Jesse Berezovsky

Picosecond Coherent Optical Manipulation of a Single Electron Spin in a Quantum Dot

Most schemes for quantum information processing require fast single-qubit operations. For spin-based qubits, this involves performing arbitrary coherent rotations of the spin state on time scales much faster than the spin coherence time. By applying off-resonant, picosecond-scale optical pulses, we demonstrated the coherent rotation of a single electron spin through arbitrary angles up to π radians. We directly observed this spin manipulation using time-resolved Kerr rotation spectroscopy and found that the results are well described by a model that includes the electronnuclear spin interaction. Measurements of the spin rotation as a function of laser detuning and intensity confirmed that the optical Stark effect is the operative mechanism.

Spatially resolved dynamics of localized spin-wave modes in ferromagnetic wires

We have observed localized spin-wave modes in individual thin-film ferromagnetic wires using time-resolved Kerr microscopy as a micron-scale spectroscopic probe. The localization is due to the internal field profile present when an external field is applied in the plane of the film and perpendicular to the long axis of the wire. Spatially resolved spectra demonstrate the existence of distinct modes at the edges of a rectangular wire. Spectral images clearly show the crossover of the two edge modes into a single mode in low applied fields, in agreement with the results of micromagnetic simulations.

Nondestructive optical measurements of a single electron spin in a quantum dot.

Kerr rotation measurements on a single electron spin confined in a charge-tunable semiconductor quantum dot demonstrate a means to directly probe the spin off-resonance, thus minimally disturbing the system. Energy-resolved magneto-optical spectra reveal information about the optically oriented spin polarization and the transverse spin lifetime of the electron as a function of the charging of the dot. These results represent progress toward the manipulation and coupling of single spins and photons for quantum information processing.

Spin accumulation in forward-biased MnAs/GaAs Schottky diodes

We describe a new means for all-electrical generation of spin polarization in semiconductors. In contrast with spin injection of electrons by tunneling through a reverse-biased Schottky barrier, we observe accumulation at the metal-semiconductor interface of forward-biased ferromagnetic Schottky diodes, which is consistent with a theory of spin-dependent reflection off the interface. Spatiotemporal Kerr microscopy is used to image the electron spin and the resulting dynamic nuclear polarization that arises from the nonequilibrium carrier polarization.

Imaging coherent transport in graphene (part I): mapping universal conductance fluctuations

Graphene provides a fascinating testbed for new physics and exciting opportunities for future applications based on quantum phenomena. To understand the coherent flow of electrons through a graphene device, we employ a nanoscale probe that can access the relevant length scales--the tip of a liquid-He-cooled scanning probe microscope (SPM) capacitively couples to the graphene device below, creating a movable scatterer for electron waves. At sufficiently low temperatures and small size scales, the diffusive transport of electrons through graphene becomes coherent, leading to universal conductance fluctuations (UCF). By scanning the tip over a device, we map these conductance fluctuations versus scatterer position. We find that the conductance is highly sensitive to the tip position, producing delta G approximately e(2)/h fluctuations when the tip is displaced by a distance comparable to half the Fermi wavelength. These measurements are in good agreement with detailed quantum simulations of the imaging experiment and demonstrate the value of a cooled SPM for probing coherent transport in graphene.

Scaling of transverse nuclear magnetic relaxation due to magnetic nanoparticle aggregation

The aggregation of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles decreases the transverse nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation time T2CP of adjacent water molecules measured by a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse-echo sequence. This effect is commonly used to measure the concentrations of a variety of small molecules. We perform extensive Monte Carlo simulations of water diffusing around SPIO nanoparticle aggregates to determine the relationship between T2CP and details of the aggregate. We find that in the motional averaging regime T2CP scales as a power law with the number N of nanoparticles in an aggregate. The specific scaling is dependent on the fractal dimension d of the aggregates. We find T2CP∝N-0.44 for aggregates with d = 2.2, a value typical of diffusion limited aggregation. We also find that in two-nanoparticle systems, T2CP is strongly dependent on the orientation of the two nanoparticles relative to the external magnetic field, which implies that it may be possible to sense the orientation of a two-nanoparticle aggregate. To optimize the sensitivity of SPIO nanoparticle sensors, we propose that it is best to have aggregates with few nanoparticles, close together, measured with long pulse-echo times.

Cavity enhanced Faraday rotation of semiconductor quantum dots

Dielectric vertical cavities are used to study the spin dynamics of molecularly self-assembled colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs). A quality factor dependent enhancement of Faraday rotation (∼25×) is observed and attributed to optically excited spins interacting with multiple passes of the cavity photons. This enables dynamical measurements at extremely low powers on relatively small numbers of quantum confined spins. In CdSe QDs, measurements reveal that spectroscopic contributions from exciton and electron spin precession depend on the power of excitation. We demonstrate that this scheme is amenable to chemically synthesized systems as a means to increase detection sensitivity.

Spatial imaging of magnetically patterned nuclear spins in GaAs

We exploit ferromagnetic imprinting to create complex laterally defined regions of nuclear spin polarization in lithographically patterned MnAs/GaAs epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. A time-resolved Kerr rotation microscope with \ensuremath{\sim}1 \ensuremath{\mu}m spatial resolution uses electron spin precession to directly image the GaAs nuclear polarization. These measurements indicate that the polarization varies from a maximum under magnetic mesas to zero several microns from the mesa perimeter, resulting in large

Spin dynamics and level structure of quantum-dot quantum wells

(\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{4}\mathrm{T}/\mathrm{m})

Control of magnetic anisotropy in Fe1−xCox films on vicinal GaAs and Sc1−yEryAs surfaces

effective field gradients. The results reveal a flexible scheme for lateral engineering of spin-dependent energy landscapes in the solid state.