Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Electromagnetically induced transparency in semiconductors

Hailin Wang

Published Jun 1, 2006• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

This final technical report summarizes research supported by ARO in two areas: electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) from electron spin coherence and cavity QED with nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond nanocrystals. We have developed three different schemes to realize EIT using electron spin coherence in semiconductor quantum wells. The three schemes include the use of V-type three-level systems via heavy hole excitonic transitions in an external magnetic field in the Voigt geometry, the use of V-type three-level systems via light hole excitonic transitions in a waveguide geometry and in the absence of an external magnetic field, and the use of a lamda-type three-level system in a mixed-type quantum well structure. We have achieved the breakthrough of realizing the strong coupling regime in cavity QED by coupling NV centers in diamond nanocrystals to whispering gallery modes in a deformed fused silica microsphere. In addition, our improved understanding on how electron spin coherence contributes to nonlinear optical processes in semiconductors has also led to the demonstration of a spin manipulation scheme that controls both the amplitude and phase of electron spin precessions.

Related papers

Electromagnetically induced transparency from electron spin coherences in semiconductor quantum wells [Invited]

Hailin Wang, Shannon O’Leary

In this paper, we review our recent experimental studies on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) from electron spin coherences in semiconductor quantum wells. Coherent Raman resonances, manifestations of EIT from electron spin coherences at relatively low pump intensities, were demonstrated in both V-type and Λ-type three-level systems via heavy-hole exciton and trion transitions in undoped and doped quantum wells, respectively. Coherent Raman resonances from electron spin coherences via light-hole transitions were also demonstrated in a waveguide geometry that enables a long optical interaction length as well as a large absorption coefficient. Experimental approaches that can avoid or reduce detrimental many-body effects in quantum wells are suggested for the realization of nearly ideal EIT processes.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Jan 25, 2012•21 citations

Electromagnetically induced transparency viaelectron spin coherence in a quantum wellwaveguide

Tao Li, Hailin Wang, N. H. Kwong +1 more

We propose and analyze a novel scheme to realize electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) via robust electron spin coherence in semiconductor quantum wells. This scheme uses light hole transitions in a quantum well waveguide to induce electron spin coherence in the absence of an external magnetic field. For certain polarization configurations, the light hole transitions form a crossed double-V system. EIT in this system is strongly modified by a coherent wave mixing process induced by the electron spin coherence.

Optics Express•Dec 1, 2003•47 citations

Electromagnetically induced transparency with localized impurity electron spins in a semiconductor

Alok U. Chaubal

This PhD project contributes to a research field that aims to understand and extend the limits of how well quantum states of matter and optical fields can be prepared, controlled and detected. Central to this PhD research was the question whether an effect known as Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) can be realized with electron spins in a semiconductor. EIT forms the basis of many quantum-optical control schemes that use long-lived spin states. EIT can occur when two optical fields each drive a transition from one of two spin states to the same excited state. The application scenario is that information can be swapped between optical signal pulses and a memory function in matter, in a way that allows for processing the information in a quantum mechanical manner. Such quantum mechanical processing of information may lead to safer communication in optical fiber networks. A key result of this PhD project is the successful demonstration of EIT in the semiconductor material GaAs. The project used the spin of electrons that are located at donor atoms in the material. The thesis also reports on experiments that provide the foundation for this result, as well as on experiments that explore the limitations and possible improvements of the EIT effect in this material. This includes spectroscopy of the optical transitions of the donor atoms, studies of interactions between the spin of the donor electron and its semiconductor environment, and the design and development of unique instrumentation that was required for the research.

•Jan 1, 2018•0 citations

Electromagnetically induced transparency in low-doped n-GaAs

Caspar H. van der Wal, Maksym Sladkov, Alok U. Chaubal +6 more

We report the observation of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) with an ensemble of donor-bound electrons in low-doped n-GaAs. We used pure GaAs layers with Si doping at very low concentration in a strong magnetic field. EIT was implemented with the two optical transitions that exist for the three-level system that is formed by the two electron spin states and a donor-bound trion state. Our results show that EIT with n-GaAs can serve as a platform for studies of nonlocal quantum entanglement with spins in semiconductors, as well as for controlling and probing dynamical nuclear polarization with coherent electron spins.

AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2011•0 citations

Toward Photon Storage in Optically Driven Color Centers in Diamond

M. Artoni, Jin‐Hui Wu, Giuseppe La Rocca

An ever increasing effort has been devoted over the years to develop techniques for manipulating light in optical devices. Electromagnetic induced transparency (EIT) is one of these techniques that has recently led to an astonishing control on light wave propagation in ultracold clouds of alkali atoms. EIT may be employed to realize a photonic band gaps that are controllable through the parameters of an external standing light wave pattern [1]. Such gaseous approaches are not however suitable for on-chip implementation. Early work on control over photonic band-gap comprises, e.g., structures built from the periodic complex susceptibility of quantum well excitons whose optical properties can be dynamically modified through the Stark effect. Other interesting proposals to control photonic band-gaps in semiconductor heterostructures have been brought forward and where control over the band-gap is achieved through EIT in conduction intersubband transitions of a n-doped quantum well. EIT effects have also been observed in a class of solid materials exhibiting defect states, following either familiar or less familiar schemes, and among which presodimium doped Y2SiO5 and diamond containing nitrogen vacancies (N-V) color centers are perhaps the most ubiquitous ones. Color centers in diamond, in particular, have attracted over the past few years a renewed interest for their potential as single-photon sources and are attractive qubit candidates as they behaves a bit like an atom trapped in the diamond lattice. These centers can have extremely long-lived spin coherence because the diamond lattice is composed primarily of 12C, which has zero nuclear spin. In addition, N-V color centers also have interesting optical properties as they exhibit a configuration with two ground state levels connected to a common excited state by optical transitions of moderate strength leading to a lambda-type level configuration required for the observation of EIT [2,3]. This has been exploited to devise a novel photonic band-gap mechanism [4]. We here study the propagation of a very week optical pulse in the band-gap region of N-V diamond crystals. Our calculations show that adopting realistic parameters, as taken from recent experiments on coherent population trapping in N-V color centers, nearly complete reflectivities can be attained in a mm long diamond sample. This occurs when most probe frequency components lie inside the band-gap, yielding instead controllable loss and distortion as the incident probe pulse falls outside the gap. The relevant photonic band-gap may be all optically controlled while its well developed structure is seen to arise from the reduced values of residual absorption in the EIT region. [1] M. Artoni et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 073905 (2006). [2] C. Wei et al., Phys. Rev. A 60, 2540 (1999). [3] P. Hemmer, et al.,Opt. Lett. 26, 361 (2001). [4] Q.-Y. He, et al., Phys. Rev. B 73, 195124 (2006).

MRS Proceedings•Jan 1, 2008•0 citations

Cavity QED with N-V centers in diamond

Charles Santori, David A. Fattal, S. M. Spillane +11 more

Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond can provide a Lambda-type energy level structure with long-lived ground-state spin coherence. This talk reports progress toward demonstration of EIT in a single center coupled to an optical cavity.

Frontiers in Optics•Jan 1, 2006•0 citations
This final technical report summarizes research supported by ARO in two areas: electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) from electron spin coherence and cavity QED with nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond nanocrystals. We have developed three different schemes to realize EIT using electron spin coherence in semiconductor quantum wells. The three schemes include the use of V-type three-level systems via heavy hole excitonic transitions in an external magnetic field in the Voigt geometry, the use of V-type three-level systems via light hole excitonic transitions in a waveguide geometry and in the absence of an external magnetic field, and the use of a lamda-type three-level system in a mixed-type quantum well structure. We have achieved the breakthrough of realizing the strong coupling regime in cavity QED by coupling NV centers in diamond nanocrystals to whispering gallery modes in a deformed fused silica microsphere. In addition, our improved understanding on how electron spin coherence contributes to nonlinear optical processes in semiconductors has also led to the demonstration of a spin manipulation scheme that controls both the amplitude and phase of electron spin precessions.
In this paper, we review our recent experimental studies on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) from electron spin coherences in semiconductor quantum wells. Coherent Raman resonances, manifestations of EIT from electron spin coherences at relatively low pump intensities, were demonstrated in both V-type and Λ-type three-level systems via heavy-hole exciton and trion transitions in undoped and doped quantum wells, respectively. Coherent Raman resonances from electron spin coherences via light-hole transitions were also demonstrated in a waveguide geometry that enables a long optical interaction length as well as a large absorption coefficient. Experimental approaches that can avoid or reduce detrimental many-body effects in quantum wells are suggested for the realization of nearly ideal EIT processes.
We propose and analyze a novel scheme to realize electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) via robust electron spin coherence in semiconductor quantum wells. This scheme uses light hole transitions in a quantum well waveguide to induce electron spin coherence in the absence of an external magnetic field. For certain polarization configurations, the light hole transitions form a crossed double-V system. EIT in this system is strongly modified by a coherent wave mixing process induced by the electron spin coherence.
This PhD project contributes to a research field that aims to understand and extend the limits of how well quantum states of matter and optical fields can be prepared, controlled and detected. Central to this PhD research was the question whether an effect known as Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) can be realized with electron spins in a semiconductor. EIT forms the basis of many quantum-optical control schemes that use long-lived spin states. EIT can occur when two optical fields each drive a transition from one of two spin states to the same excited state. The application scenario is that information can be swapped between optical signal pulses and a memory function in matter, in a way that allows for processing the information in a quantum mechanical manner. Such quantum mechanical processing of information may lead to safer communication in optical fiber networks. A key result of this PhD project is the successful demonstration of EIT in the semiconductor material GaAs. The project used the spin of electrons that are located at donor atoms in the material. The thesis also reports on experiments that provide the foundation for this result, as well as on experiments that explore the limitations and possible improvements of the EIT effect in this material. This includes spectroscopy of the optical transitions of the donor atoms, studies of interactions between the spin of the donor electron and its semiconductor environment, and the design and development of unique instrumentation that was required for the research.
We report the observation of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) with an ensemble of donor-bound electrons in low-doped n-GaAs. We used pure GaAs layers with Si doping at very low concentration in a strong magnetic field. EIT was implemented with the two optical transitions that exist for the three-level system that is formed by the two electron spin states and a donor-bound trion state. Our results show that EIT with n-GaAs can serve as a platform for studies of nonlocal quantum entanglement with spins in semiconductors, as well as for controlling and probing dynamical nuclear polarization with coherent electron spins.
An ever increasing effort has been devoted over the years to develop techniques for manipulating light in optical devices. Electromagnetic induced transparency (EIT) is one of these techniques that has recently led to an astonishing control on light wave propagation in ultracold clouds of alkali atoms. EIT may be employed to realize a photonic band gaps that are controllable through the parameters of an external standing light wave pattern [1]. Such gaseous approaches are not however suitable for on-chip implementation. Early work on control over photonic band-gap comprises, e.g., structures built from the periodic complex susceptibility of quantum well excitons whose optical properties can be dynamically modified through the Stark effect. Other interesting proposals to control photonic band-gaps in semiconductor heterostructures have been brought forward and where control over the band-gap is achieved through EIT in conduction intersubband transitions of a n-doped quantum well. EIT effects have also been observed in a class of solid materials exhibiting defect states, following either familiar or less familiar schemes, and among which presodimium doped Y2SiO5 and diamond containing nitrogen vacancies (N-V) color centers are perhaps the most ubiquitous ones. Color centers in diamond, in particular, have attracted over the past few years a renewed interest for their potential as single-photon sources and are attractive qubit candidates as they behaves a bit like an atom trapped in the diamond lattice. These centers can have extremely long-lived spin coherence because the diamond lattice is composed primarily of 12C, which has zero nuclear spin. In addition, N-V color centers also have interesting optical properties as they exhibit a configuration with two ground state levels connected to a common excited state by optical transitions of moderate strength leading to a lambda-type level configuration required for the observation of EIT [2,3]. This has been exploited to devise a novel photonic band-gap mechanism [4]. We here study the propagation of a very week optical pulse in the band-gap region of N-V diamond crystals. Our calculations show that adopting realistic parameters, as taken from recent experiments on coherent population trapping in N-V color centers, nearly complete reflectivities can be attained in a mm long diamond sample. This occurs when most probe frequency components lie inside the band-gap, yielding instead controllable loss and distortion as the incident probe pulse falls outside the gap. The relevant photonic band-gap may be all optically controlled while its well developed structure is seen to arise from the reduced values of residual absorption in the EIT region. [1] M. Artoni et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 073905 (2006). [2] C. Wei et al., Phys. Rev. A 60, 2540 (1999). [3] P. Hemmer, et al.,Opt. Lett. 26, 361 (2001). [4] Q.-Y. He, et al., Phys. Rev. B 73, 195124 (2006).