Nuclear Spin Fluctuations Research Articles

Pursuing high-fidelity control of spin qubits in natural Si/SiGe quantum dot

Electron spins in silicon quantum dots are a promising platform for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Low-frequency noise, including nuclear spin fluctuations and charge noise, is a primary factor limiting gate fidelities. Suppressing this noise is crucial for high-fidelity qubit operations. Here, we report on a two-qubit quantum device in natural silicon with universal qubit control, designed to investigate the upper limits of gate fidelities in a non-purified Si/SiGe quantum dot device. By employing advanced device structures, qubit manipulation techniques, and optimization methods, we have achieved single-qubit gate fidelities exceeding 99% and a two-qubit controlled-Z (CZ) gate fidelity of 91%. Decoupled CZ gates are used to prepare Bell states with an average fidelity of 91%, typically exceeding previously reported values in natural silicon devices. These results underscore that even natural silicon has the potential to achieve high-fidelity gate operations, particularly with further optimization methods to suppress low-frequency noise.

Physics-informed tracking of qubit fluctuations

Environmental fluctuations degrade the performance of solid-state qubits but can in principle be mitigated by real-time Hamiltonian estimation down to timescales set by the estimation efficiency. We implement a physics-informed and an adaptive Bayesian estimation strategy and apply them in real time to a semiconductor spin qubit. The physics-informed strategy propagates a probability distribution inside the quantum controller according to the Fokker-Planck equation, appropriate for describing the effects of nuclear spin diffusion in gallium arsenide. Evaluating and narrowing the anticipated distribution by a predetermined qubit probe sequence enables improved dynamical tracking of the uncontrolled magnetic field gradient within the singlet-triplet qubit. The adaptive strategy replaces the probe sequence by a small number of qubit probe cycles, with each probe time conditioned on the previous measurement outcomes, thereby further increasing the estimation efficiency. The combined real-time estimation strategy efficiently tracks low-frequency nuclear spin fluctuations in solid-state qubits, and can be applied to other qubit platforms by tailoring the appropriate update equation to capture their distinct noise sources. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Long-lived photon echo induced by nuclear spin fluctuations in charged InGaAs quantum dots

Long-lived photon echo induced by nuclear spin fluctuations in charged InGaAs quantum dots

The squeezed dark nuclear spin state in lead halide perovskites

Coherent many-body states are highly promising for robust quantum information processing. While far-reaching theoretical predictions have been made for various implementations, direct experimental evidence of their appealing properties can be challenging. Here, we demonstrate optical manipulation of the nuclear spin ensemble in the lead halide perovskite semiconductor FAPbBr3 (FA = formamidinium), targeting a long-postulated collective dark state that is insensitive to optical pumping after its build-up. Via optical orientation of localized hole spins we drive the nuclear many-body system into this entangled state, requiring a weak magnetic field of only a few milli-Tesla strength at cryogenic temperatures. During its fast establishment, the nuclear polarization along the optical axis remains small, while the transverse nuclear spin fluctuations are strongly reduced, corresponding to spin squeezing as evidenced by a strong violation of the generalized nuclear squeezing-inequality with ξs < 0.5. The dark state corresponds to an ~35-body entanglement between the nuclei. Dark nuclear spin states can be exploited to store quantum information benefiting from their long-lived many-body coherence and to perform quantum measurements with a precision beyond the standard limit.

Optical Orientation of Excitons in a Longitudinal Magnetic Field in Indirect-Band-Gap (In,Al)As/AlAs Quantum Dots with Type-I Band Alignment.

Exciton recombination and spin dynamics in (In,Al)As/AlAs quantum dots (QDs) with indirect band gap and type-I band alignment were studied. The negligible (less than 0.2 μeV) value of the anisotropic exchange interaction in these QDs prevents the mixing of the excitonic basis states and makes the formation of spin-polarized bright excitons possible under quasi-resonant, circularly polarized excitation. The recombination and spin dynamics of excitons are controlled by the hyperfine interaction between the electron and nuclear spins. A QD blockade by dark excitons was observed in the magnetic field, that eliminates the impact of nuclear spin fluctuations. A kinetic model which accounts for the population dynamics of the bright and dark exciton states as well as for the spin dynamics was developed to quantitatively describe the experimental data.

Noise-resistant quantum memory enabled by Hamiltonian engineering

Nuclear spins in quantum dots are promising candidates for fast and scalable quantum memory. By utilizing the hyperfine interaction between the central electron and its surrounding nuclei, quantum information can be transferred to the collective state of the nuclei and be stored for a long time. However, nuclear spin fluctuations in a partially polarized nuclear bath deteriorate the quantum memory fidelity. Here we introduce a noise-resistant protocol to realize fast and high-fidelity quantum memory through Hamiltonian engineering. With analytics and numerics, we show that high-fidelity quantum state transfer between the electron and the nuclear spins is achievable at relatively low nuclear polarizations, due to the strong suppression of nuclear spin noises. For a realistic quantum dot with $10^4$ nuclear spins, a fidelity surpassing 80% is possible at a polarization as low as 30%. Our approach reduces the demand for high nuclear polarization, making experimentally realizing quantum memory in quantum dots more feasible.

Optimal Purification of a Spin Ensemble by Quantum-Algorithmic Feedback

Purifying a high-temperature ensemble of quantum particles toward a known state is a key requirement to exploit quantum many-body effects. An alternative to passive cooling, which brings a system to its ground state, is active feedback, which stabilizes the system at a chosen target state. This alternative, if realized, offers additional control capabilities for the design of quantum states. Here we present a feedback algorithm applied to a quantum system, which is capable of stabilizing the collective state of an ensemble from its maximum entropy state to the limit of single quantum fluctuations. Our algorithmic approach maximizes the rate of state purification given the system’s physical constants; thus it remains the optimal feedback approach even in the presence of dissipation and disorder. We test experimentally the robustness of this feedback on the highly inhomogeneous nuclear-spin ensemble of a semiconductor quantum dot, reducing nuclear-spin fluctuations 83-fold, down to 5.7(2) spin macrostates. Simulations demonstrate that without system-specific inhomogeneities, our algorithm can purify the system down to single-spin fluctuations. Further, we exploit our algorithmic approach to tailor nontrivial nuclear-spin distributions that go beyond simple polarization, including weighted bimodality and latticed multistability. This control is a precursor toward quantum-correlated macrostates, which an extended version of our algorithm could generate in homogeneous systems.9 MoreReceived 29 October 2021Revised 7 March 2022Accepted 10 June 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.12.031014Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasQuantum controlQuantum feedbackQuantum master equationQuantum thermodynamicsSpin coherencePhysical SystemsQuantum dotsTechniquesCoherent Raman electron spin resonance spectroscopyMaster equationSpin noise spectroscopyQuantum InformationCondensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Dynamic valley polarization in moiré quantum dots

We describe the effects of the crossing of the exciton levels in moire quantum dots in external magnetic field. We demonstrate that the unpolarized light can create significant dynamic valley polarization of interlayer excitons in the conditions where the Zeeman energy is much smaller than the thermal energy. The angular momentum is gained by the excitons from the nuclear spin fluctuations. In the $n$-type moire quantum dots for the typical experimental parameters, the unpolarized light can lead to the complete valley polarization of the resident electrons.

Stimulated Resonant Spin Amplification Reveals Millisecond Electron Spin Coherence Time of Rare-Earth Ions in Solids.

The inhomogeneity of an electron spin ensemble as well as fluctuating environment acting upon individual spins drastically shorten the spin coherence time T_{2} and hinder coherent spin manipulation. We show that this problem can be solved by the simultaneous application of a radio frequency (rf) field, which stimulates coherent spin precession decoupled from an inhomogeneous environment, and periodic optical pulses, which amplify this precession. The resulting resonance, taking place when the rf field frequency approaches the laser pulse repetition frequency, has a width determined by the spin coherence time T_{2} that is free from the effects of inhomogeneity and slow nuclear spin fluctuations. We measure a 50-Hz-narrow electron spin resonance and milliseconds-long T_{2} for electrons in the ground state of Ce^{3+} ions in the yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) lattice at low temperatures, while the inhomogeneous spin dephasing time T_{2}^{*} is only 25ns. This study paves the way to coherent optical manipulation in spin systems decoupled from their inhomogeneous environment.

Coherent Spin Dynamics of Electrons and Holes in CsPbBr3 Colloidal Nanocrystals.

The spin dynamics in CsPbBr3 lead halide perovskite nanocrystals are studied by picosecond pump-probe Faraday rotation in an external magnetic field. Coherent Larmor precession of electrons and holes with spin dephasing times of ∼600 ps is detected in a transversal magnetic field. The longitudinal spin relaxation time in weak magnetic fields reaches 80 ns at a temperature of 5 K. In this regime, the carrier spin dynamics is governed by nuclear spin fluctuations characterized by an effective hyperfine field strength of 25 mT. The Landé factors determining the carrier Zeeman splittings are ge = +1.73 for electrons and gh = +0.83 for holes. A comparison with a CsPbBr3 polycrystalline film and bulk single crystals evidences that the spatial confinement of electrons and holes in the nanocrystals only slightly affects their g factors and spin dynamics.

Electric current noise in mesoscopic organic semiconductors induced by nuclear spin fluctuations

We demonstrate that nuclear spin fluctuations lead to the electric current noise in the mesoscopic samples of organic semiconductors showing the pronounced magnetoresistance in weak fields. For the bipolaron and electron-hole mechanisms of organic magnetoresistance, the current noise spectrum consists of the high frequency peak related to the nuclear spin precession in the Knight field of the charge carriers and the low frequency peak related to the nuclear spin relaxation. The shape of the spectrum depends on the external magnetic and radiofrequency fields, which allows one to prove the role of nuclei in magnetoresistance experimentally.

Suppression of nuclear spin fluctuations in an InGaAs quantum dot ensemble by GHz-pulsed optical excitation

The coherent electron spin dynamics of an ensemble of singly charged (In,Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots in a transverse magnetic field is driven by periodic optical excitation at 1 GHz repetition frequency. Despite the strong inhomogeneity of the electron g factor, the spectral spread of optical transitions, and the broad distribution of nuclear spin fluctuations, we are able to push the whole ensemble of excited spins into a single Larmor precession mode that is commensurate with the laser repetition frequency. Furthermore, we demonstrate that an optical detuning of the pump pulses from the probed optical transitions induces a directed dynamic nuclear polarization and leads to a discretization of the total magnetic field acting on the electron ensemble. Finally, we show that the highly periodic optical excitation can be used as universal tool for strongly reducing the nuclear spin fluctuations and preparation of a robust nuclear environment for subsequent manipulation of the electron spins, also at varying operation frequencies.

Double nuclear spin switching in single quantum dots

Hyperfine interaction in a quantum dot produces a spin-coupled system between an injected electron and a few tens of thousands of nuclei in the electron wavefunction. We report here that the double bistable phenomenon of nuclear spin polarization (NSP) can be observed by sweeping three control parameters. All the observations indicate that the NSP has three stable branches under a longitudinal magnetic field, whereas the number of the stable branches of NSP has been believed to be two at most. The incorporation of the electron spin relaxation due to the nuclear spin fluctuation enables reproduction of the observed features of the NSP and the electron spin polarization.

Direct high-resolution resonant Raman scattering measurements of dynamic nuclear spin polarization states of an InAs quantum dot

We report on the direct measurement of the electron spin splitting and the accompanying nuclear Overhauser (OH) field, and thus the underlying nuclear spin polarization (NSP) and fluctuation bandwidth, in a single InAs quantum dot under resonant excitation conditions with unprecedented spectral resolution. The electron spin splitting is measured directly via resonant spin-flip single photon Raman scattering detected by superconducting nanowires to generate excitation-emission energy maps. The observed two-dimensional maps reveal an OH field that has a non-linear dependence on excitation frequency. This study provides new insight into earlier reports of so-called avoidance and tracking, showing two distinct NSP responses directly by the addition of a emission energy axis. The data show that the polarization processes depend on which electron spin state is optically driven, with surprising differences in the polarization fluctuations for each case: in one case, a stabilized field characterized by a single-peaked distribution shifts monotonically with the laser excitation frequency resulting in a nearly constant optical interaction strength across a wide detuning range, while in the other case the previously reported avoidance behavior is actually the result of a nonlinear dependence on the laser excitation frequency near zero detuning leading to switching between two distinct mesoscopic nuclear spin states. The magnitude of the field, which is as large as 400 mT, is measured with sub-100 nuclear spin sensitivity. Stable/unstable points of the OH field distribution are observed, resulting from the non-linear feedback loop in the electron-trion-nuclear system. Nuclear spin polarization state switching occurs between fields differing by 160 mT at least as fast as 25 ms. Control experiments indicate that the strain-induced quadrupolar interaction may explain the measured OH fields.

Spin polarization recovery and Hanle effect for charge carriers interacting with nuclear spins in semiconductors

We report on theoretical and experimental study of the spin polarization recovery and Hanle effect for the charge carriers interacting with the fluctuating nuclear spins in the semiconductor structures. We start the theoretical description from the simplest model of static and isotropic nuclear spin fluctuations. Then we describe the modification of the polarization recovery and Hanle curves due to the anisotropy of the hyperfine interaction, finite nuclear spin correlation time, and the strong pulsed spin excitation. For the latter case, we describe the resonance spin amplification effect in the Faraday geometry and discuss the manifestations of the quantum Zeno effect. The set of the experimental results for various structures and experimental conditions is chosen to highlight the specific effects predicted theoretically. We show that the spin polarization recovery is a very valuable tool for addressing carrier spin dynamics in semiconductors and their nanostructures.

Manipulation of Molecular Qubits by Isotope Effect on Spin Dynamics

Controlling spin behavior via external stimuli is a key route to develop molecular spintronics devices. Photons, temperature, pressure, chemicals, and electric field are the possible stimuli. Herei...

Third stable branch and tristability of nuclear spin polarizations in a single quantum dot system

Semiconductor quantum dots provide a spin-coupled system of an electron and nuclei via enhanced hyperfine interaction. We showed that the nuclear spin polarization in single quantum dots can have three stable branches under a longitudinal magnetic field. The states were accompanied by hysteresis loops around the boundaries of each branch with a change in the excitation condition. To explain these findings, we incorporated the electron spin relaxation caused by the nuclear spin fluctuation into the previously-studied dynamic nuclear spin polarization mechanism. The model reproduces the new features of nuclear spin polarization and the associated strong reduction in the observed electron spin polarization, and can refer to the tristability of nuclear spin polarization.

Spin inertia and polarization recovery in quantum dots: Role of pumping strength and resonant spin amplification

Spin inertia measurements are a novel experimental tool to study long-time spin relaxation processes in semiconductor nanostructures. We develop a theory of the spin inertia effect for resident electrons and holes localized in quantum dots. We consider the spin orientation by short optical pulses with arbitrary pulse area and detuning from the trion resonance. The interaction with an external longitudinal magnetic field and the hyperfine interaction with the nuclear spin bath is considered in both the ground and excited (trion) states of the quantum dots. We analyze how the spin inertia signal depends on the magnetic field (polarization recovery) and on the modulation frequency of the helicity of the pump pulses as well as on their power and detuning. In particular, we elaborate how approaching the saturation limit of the spin polarization influences the measurements. The quantitative description of spin inertia measurements will enable the determination of the parameters of spin dynamics such as the spin relaxation times in the ground and excited states and the parameters of the hyperfine interaction. Finally, we predict the emergence of resonant spin amplification due to the transverse components of the nuclear spin fluctuations, which manifests itself as oscillations of the spin polarization as a function of the longitudinal magnetic field.

PH Nanosensor Using Electronic Spins in Diamond

Nanoscale measurements provide insight into the nano world. For instance, nanometric spatiotemporal distribution of intracellular pH is regulated by and regulates a variety of biological processes. However, there is no general method to fabricate nanoscale pH sensors. Here, we, to endow pH-sensing functions, tailor the surface properties of a fluorescent nanodiamond (FND) containing nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV centers) by coating the FND with an ionic chemical layer. The longitudinal relaxation time T1 of the electron spins in the NV centers inside a nanodiamond modified by carboxyl groups on the particle surface was found to depend on ambient pH between pH 3 and pH 7, but not between pH 7 and pH 11. Therefore, a single particle of the carboxylated nanodiamond works as a nanometer-sized pH meter within a microscopic image and directly measures the nanometric local pH environment. Moreover, the pH dependence of an FND was changed by coating it with a polycysteine layer, which contains a multitude of thiol groups with higher pKa. The polycysteine-coated nanodiamond obtained a pH dependence between pH 7 and pH 11. The pH dependence of the FND was also observed in heavy water (D2O) buffers. This indicates that the pH dependence is not caused by magnetic noise induced by 1H nuclear spin fluctuations, but by electric noise induced by ion exchanges. Via our method, the sensitive pH range of the nanodiamond pH sensor can potentially be controlled by changing the ionic layer appropriately according to the target biological phenomena.

Direct evaluation of nuclear spin fluctuation by using nuclear spin switch in single quantum structures

The nuclear spin fluctuation (NSF) induces a severe electron spin relaxation and is one of the hot issues for various spin-based applications. In this study, we demonstrate the convenient method for the direct evaluation of the NSF by utilizing the nuclear spin switch in single In0.75Al0.25As/Al0.3Ga0.7As quantum dots and InAs/GaAs quantum rings. Our method uses the photoluminescence signals with time-integrated mode and can be utilized in the individual nanostructures with weak signal intensities. Further, the demonstrated method can be used to determine the sign and magnitude of electron and hole effective g factors, which are the key parameters describing the dynamics of a coupled electron-nuclear spin system.