassical mechanical states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Predictive wavelength tailoring of uniform GaSb-based quantum dots for emission at 1.55 um

A detailed study of emission wavelength tailoring of GaSb-based QDs formed by InGaSb-filling of droplet-etched nanoholes in AlGaSb is presented. The study shows that the emission wavelength can be modified from 1.48 um to the center of the telecom C-band at 1.55 mm by independently varying the QD composition and size. More specifically, the optical transition energy shifts linearly as a function of In-content of the QD material at a rate of -4.4 meV/In-percentage, and with the number of monolayers (ML) of material used for filling the nanoholes, at -2.0 meV/ML. These experimentally observed energy shifts are well predicted by simulations yielding rates of -4.3 meV/In-percentage and -2.1 meV/ML, respectively. For the simulation, a uniform In composition, low intermixing, and microscopically measured QD geometry is considered. Additionally, excellent ensemble QD uniformity, with unprecedented inhomogeneous broadening well-below 7 meV across all samples is demonstrated. Finally, photoluminescence of single-QDs reveals narrow excitonic emission lines of 13.8+/-6.7 ueV and low fine-structure splitting values reaching <10 ueV. These results identify GaSb-based LDE QDs as a tunable telecom platform for scaling quantum-photonic applications over long-haul optical fiber networks.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Coherent Control of Quantum-Dot Spins with Cyclic Optical Transitions

Solid-state spins are promising as interfaces from stationary qubits to single photons for quantum communication technologies. Semiconductor quantum dots have excellent optical coherence, exhibit near unity collection efficiencies when coupled to photonic structures, and possess long-lived spins for quantum memory. However, the incompatibility of performing optical spin control and single-shot readout simultaneously has been a challenge faced by almost all solid-state emitters. To overcome this, we leverage light-hole mixing to realize a highly asymmetric lambda system in a negatively charged heavy hole exciton in Faraday configuration. By compensating GHz-scale differential Stark shifts, induced by unequal coupling to Raman control fields, and by performing nuclear-spin cooling, we achieve quantum control of an electron-spin qubit with a $π$-pulse contrast of 97.4% while preserving spin-selective optical transitions with a cyclicity of 471 (50). We demonstrate this scheme for both GaAs and InGaAs quantum dots, and show that it is compatible with the operation of a nuclear quantum memory. Our approach thus enables repeated emission of indistinguishable photons together with qubit control, as required for single-shot readout, photonic cluster-state generation, and quantum repeater technologies.

quant-ph↗

Crossover from Rabi oscillations to adiabatic population switching in the Faraday optical control of quantum dot spins

Stimulated Raman transitions in Faraday geometry allow for simultaneous single-shot qubit readout and qubit control. It involves driving an unbalanced $Λ$ system via an auxiliary excited state. Due to the simultaneous driving of both transitions with unequal detuning, the resulting time-dependent Stark shift gives rise to additional resonance conditions beyond the conventional picture. We identify a distinct regime in which repeated passages through avoided crossings lead to step-like population inversion arising from Landau-Zener-Stückelberg interference. By changing the detuning beatnote, we demonstrate a controlled continuous crossover from Rabi-like oscillations to adiabatic population switching. These findings establish the oscillating Stark shift as a mechanism for engineering and controlling spin dynamics in Faraday geometry.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Local droplet etching-assisted quantum dot epitaxy for telecom C-band quantum light emitters

Significant progress in quantum light sources for quantum communication applications requires reproducible and symmetric quantum emitters acting as single-photon sources capable of generating entangled photons on demand at specific telecom wavelengths. Here, we propose telecom-emitting epitaxial quantum dots (QDs) fabricated using the local droplet etching (LDE) approach. The resulting well-defined, low-density ($10^9$/cm$^2$) QDs based on In$_{x}$Ga$_{1-x}$As are formed in symmetric LDE nanoholes (in-plane aspect ratio of 1.14) in In$_{0.52}$Al$_{0.48}$As. Detailed transmission electron microscopy provides comprehensive insight into the structural integrity, interface quality, and compositional profiles of the QDs, which underpin their promising optical properties. Photoluminescence spectroscopy reveals narrow emission lines (0.2 meV) and high optical quality, while second-order autocorrelation measurements confirm clear single-photon emission, with $g^{(2)}(0)=0.07\pm0.02$ under above-band continuous-wave excitation and $g^{(2)}(0)=0.16 \pm 0.18$ under pulsed excitation. Precise numerical modeling, combining multiband $\boldsymbol{k} \cdot \boldsymbol{p}$ and configuration-interaction methods, supports the optical characterization and identifies thermal excitation pathways that explain the persistence of emission up to liquid-nitrogen temperatures. These results highlight the versatility of the LDE approach for integrating new material systems and pave the way toward scalable fabrication of quantum light sources with tailored emission properties.

physics.optics↗

Coupling Quantum Dots to Elastic Waves in a Phononic Crystal Waveguide

We present a comprehensive study of quantum dot (QD) coupling to various phononic modes in a phononic waveguide, combining multiband kp and configuration-interaction (CI) QD state simulations with finite-element waveguide mode modeling. We consider self-assembled Stranski-Krastanov InGaAs/GaAs as well as local droplet-etched GaAs/AlGaAs structures. Using kp-CI calculations, we quantify the strain and piezoelectric responses of InAs and GaAs QDs. By systematically isolating volumetric/shear deformation-potential and piezoelectric channels, we demonstrate how mode symmetries dictate distinct coupling mechanisms. We identify the dominant coupling channels and characterize their observable signatures in the QD response. We predict strong linear energy shifts under volumetric strain and quadratic behavior under shear strain, especially in GaAs QDs. The piezoelectric effect is dominated by polarizability, which also leads to a quadratic response. The simulations show energy modulations up to 0.7 meV for an acoustic wave with 0.1 nm amplitude. The quadratic response to shear strain and piezoelectric field leads to frequency doubling in the QD response to a mechanical wave and to non-harmonic time traces when linear and quadratic effects contribute to a similar degree. The deep understanding of QD-acoustic couplings opens pathways to the optimal design of QD and waveguide structures, as well as to improved engineering of acousto-optic quantum interfaces.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Hybrid acousto-optical spin control in quantum dots

Mechanical degrees of freedom very weakly couple to spins in semiconductors. The inefficient coupling between phonons and single electron spins in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) hinders their integration into on-chip acoustically coupled quantum hybrid systems. We propose a hybrid acousto-optical spin control method that circumvents this problem and effectively introduces acoustic spin rotation to QDs, complementing their rich couplings with external fields and quantum registers. We show that combining continuous-wave detuned optical coupling to a trion state and acoustic modulation results in spin rotation around an axis defined by the acoustic field. The optical field breaks spin conservation, allowing phonons to drive transitions between disrupted spin states when at resonance with the Zeeman frequency. Our method is compatible with pulse sequences that mitigate quasi-static noise effects, which makes trion recombination the primary limitation to gate fidelity under cooled nuclear-spin conditions. Numerical simulations indicate that spin rotation fidelity can be very high, if the trion lifetime is long and Zeeman splitting is sufficiently large, with a currently feasible 50~ns lifetime and 44~GHz splitting giving 99.9\% fidelity. Applying our advancement could enable acoustic QD spin state transfer to diverse solid-state systems and transduction between acoustic, optical, and microwave domains, all within an on-chip integration-ready setting.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Hybrid acousto-optical swing-up state control in a quantum dot

State transfer between different quantum systems is key for successful quantum technologies. Over long distances, photons are irreplaceable, but on short ranges in miniaturized complex devices or hybrid systems, coupling via orders of magnitude shorter-wavelength acoustic waves has great potential. With interfaces to light, acoustic waves, and more, optically active quantum dots (QDs) are essential for multi-component systems. Here, we propose a hybrid acousto-optical method for non-resonant QD charge state control, extending the recent all-optical swing-up state preparation. We show that exciton and biexciton states, or other superpositions of charge states, can be prepared. Each field can act as a trigger, allowing for the implementation of either an optically gated acoustic control or the opposite scheme, where an optical pulse controls the transition during acoustic modulation. Thus, we introduce acoustic state control into a system that lacks direct acoustic coupling between the states. The method does not rely on pulse shaping and is expected to work with arbitrary pulse shapes as long as the optical dressing is performed quasi-adiabatically. Evaluating the phonon impact, we find an almost decoherence-free exciton preparation even at elevated temperatures with current QD and acoustic technology. This approach may also pave the way for optically controlled entanglement between emitters and acoustic modes, and further on-chip state transfer via quantum acoustic buses.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Generation of C-band entangled photon pairs by biexciton-exciton cascade from symmetric InAs/InP quantum dots

Hereby, we study the generation of pairs of polarization-entangled photons at telecom C-band by biexciton-exciton cascade from non-resonantly excited epitaxial InAs/InP quantum dots (QDs). It is realized without external tuning of the fine structure splitting (FSS), which does not exceed 10 $μ$eV in as-grown nanostructures, due to their high in-plane symmetry. Excitonic complexes are identified by means of excitation power-dependent and polarization-resolved magneto)microphotoluminescence. Their origin from different carrier configurations confined in the same QD is confirmed by time correlations of emitted photons. Experimental results are supported by 8-band kp calculations, followed by the configuration interaction method to include excitonic effects. This comparison reveals the structure of higher energy states, allowing for the reconstruction of the QD structural parameters. To verify and quantify the entanglement, we perform quantum state tomography and reconstruct the two-photon density matrix. Its diagonalization allows a detailed analysis of the entangled state and reveals an unfavourable interplay between phase accumulation and decoherence, pointing to a clear route for boosting entanglement by using a XX resonant, pulsed excitation scheme and shortening the radiative lifetimes.

quant-ph↗

Optical and magnetic response by design in GaAs quantum dots

Quantum networking technologies use spin qubits and their interface to single photons as core components of a network node. This necessitates the ability to co-design the magnetic- and optical-dipole response of a quantum system. These properties are notoriously difficult to design in many solid-state systems, where spin-orbit coupling and the crystalline environment for each qubit create inhomogeneity of electronic g-factors and optically active states. Here, we show that GaAs quantum dots (QDs) obtained via the quasi-strain-free local droplet etching epitaxy growth method provide spin and optical properties predictable from assuming the highest possible QD symmetry. Our measurements of electron and hole g-tensors and of transition dipole moment orientations for charged excitons agree with our predictions from a multiband k.p simulation constrained only by a single atomic-force-microscopy reconstruction of QD morphology. This agreement is verified across multiple wavelength-specific growth runs at different facilities within the range of 730 nm to 790 nm for the exciton emission. Remarkably, our measurements and simulations track the in-plane electron g-factors through a zero-crossing from -0.1 to 0.3 and linear optical dipole moment orientations fully determined by an external magnetic field. The robustness of our results demonstrates the capability to design - prior to growth - the properties of a spin qubit and its tunable optical interface best adapted to a target magnetic and photonic environment with direct application for high-quality spin-photon entanglement.

quant-ph↗

Determining Strain Components in a Diamond Waveguide from Zero-Field ODMR Spectra of NV$^{-}$ Center Ensembles

The negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV$^{-}$) center in diamond has shown great potential in nanoscale sensing and quantum information processing due to its rich spin physics. An efficient coupling with light, providing strong luminescence, is crucial for realizing these applications. Laser-written waveguides in diamond promote NV$^{-}$ creation and improve their coupling to light but, at the same time, induce strain in the crystal. The induced strain contributes to light guiding but also affects the energy levels of NV$^{-}$ centers. We probe NV$^{-}$ spin states experimentally with the commonly used continuous-wave zero-field optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). In our waveguides, the ODMR spectra are shifted, split, and consistently asymmetric, which we attribute to the impact of local strain. To understand these features, we model ensemble ODMR signals in the presence of strain. By fitting the model results to the experimentally collected ODMR data, we determine the strain tensor components at different positions, thus determining the strain profile across the waveguide. This shows that zero-field ODMR spectroscopy can be used as a strain imaging tool. The resulting strain within the waveguide is dominated by a compressive axial component transverse to the waveguide structure, with a smaller contribution from vertical and shear strain components.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Disorder-resilient transport through dopant arrays in silicon

Chains and arrays of phosphorus donors in silicon have recently been used to demonstrate dopant-based quantum simulators. The dopant disorder present in fabricated devices must be accounted for. Here, we theoretically study transport through disordered donor-based $3\times 3$ arrays that model recent experimental results. We employ a theory that combines the exact diagonalization of an extended Hubbard model of the array with a non-equilibrium Green's function formalism to model transport in interacting systems. We show that current flow through the array and features of measured stability diagrams are highly resilient to disorder. We interpret this as an emergence of uncomplicated behavior in the multi-electron system dominated by strong correlations, regardless of array filling, where the current follows the shortest paths between source and drain sites that avoid possible obstacles. The reference $3\times 3$ array has transport properties very similar to three parallel 3-site chains coupled only by interchain Coulomb interaction, which indicates a challenge in characterizing such devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Tuning the coherent interaction of an electron qubit and a nuclear magnon

A central spin qubit interacting coherently with an ensemble of proximal spins can be used to engineer entangled collective states or a multi-qubit register. Making full use of this many-body platform requires tuning the interaction between the central spin and its spin register. GaAs quantum dots offer a model realization of the central spin system where an electron qubit interacts with multiple ensembles of $\sim 10^{4}$ nuclear spins. In this work, we demonstrate tuning of the interaction between the electron qubit and the nuclear many-body system in a GaAs quantum dot. The homogeneity of the GaAs system allows us to perform high-precision and isotopically selective nuclear sideband spectroscopy, which reveals the single-nucleus electronic Knight field. Together with time-resolved spectroscopy of the nuclear field, this fully characterizes the electron-nuclear interaction for a priori control. An algorithmic feedback sequence selects the nuclear polarization precisely, which adjusts the electron-nuclear exchange interaction in situ via the electronic g-factor anisotropy. This allows us to tune directly the activation rate of a collective nuclear excitation (magnon) and the coherence time of the electron qubit. Our method is applicable to similar central-spin systems and enables the programmable tuning of coherent interactions in the many-body regime.

quant-ph↗

Effects of dislocation filtering layers on optical properties of third telecom window emitting InAs/InGaAlAs quantum dots grown on silicon substrates

Integrating light emitters based on III-V materials with silicon-based electronics is crucial for further increase in data transfer rates in communication systems since the indirect bandgap of silicon prevents its direct use as a light source. We investigate here InAs/InGaAlAs quantum dot (QD) structures grown directly on 5° off-cut Si substrate and emitting light at 1.5 micrometers, compatible with established telecom platform. Using different dislocation defects filtering layers, exploiting strained superlattices and supplementary QD layers, we mitigate the effects of lattice constant and thermal expansion mismatches between III-V materials and Si during growth. Complementary optical spectroscopy techniques, i.e. photoreflectance and temperature-, time- and polarization- resolved photoluminescence, allow us to determine the optical quality and application potential of the obtained structures by comparing them to a reference sample -- state-of-the-art QDs grown on InP. Experimental findings are supported by calculations of excitonic states and optical transitions by combining multiband k.p and configuration-interaction methods. We show that our design of structures prevents the generation of a considerable density of defects, as intended. The emission of Si-based structures appears to be much broader than for the reference dots, due to the creation of different QD populations which might be a disadvantage in particular laser applications, however, could be favourable for others, e.g. in broadly tunable devices, sensors, or optical amplifiers. Eventually, we identify the overall most promising combination of defect filtering layers, discuss its advantages and limitations, and prospects for further improvements.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Quantum dots as optimized chiral emitters for photonic integrated circuits

Chiral coupling, which allows directional interactions between quantum dots (QDs) and photonic crystal waveguide modes, holds promise for enhancing the functionality of quantum photonic integrated circuits. Elliptical polarizations of QD transitions offer a considerable enhancement in directionality. However, in epitaxial QD fabrication, the lack of precise control over lateral QD positions still poses a challenge in achieving efficient chiral interfaces. Here, we present a theoretical analysis in which we propose to optimize the polarization of a QD emitter against the spatially averaged directionality and demonstrate that the resulting emitter offers a considerable technological advantage in terms of the size and location of high-directionality areas of the waveguide as well as their overlap with the regions of large Purcell enhancement, thereby improving the scalability of the device. Moreover, using $\mathbf{\mathit{k}}\cdot\mathbf{\mathit{p}}$ modeling, we demonstrate that the optimal elliptical polarization can be achieved for neutral exciton transitions in a realistic QD structure. Our results present a viable path for efficient chiral coupling in QD-based photonic integrated circuits, to a large extent overcoming the challenges and limitations of the present manufacturing technology.

quant-ph↗

Impact of MBE-grown (In,Ga)As/GaAs metamorphic buffers on excitonic and optical properties of single quantum dots with single-photon emission tuned to the telecom range

Tuning GaAs-based quantum emitters to telecom wavelengths makes it possible to use the existing mature technology for applications in, e.g., long-haul ultra-secure communication in the fiber networks. A promising method re-developed recently is to use a metamorphic InGaAs buffer that redshifts the emission by reducing strain. However, the impact of such a buffer causes also a simultaneous modification of other quantum dot properties. Knowledge of these effects is crucial for actual implementations of QD-based non-classical light sources for quantum communication schemes. Here, we thoroughly study single GaAs-based quantum dots grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on specially designed, digital-alloy InGaAs metamorphic buffers. With a set of structures varying in the buffer indium content and providing quantum dot emission through the telecom spectral range up to 1.6 $μ$m, we analyze the impact of the buffer and its composition on QD structural and optical properties. We identify the mechanisms of quantum dot emission shift with varying buffer composition. We also look into the charge trapping processes and compare excitonic properties for different growth conditions with single-dot emission successfully shifted to both, the second and the third telecom windows.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗