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Electromagnetically induced transparency with localized impurity electron spins in a semiconductor

Alok U. Chaubal

Published Jan 1, 2018• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

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.

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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
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.
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.
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.
We present measurements of electromagnetically induced transparency with an ensemble of donor-bound electrons in low-doped n-GaAsn\text{-GaAs}n-GaAs. We used optical transitions from the Zeeman-split electron-spin states to a bound trion state in samples with optical densities of 0.3 and 1.0. The electron-spin dephasing time ${T}_{2}^{\ensuremath{\ast}}\ensuremath{\approx}2\text{ }\text{ns}$ was limited by hyperfine coupling to fluctuating nuclear spins. We also observe signatures of dynamical nuclear polarization but find these effects to be much weaker than in experiments that use electron-spin resonance and related experiments with quantum dots.
Spins localized in semiconductor nanostructures have been intensively investigated for quantum spintronics. These include the spin of single electron localized by quantum dots or impurities, and spins of the lattice nuclei. These localized spins can be exploited as carriers of quantum information, while in some circumstances they also play the role of deleterious noise sources for other quantum objects through their couplings. Quantum control of the spins in semiconductor nanostructures is therefore of central interest for quantum applications. In this thesis, we address several problems related to the quantum control of electron or hole spin and nuclear spins in semiconductor quantum dots and impurity centers. The first problem studied is the control of nuclear spin bath for a hole spin qubit in III-V semiconductor quantum dot. In quantum dots formed on III-V compounds, the direct band gap of the host material allows ultrafast optical addressability of a single electron or hole spin qubit. However, nonzero nuclear spins of group III and group V elements result in a large statistical fluctuation in the Zeeman splitting of the spin qubit which then dephases in nanosecond time scale. We present a novel feedback scheme to suppress the statistical fluctuation of the nuclear spin field for enhancing the coherence time of the hole spin qubit. We also find positive feedback control which can amplify the magnitude of the nuclear field, so that a bimodal distribution can develop, realizing a quantum environment that can not be described by a single temperature. The second problem addressed here is the control of donor spin qubits in silicon architecture which have ultra-long quantum coherence time. We developed the quantum control scheme to realize the quantum metrology of magnetic field gradient, based on the celebrated Kane’s architecture for quantum computation. The scheme can also be generalized to calibrate the locations of the donors. In the third part of the thesis, we investigate a novel type of quantum dot formed in a new class of two-dimensional semiconductors, monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), which exhibit interesting spin and pseudospin physics. This novel quantum dot system may offer new opportunity for quantum spintronics in the ultimate 2D limit, and we investigate here the valley pseudospin as a possible quantum bit carrier. A main finding is that, contrary to the intuition, the lateral confinement by the quantum dot potential does not lead to noticeable valley hybridization, and therefore the valley pseudospin in monolayer TMDs QD can well inherit the valley physics such as the valley optical selection rules from the 2D bulk which implies a variety of quantum control possibilities.
Traditional electronic and communication devices operate by processing binary information encoded as bits. Such digital devices have led to the most advanced technologies that we encounter in our everyday lives and they influence virtually every aspect of our society. Nonetheless, there exists a much richer way to encode and process information. By encoding information in quantum mechanical states as qubits, phenomena such as coherence and entanglement can be harnessed to execute tasks that are intractable to digital devices. Under this paradigm, it should be possible to realize quantum computers, quantum communication networks and quantum sensors that outperform their classical counterparts. The electronic spin states of color-center defects in the semiconductor silicon carbide have recently emerged as promising qubit candidates. They have long-lived quantum coherence up to room temperature, they can be controlled with mature magnetic resonance techniques, and they have a built-in optical interface operating near the telecommunication bands. In this thesis I will present two of our contributions to this field. The first is the electric-field control of electron spin qubits. This development lays foundation for quantum electronics that operate via electrical gating, much like traditional electronics. The second is the universal control and entanglement of electron and nuclear spin qubits in an ensemble under ambient conditions. This development lays foundation for quantum devices that have a built-in redundancy and can operate in real-world conditions. Both developments represent important steps towards practical quantum devices in an electronic grade material.
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.