Christoph Kloeffel

Prospects for Spin-Based Quantum Computing in Quantum Dots

Experimental and theoretical progress toward quantum computation with spins in quantum dots (QDs) is reviewed, with particular focus on QDs formed in GaAs heterostructures, on nanowire-based QDs, and on self-assembled QDs. We report on a remarkable evolution of the field, where decoherence—one of the main challenges for realizing quantum computers—no longer seems to be the stumbling block it had originally been considered. General concepts, relevant quantities, and basic requirements for spin-based quantum computing are explained; opportunities and challenges of spin-orbit interaction and nuclear spins are reviewed. We discuss recent achievements, present current theoretical proposals, and make several suggestions for further experiments.

Strong spin-orbit interaction and helical hole states in Ge/Si nanowires

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA(Dated: July 25, 2011)Westudytheoreticallythelow-energyholestatesofGe /Sicore /shellnanowires. Thelow-energyvalencebandis quasi-degenerate, formed by two doublets of di erent orbital angular momentum, and can be controlled viathe relative shell thickness and via external elds. We nd that direct (dipolar) coupling to a moderate electriceld leads to an unusually large spin-orbit interaction of Rashba-type on the order of meV which gives rise topronounced helical states enabling electrical spin-control. The system allows for quantum dots and spin-qubitswith energy levels that can vary from nearly zero to several meV, depending on the relative shell thickness.

Circuit QED with hole-spin qubits in Ge/Si nanowire quantum dots

We propose a setup for universal and electrically controlled quantum information processing with hole spins in Ge/Si core/shell nanowire quantum dots (NW QDs). Single-qubit gates can be driven through electric-dipole-induced spin resonance, with spin-flip times shorter than 100 ps. Long-distance qubit-qubit coupling can be mediated by the cavity electric field of a superconducting transmission line resonator, where we show that operation times below 20 ns seem feasible for the entangling

Heavy-Hole States in Germanium Hut Wires

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Controlling the interaction of electron and nuclear spins in a tunnel-coupled quantum dot

gate. The absence of Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and the presence of an unusually strong Rashba-type SOI enable precise control over the transverse qubit coupling via an externally applied, perpendicular electric field. The latter serves as an on-off switch for quantum gates and also provides control over the

Tunable g factor and phonon-mediated hole spin relaxation in Ge/Si nanowire quantum dots

g

Acoustic phonons and strain in core/shell nanowires

factor, so single- and two-qubit gates can be operated independently. Remarkably, we find that idle qubits are insensitive to charge noise and phonons, and we discuss strategies for enhancing noise-limited gate fidelities.

Long-range interaction between charge and spin qubits in quantum dots

Hole spins have gained considerable interest in the past few years due to their potential for fast electrically controlled qubits. Here, we study holes confined in Ge hut wires, a so-far unexplored type of nanostructure. Low-temperature magnetotransport measurements reveal a large anisotropy between the in-plane and out-of-plane g-factors of up to 18. Numerical simulations verify that this large anisotropy originates from a confined wave function of heavy-hole character. A light-hole admixture of less than 1% is estimated for the states of lowest energy, leading to a surprisingly large reduction of the out-of-plane g-factors compared with those for pure heavy holes. Given this tiny light-hole contribution, the spin lifetimes are expected to be very long, even in isotopically nonpurified samples.

Phonon-mediated decay of singlet-triplet qubits in double quantum dots

We present a technique for manipulating the nuclear spins and the emission polarization from a single optically active quantum dot. When the quantum dot is tunnel coupled to a Fermi sea, we have discovered a natural cycle in which an electron spin is repeatedly created with resonant optical excitation. The spontaneous emission polarization and the nuclear spin polarization exhibit a bistability. For a σ(+) pump, the emission switches from σ(+) to σ(-) at a particular detuning of the laser. Simultaneously, the nuclear spin polarization switches from positive to negative. Away from the bistability, the nuclear spin polarization can be changed continuously from negative to positive, allowing precise control via the laser wavelength.

Phonon-assisted relaxation and decoherence of singlet-triplet qubits in Si/SiGe quantum dots

We theoretically consider g factor and spin lifetimes of holes in a longitudinal Ge/Si core/shell nanowire quantum dot that is exposed to external magnetic and electric fields. For the ground states, we find a large anisotropy of the g factor which is highly tunable by applying electric fields. This tunability depends strongly on the direction of the electric field with respect to the magnetic field. We calculate the single-phonon hole spin relaxation times T1 for zero and small electric fields and propose an optimal setup in which very large T1 of the order of tens of milliseconds can be reached. Increasing the relative shell thickness or the longitudinal confinement length further prolongs T1. In the absence of electric fields, the dephasing vanishes and the decoherence time T2 is determined by T2 = 2 T1.