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Y. Yoon

Publications and source records attributed to Y. Yoon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Reanalysis of experimental determinations of polariton-polariton interactions in microcavities

The polariton-polariton interaction strength is an important parameter for all kinds of applications using the nonlinear properties of polaritons, such as optical switching and single-photon blockade devices. In this paper, we review and compare the results of a series of experiments on polariton-polariton interactions in GaAs/Al$_x$Ga$_{-1x}$As microcavity polariton structures, and present new theoretical analysis of these experiments. We show that not just the energy shift of the spectral lines, but also the results of measurements sensitive to the polariton scattering rate are important for the calibration of the interaction parameter at low excitation density. We find that when adjustments are made to correct for new understanding of the experiments, the value of the interaction parameter at low density is lower than previous reported, but still significantly higher than theoretically predicted.

cond-mat.quant-gas

Effect of optically-induced potential on the energy of trapped exciton-polaritons below the condensation threshold

Exciton-polaritons (polaritons herein) offer a unique nonlinear platform for studies of collective macroscopic quantum phenomena in a solid state system. Shaping of polariton flow and polariton confinement via potential landscapes created by nonresonant optical pumping has gained considerable attention due to the degree of flexibility and control offered by optically-induced potentials. Recently, large density-dependent energy shifts (blueshifts) exhibited by optically trapped polaritons at low densities, below the bosonic condensation threshold, were interpreted as an evidence of strong polariton-polariton interactions [Nat. Phys. 13, 870 (2017)]. In this work, we further investigate the origins of these blueshifts in optically-induced circular traps and present evidence of significant blueshift of the polariton energy due to reshaping of the optically-induced potential with laser pump power. Our work demonstrates strong influence of the effective potential formed by an optically-injected excitonic reservoir on the energy blueshifts observed below and up to the polariton condensation threshold and suggests that the observed blueshifts arise due to interaction of polaritons with the excitonic reservoir, rather than due to polariton-polariton interaction.

cond-mat.quant-gas

A luminous blue kilonova and an off-axis jet from a compact binary merger at z=0.1341

The recent discovery of a faint gamma-ray burst (GRB) coincident with the gravitational wave (GW) event GW 170817 revealed the existence of a population of low-luminosity short duration gamma-ray transients produced by neutron star mergers in the nearby Universe. These events could be routinely detected by existing gamma-ray monitors, yet previous observations failed to identify them without the aid of GW triggers. Here we show that GRB150101B was an analogue of GRB170817A located at a cosmological distance. GRB 150101B was a faint short duration GRB characterized by a bright optical counterpart and a long-lived X-ray afterglow. These properties are unusual for standard short GRBs and are instead consistent with an explosion viewed off-axis: the optical light is produced by a luminous kilonova component, while the observed X-rays trace the GRB afterglow viewed at an angle of ~13 degrees. Our findings suggest that these properties could be common among future electromagnetic counterparts of GW sources.

astro-ph.HE

The X-ray counterpart to the gravitational wave event GW 170817

A long-standing paradigm in astrophysics is that collisions- or mergers- of two neutron stars (NSs) form highly relativistic and collimated outflows (jets) powering gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) of short (< 2 s) duration. However, the observational support for this model is only indirect. A hitherto outstanding prediction is that gravitational wave (GW) events from such mergers should be associated with GRBs, and that a majority of these GRBs should be off-axis, that is, they should point away from the Earth. Here we report the discovery of the X-ray counterpart associated with the GW event GW170817. While the electromagnetic counterpart at optical and infrared frequencies is dominated by the radioactive glow from freshly synthesized r-process material in the merger ejecta, known as kilonova, observations at X-ray and, later, radio frequencies exhibit the behavior of a short GRB viewed off-axis. Our detection of X-ray emission at a location coincident with the kilonova transient provides the missing observational link between short GRBs and GWs from NS mergers, and gives independent confirmation of the collimated nature of the GRB emission.

astro-ph.HE

Detecting weak coupling in mesoscopic systems with a nonequilibrium Fano resonance

A critical aspect of quantum mechanics is the nonlocal nature of the wavefunction, a characteristic that may yield unexpected coupling of nominally-isolated systems. The capacity to detect this coupling can be vital in many situations, especially those in which its strength is weak. In this work we address this problem in the context of mesoscopic physics, by implementing an electron-wave realization of a Fano interferometer using pairs of coupled quantum point contacts (QPCs). Within this scheme, the discrete level required for a Fano resonance is provided by pinching off one of the QPCs, thereby inducing the formation of a quasi-bound state at the center of its self-consistent potential barrier. Using this system, we demonstrate a form of \textit{nonequilibrium} Fano resonance (NEFR), in which nonlinear electrical biasing of the interferometer gives rise to pronounced distortions of its Fano resonance. Our experimental results are captured well by a quantitative theoretical model, which considers a system in which a standard two-path Fano interferometer is coupled to an additional, \textit{intruder}, continuum. According to this theory, the observed distortions in the Fano resonance arise \textit{only} in the presence of coupling to the intruder, indicating that the NEFR provides a sensitive means to infer the presence of weak coupling between mesoscopic systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Discovery of a Supercluster at $z\sim$0.91 and Testing the $Λ$CDM Cosmological Model

The $Λ$CDM cosmological model successfully reproduces many aspects of the galaxy and structure formation of the universe. However, the growth of large-scale structures (LSSs) in the early universe is not well tested yet with observational data. Here, we have utilized wide and deep optical--near-infrared data in order to search for distant galaxy clusters and superclusters ($0.8<z<1.2$). From the spectroscopic observation with the Inamori Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph (IMACS) on the Magellan telescope, three massive clusters at $z\sim$0.91 are confirmed in the SSA22 field. Interestingly, all of them have similar redshifts within $Δz\sim$0.01 with velocity dispersions ranging from 470 to 1300 km s$^{-1}$. Moreover, as the maximum separation is $\sim$15 Mpc, they compose a supercluster at $z\sim$0.91, meaning that this is one of the most massive superclusters at this redshift to date. The galaxy density map implies that the confirmed clusters are embedded in a larger structure stretching over $\sim$100 Mpc. $Λ$CDM models predict about one supercluster like this in our surveyed volume, consistent with our finding so far. However, there are more supercluster candidates in this field, suggesting that additional studies are required to determine if the $Λ$CDM cosmological model can successfully reproduce the LSSs at high redshift.

astro-ph.CO

The Man Behind the Curtain: X-rays Drive the UV through NIR Variability in the 2013 AGN Outburst in NGC 2617

After the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN) discovered a significant brightening of the inner region of NGC 2617, we began a ~70 day photometric and spectroscopic monitoring campaign from the X-ray through near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. We report that NGC 2617 went through a dramatic outburst, during which its X-ray flux increased by over an order of magnitude followed by an increase of its optical/ultraviolet (UV) continuum flux by almost an order of magnitude. NGC 2617, classified as a Seyfert 1.8 galaxy in 2003, is now a Seyfert 1 due to the appearance of broad optical emission lines and a continuum blue bump. Such "changing look Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN)" are rare and provide us with important insights about AGN physics. Based on the Hbeta line width and the radius-luminosity relation, we estimate the mass of central black hole to be (4 +/- 1) x 10^7 M_sun. When we cross-correlate the light curves, we find that the disk emission lags the X-rays, with the lag becoming longer as we move from the UV (2-3 days) to the NIR (6-9 days). Also, the NIR is more heavily temporally smoothed than the UV. This can largely be explained by a simple model of a thermally emitting thin disk around a black hole of the estimated mass that is illuminated by the observed, variable X-ray fluxes.

astro-ph.HE

Tuning the Fano Resonance with an Intruder Continuum

Through a combination of experiment and theory we establish the possibility of achieving strong tuning of Fano resonances (FRs), by allowing their usual two-path geometry to interfere with an additional, 'intruder', continuum. As the coupling strength to this intruder is varied, we predict strong modulations of the resonance line shape that, in principle at least, may exceed the amplitude of the original FR itself. For a proof-of-concept demonstration of this phenomenon, we construct a nanoscale interferometer from nonlocally coupled quantum point contacts and utilize the unique features of their density of states to realize the intruder. External control of the intruder coupling is enabled by means of an applied magnetic field, in the presence of which we demonstrate the predicted distortions of the FR. This general scheme for resonant control should be broadly applicable to a variety of wave-based systems, opening up the possibility of new applications in areas such as chemical and biological sensing and secure communications.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Distribution of Entropy Production in a Single-Electron Box

Recently, the fundamental laws of thermodynamics have been reconsidered for small systems. The discovery of the fluctuation relations has spurred theoretical and experimental studies on thermodynamics of systems with few degrees of freedom. The concept of entropy production has been extended to the microscopic level by considering stochastic trajectories of a system coupled to a heat bath. However, the experimental observation of the microscopic entropy production remains elusive. We measure distributions of the microscopic entropy production in a single-electron box consisting of two islands with a tunnel junction. The islands are coupled to separate heat baths at different temperatures, maintaining a steady thermal non-equilibrium. As Jarzynski equality between work and free energy is not applicable in this case, the entropy production becomes the relevant parameter. We verify experimentally that the integral and detailed fluctuation relations are satisfied. Furthermore, the coarse-grained entropy production from trajectories of electronic transitions is related to the bare entropy production by a universal formula. Our results reveal the fundamental roles of irreversible entropy production in non-equilibrium small systems.

cond-mat.stat-mech

Test of Jarzynski and Crooks fluctuation relations in an electronic system

Recent progress on micro- and nanometer scale manipulation has opened the possibility to probe systems small enough that thermal fluctuations of energy and coordinate variables can be significant compared with their mean behavior. We present an experimental study of nonequilibrium thermodynamics in a classical two-state system, namely a metallic single-electron box. We have measured with high statistical accuracy the distribution of dissipated energy as single electrons are transferred between the box electrodes. The obtained distributions obey Jarzynski and Crooks fluctuation relations. A comprehensive microscopic theory exists for the system, enabling the experimental distributions to be reproduced without fitting parameters.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Single Cooper-pair pumping in the adiabatic limit and beyond

We demonstrate controlled pumping of Cooper pairs down to the level of a single pair per cycle, using an rf-driven Cooper-pair sluice. We also investigate the breakdown of the adiabatic dynamics in two different ways. By transferring many Cooper pairs at a time, we observe a crossover between pure Cooper-pair and mixed Cooper-pair-quasiparticle transport. By tuning the Josephson coupling that governs Cooper-pair tunneling, we characterize Landau-Zener transitions in our device. Our data are quantitatively accounted for by a simple model including decoherence effects.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Capacitively Enhanced Thermal Escape in Underdamped Josephson Junctions

We have studied experimentally the escape dynamics in underdamped capacitively shunted and unshunted Josephson junctions with submicroampere critical currents below 0.5 K temperatures. In the shunted junctions, thermal activation process was preserved up to the highest temperature where the escape in the unshunted junctions exhibits the phase diffusion. Our observations in the shunted junctions are in good agreement with the standard thermal activation escape, unlike the results in the unshunted junctions.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Interlayer tunneling in counterflow experiments on the excitonic condensate in quantum Hall bilayers

The effect of tunneling on the transport properties of} quantum Hall double layers in the regime of the excitonic condensate at total filling factor one is studied in counterflow experiments. If the tunnel current $I$ is smaller than a critical $I_C$, tunneling is large and is effectively shorting the two layers. For $I > I_C$ tunneling becomes negligible. Surprisingly, the transition between the two tunneling regimes has only a minor impact on the features of the filling-factor one state as observed in magneto-transport, but at currents exceeding $I_C$ the resistance along the layers increases rapidly.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Coupling Remote States through the Continuum: Multi-State Fano Resonances

We demonstrate a fully-tunable multi-state Fano system in which remotely-implemented quantum states interfere with each other through their coupling to a mutual continuum. On tuning these resonances near coincidence a robust avoided crossing is observed, with a distinctive character that confirms the continuum as the source of the coupling. While the continuum often serves as a source of decoherence, our work therefore shows how its presence can instead also be essential to mediate the interaction of quantum states, a result that could allow new approaches to engineer the collective states of nanostructures.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Dominant parameters for the critical tunneling current in bilayer exciton condensates

We will discuss the relevant conditions to observe a critical tunneling current [New J. Phys. 10, 045018 (2008)] in electron double-layer systems at a total filling factor of 1 and find they are related to the effective layer separation and the temperature. Our studies suggest that the intensity of the critical tunneling behavior is also directly linked to the area of the sample.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Anomalous avoided level crossings in a Cooper-pair box spectrum

We have observed a few distinct anomalous avoided level crossings and voltage dependent transitions in the excited state spectrum of an Al/AlOx/Al Cooper-pair box (CPB). The device was measured at 40 mK in the 15 - 50 GHz frequency range. We find that a given level crosses the CPB spectrum at two different gate voltages; the frequency and splitting size of the two crossings differ and the splitting size depends on the Josephson energy of the CPB. We show that this behavior is not only consistent with the CPB being coupled to discrete charged "two-level" quantum systems which move atomic distances in the CPB junctions but that the spectra provide new information about the fluctuators, which is not available from phase qubit spectra of anomalous avoided levels. In particular by fitting a model Hamiltonian to our data, we extract microscopic parameters for each fluctuator, including well asymmetry, tunneling amplitude, and the minimum hopping distance for each fluctuator. The tunneling rates range from less than 3.5 to 13 GHz, which represent values between 5% and 150% of the well asymmetry, and the dipole moments give a minimum hopping distance of 0.3 to 0.8 Anstrom. We have also found that these discrete two-level systems have a pronounced effect on the relaxation time (T1) of the quantum states of the CPB and hence can be a source of dissipation for superconducting quantum bits.

cond-mat.supr-con

Detector Backaction on the Self-Consistent Bound State in Quantum Point Contacts

Bound-state (BS) formation in quantum point contacts (QPCs) may offer a convenient way to localize and probe single spins. In this letter, we investigate how such BSs are affected by monitoring them with a second QPC, which is coupled to the BS via wavefunction overlap. We show that this coupling leads to a unique detector backaction, in which the BS is weakened by increasing its proximity to the detector. We also show, however, that this interaction between the QPCs can be regulated at will, by using an additional gate to control their wavefunction overlap.

cond-mat.str-el

Probing the microscopic structure of bound states in quantum point contacts

Using an approach that allows us to probe the electronic structure of strongly pinched-off quantum point contacts (QPCs), we provide evidence for the formation of self-consistently realized bound states (BSs) in these structures. Our approach exploits the resonant interaction between closely-coupled QPCs, and demonstrates that the BSs may give rise to a robust confinement of single spins, which show clear Zeeman splitting in a magnetic field.

cond-mat.str-el