Interference of clocks: A quantum twin paradox

The phase of matter waves depends on proper time and is therefore susceptible to special-relativistic (kinematic) and gravitational (redshift) time dilation. Hence, it is conceivable that atom interferometers measure general-relativistic time-dilation effects. In contrast to this intuition, we show that (i) closed light-pulse interferometers without clock transitions during the pulse sequence are not sensitive to gravitational time dilation in a linear potential. (ii) They can constitute a quantum version of the special-relativistic twin paradox. (iii) Our proposed experimental geometry for a quantum-clock interferometer isolates this effect.

Effect of Pure Dephasing and Phonon Scattering on the Coupling of Semiconductor Quantum Dots to Optical Cavities

Using site-controlled semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) free of multiexcitonic continuum states, integrated with photonic crystal membrane cavities, we clarify the effects of pure dephasing and phonon scattering on exciton-cavity coupling in the weak-coupling regime. In particular, the observed QD-cavity copolarization and cavity mode feeding versus QD-cavity detuning are explained quantitatively by a model of a two-level system embedded in a solid-state environment.