Two-dimensional spin confinement in strained-layer quantum wells

Charge-Noise-Induced Dephasing in Silicon Hole-Spin Qubits

We investigate, theoretically, charge-noise-induced spin dephasing of a hole confined in a quasi-two-dimensional silicon quantum dot. Central to our treatment is accounting for higher-order corrections to the Luttinger Hamiltonian. Using experimentally reported parameters, we find that the new terms give rise to sweet spots for the hole-spin dephasing, which are sensitive to device details: dot size and asymmetry, growth direction, and applied magnetic and electric fields. Furthermore, we estimate that the dephasing time at the sweet spots is boosted by several orders of magnitude, up to on the order of milliseconds.

Decoupling a hole spin qubit from the nuclear spins

A huge effort is underway to develop semiconductor nanostructures as low-noise hosts for qubits. The main source of dephasing of an electron spin qubit in a GaAs-based system is the nuclear spin bath. A hole spin may circumvent the nuclear spin noise. In principle, the nuclear spins can be switched off for a pure heavy-hole spin. In practice, it is unknown to what extent this ideal limit can be achieved. A major hindrance is that p-type devices are often far too noisy. We investigate here a single hole spin in an InGaAs quantum dot embedded in a new generation of low-noise p-type device. We measure the hole Zeeman energy in a transverse magnetic field with 10 neV resolution by dark-state spectroscopy as we create a large transverse nuclear spin polarization. The hole hyperfine interaction is highly anisotropic: the transverse coupling is <1% of the longitudinal coupling. For unpolarized, randomly fluctuating nuclei, the ideal heavy-hole limit is achieved down to nanoelectronvolt energies; equivalently dephasing times up to a microsecond. The combination of large and strong optical dipole makes the single hole spin in a GaAs-based device an attractive quantum platform.

Single spins in self-assembled quantum dots

Self-assembled quantum dots have excellent photonic properties. For instance, a single quantum dot is a high-brightness, narrow-linewidth source of single photons. Furthermore, the environment of a single quantum dot can be tailored relatively easily using semiconductor heterostructure and post-growth processing techniques, enabling electrical control of the quantum dot charge and control over the photonic modes with which the quantum dot interacts. A single electron or hole trapped inside a quantum dot has spintronics applications. Although the spin dephasing is rather rapid, a single spin can be manipulated using optical techniques on subnanosecond timescales. Optical experiments are also providing new insights into old issues, such as the central spin problem. This Review provides a snapshot of this active field, with some indications for the future. It covers the basic materials and optical properties of single quantum dots, techniques for initializing, manipulating and reading out single spin qubits, and the mechanisms that limit the electron-spin and hole-spin coherence.

Ultrafast dynamic control of spin and charge density oscillations in a GaAs quantum well

We use subpicosecond laser pulses to generate and monitor in real time collective oscillations of electrons in a modulation-doped GaAs quantum well. The observed frequencies match those of intersubband spin- and charge-density excitations. Light couples to coherent density fluctuations through resonant stimulated Raman scattering. Because the spin- and charge-related modes obey different selection rules and resonant behavior, the amplitudes of the corresponding oscillations can be independently controlled by using shaped pulses of the proper polarization.

Optically induced multispin entanglement in a semiconductor quantum well

According to quantum mechanics, a many-particle system is allowed to exhibit non-local behaviour, in that measurements performed on one of the particles can affect a second one that is far away. These so-called entangled states are crucial for the implementation of most quantum information protocols and, in particular, gates for quantum computation. Here we use ultrafast optical pulses and coherent techniques to create and control spin-entangled states in an ensemble of non-interacting electrons bound to donors (at least three) and at least two Mn2+ ions in a CdTe quantum well. Our method, relying on the exchange interaction between localized excitons and paramagnetic impurities, can in principle be applied to entangle an arbitrarily large number of spins.

Highly anisotropic g-factor of two-dimensional hole systems

Coupling the spin degree of freedom to the anisotropic orbital motion of two-dimensional (2D) hole systems gives rise to a highly anisotropic Zeeman splitting with respect to different orientations of an in-plane magnetic field B relative to the crystal axes. This mechanism has no analog in the bulk band structure. We obtain good, qualitative agreement between theory and experimental data, taken in GaAs 2D hole systems grown on (113) substrates, showing the anisotropic depopulation of the upper spin subband as a function of in-plane B.