GaAs Double Quantum Dot Research Articles

Wigner-molecularization-enabled dynamic nuclear polarization

Multielectron semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) provide a novel platform to study the Coulomb interaction-driven, spatially localized electron states of Wigner molecules (WMs). Although Wigner-molecularization has been confirmed by real-space imaging and coherent spectroscopy, the open system dynamics of the strongly correlated states with the environment are not yet well understood. Here, we demonstrate efficient control of spin transfer between an artificial three-electron WM and the nuclear environment in a GaAs double QD. A Landau–Zener sweep-based polarization sequence and low-lying anticrossings of spin multiplet states enabled by Wigner-molecularization are utilized. Combined with coherent control of spin states, we achieve control of magnitude, polarity, and site dependence of the nuclear field. We demonstrate that the same level of control cannot be achieved in the non-interacting regime. Thus, we confirm the spin structure of a WM, paving the way for active control of correlated electron states for application in mesoscopic environment engineering.

Real-Time Observation of Charge-Spin Cooperative Dynamics Driven by a Nonequilibrium Phonon Environment.

We report on experimental observations of charge-spin cooperative dynamics of two-electron states in a GaAs double quantum dot located in a nonequilibrium phonon environment. When the phonon energy exceeds the lowest excitation energy in the quantum dot, the spin-flip rate of a single electron strongly enhances. In addition, originated from the spatial gradient of phonon density between the dots, the parallel spin states become more probable than the antiparallel ones. These results indicate that spin is essential for further demonstrations of single-electron thermodynamic systems driven by phonons, which will greatly contribute to understanding of the fundamental physics of thermoelectric devices.

Spin-orbit enabled quantum transport channels in a two-hole double quantum dot

We analyze experimentally and theoretically the transport spectra of a gated lateral GaAs double quantum dot containing two holes. The strong spin-orbit interaction present in the hole subband lifts the Pauli spin blockade and allows to map out the complete spectra of the two-hole system. By performing measurements in both source-drain voltage directions, at different detunings and magnetic fields, we carry out quantitative fitting to a Hubbard two-site model accounting for the tunnel coupling to the leads and the spin-flip relaxation process. We extract the singlet-triplet gap and the magnetic field corresponding to the singlet-triplet transition in the double-hole ground state. Additionally, at the singlet-triplet transition we find a resonant enhancement (in the blockaded direction) and suppression of current (in the conduction direction). The current enhancement stems from the multiple resonance of two-hole levels, opening several conduction channels at once. The current suppression arises from the quantum interference of spin-conserving and spin-flipping tunneling processes.

Single-Shot Readout of a Driven Hybrid Qubit in a GaAs Double Quantum Dot.

We report a single-shot-based projective readout of a semiconductor hybrid qubit formed by three electrons in a GaAs double quantum dot. Voltage-controlled adiabatic transitions between the qubit operations and readout conditions allow high-fidelity mapping of quantum states. We show that a large ratio both in relaxation time vs tunneling time (≈50) and singlet-triplet splitting vs thermal energy (≈20) allows energy-selective tunneling-based spin-to-charge conversion with a readout visibility of ≈92.6%. Combined with ac driving, we demonstrate high visibility coherent Rabi and Ramsey oscillations of a hybrid qubit in GaAs. Further, we discuss the generality of the method for use in other materials, including silicon.

Floquet state depletion in ac-driven circuit QED

We perform Floquet spectroscopy in a GaAs double quantum dot system coupled to a high-impedance superconducting resonator. By applying microwave induced consecutive passages under a double resonance condition, we observe novel Landau-Zener-St\"uckelberg-Majorana interference patterns that stem from a cavity-assisted interference pattern modified by the depletion of the ground state. Our experimental results reveal the stationary state behavior of a strongly driven two-level system, and are consistent with the simulations based on our theoretical model. This study provides an excellent platform for investigating the dynamics of Floquet states in the presence of strong driving.

Microwave-Resonator-Detected Excited-State Spectroscopy of a Double Quantum Dot

As an application in circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) coupled systems, superconducting resonators play an important role in high-sensitivity measurements in a superconductingsemiconductor hybrid architecture. Taking advantage of a high-impedance NbTiN resonator, we perform excited-state spectroscopy on a GaAs double quantum dot (DQD) by applying voltage pulses to one gate electrode. The pulse train modulates the DQD energy detuning and gives rise to charge state transitions at zero detuning. Benefiting from the outstanding sensitivity of the resonator, we distinguish different spin-state transitions in the energy spectrum according to the Pauli exclusion principle. Furthermore, we experimentally study how the interdot tunneling rate modifies the resonator response. The experimental results are consistent with the simulated spectra based on our model.

Micro-scale photon source in a hybrid cQED system* *Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFA0301700), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61922074, 11674300, 61674132, 11625419, and 11804327), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB24030601), and the Anhui Initiative in Quantum Information Technologies,

Coherent photon source is an important element that has been widely used in spectroscopy, imaging, detection, and teleportation in quantum optics. However, it is still a challenge to realize micro-scale coherent emitters in semiconductor systems. We report the observation of gain in a cavity-coupled GaAs double quantum dot system with a voltage bias across the device. By characterizing and analyzing the cavity responses to different quantum dot behaviors, we distinguish the microwave photon emission from the signal gain. This study provides a possibility to realize micro-scale amplifiers or coherent microwave photon sources in circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) hybrid systems.

Remarks on Thermodynamic Properties of a Double Ring-Shaped Quantum Dot at Low and High Temperatures

In a recent paper published in this Journal, Khordad and Sedehi (J Low Temp Phys 190(3):200, 2018) have studied the thermodynamic properties of a GaAs double ring-shaped quantum dot under external magnetic and electric fields. In that meritorious research the energy of the system was obtained by solving the Schrödinger equation. The radial equation was mapped into a confluent hypergeometric differential equation and the differential equation associated to z coordinate was mapped into a biconfluent Heun differential equation. In this paper, it is pointed out a misleading treatment on the solution of the biconfluent Heun equation. It is shown that the energy $$E_{z}$$ can not be labeled with $$n_{z}$$ and this fact jeopardizes the results of this system. We calculate the partition function with the correct energy spectrum and recalculate the specific heat and entropy as a function of low and high temperatures.

Closed-loop control of a GaAs-based singlet-triplet spin qubit with 99.5% gate fidelity and low leakage

Semiconductor spin qubits have recently seen major advances in coherence time and control fidelities, leading to a single-qubit performance that is on par with other leading qubit platforms. Most of this progress is based on microwave control of single spins in devices made of isotopically purified silicon. For controlling spins, the exchange interaction is an additional key ingredient which poses new challenges for high-fidelity control. Here, we demonstrate exchange-based single-qubit gates of two-electron spin qubits in GaAs double quantum dots. Using careful pulse optimization and closed-loop tuning, we achieve a randomized benchmarking fidelity of (99.50±0.04)% and a leakage rate of 0.13% out of the computational subspace. These results open new perspectives for microwave-free control of singlet-triplet qubits in GaAs and other materials.

Full counting statistics of spin-flip and spin-conserving charge transitions in Pauli-spin blockade

We investigate the full counting statistics (FCS) of spin-conserving and spin-flip charge transitions in Pauli-spin blockade regime of a GaAs double quantum dot. A theoretical model is proposed to evaluate all spin-conserving and spin-flip tunnel rates, and to demonstrate the fundamental relation between FCS and waiting time distribution. We observe the remarkable features of parity effect and a tail structure in the constructed FCS, which do not appear in the Poisson distribution, and are originated from spin degeneracy and coexistence of slow and fast transitions, respectively. This study is potentially useful for elucidating the spin-related and other complex transition dynamics in quantum systems.

Measurement of Backaction from Electron Spins in a Gate-Defined GaAs Double Quantum dot Coupled to a Mesoscopic Nuclear Spin Bath.

Decoherence of a quantum system arising from its interaction with an environment is a key concept for understanding the transition between the quantum and classical world as well as performance limitations in quantum technology applications. The effects of large, weakly coupled environments are often described as a classical, fluctuating field whose dynamics is unaffected by the qubit, whereas a fully quantum description still implies some backaction from the qubit on the environment. Here we show direct experimental evidence for such a backaction for an electron-spin qubit in a GaAs quantum dot coupled to a mesoscopic environment of order 10^{6} nuclear spins. By means of a correlation measurement technique, we detect the backaction of a single qubit-environment interaction whose duration is comparable to the qubit's coherence time, even in such a large system. We repeatedly let the qubit interact with the spin bath and measure its state. Between such cycles, the qubit is reinitialized to different states. The correlations of the measurement outcomes are strongly affected by the intermediate qubit state, which reveals the action of a single electron spin on the nuclear spins.

Automated Tuning of Double Quantum Dots into Specific Charge States Using Neural Networks

While quantum dots are at the forefront of quantum device technology, tuning multi-dot systems requires a lengthy experimental process as multiple parameters need to be accurately controlled. This process becomes increasingly time-consuming and difficult to perform manually as the devices become more complex and the number of tuning parameters grows. In this work, we present a crucial step towards automated tuning of quantum dot qubits. We introduce an algorithm driven by machine learning that uses a small number of coarse-grained measurements as its input and tunes the quantum dot system into a pre-selected charge state. We train and test our algorithm on a GaAs double quantum dot device and we consistently arrive at the desired state or its immediate neighborhood.

Toward high-fidelity coherent electron spin transport in a GaAs double quantum dot

In this paper, we investigate how to achieve high-fidelity electron spin transport in a GaAs double quantum dot. Our study examines fidelity loss in spin transport from multiple perspectives. We first study incoherent fidelity loss due to hyperfine and spin-orbit interaction. We calculate fidelity loss due to the random Overhauser field from hyperfine interaction, and spin relaxation rate due to spin-orbit interaction in a wide range of experimental parameters with a focus on the occurrence of spin hot spots. A safe parameter regime is identified in order to avoid these spin hot spots. We then analyze systematic errors due to non-adiabatic transitions in the Landau-Zener process of sweeping the interdot detuning, and propose a scheme to take advantage of possible Landau-Zener-Stückelberg interference to achieve high-fidelity spin transport at a higher speed. At last, we study another systematic error caused by the correction to the electron g-factor from the double dot potential, which can lead to a notable phase error. In all, our results should provide a useful guidance for future experiments on coherent electron spin transport.

Floquet Spectroscopy of a Strongly Driven Quantum Dot Charge Qubit with a Microwave Resonator.

We experimentally investigate a strongly driven GaAs double quantum dot charge qubit weakly coupled to a superconducting microwave resonator. The Floquet states emerging from strong driving are probed by tracing the qubit-resonator resonance condition. In this way, we probe the resonance of a qubit that is driven in an adiabatic, a nonadiabatic, or an intermediate rate, showing distinct quantum features of multiphoton processes and a fringe pattern similar to Landau-Zener-Stückelberg interference. Our resonant detection scheme enables the investigation of novel features when the drive frequency is comparable to the resonator frequency. Models based on the adiabatic approximation, rotating wave approximation, and Floquet theory explain our experimental observations.

Direct observation of the orbital spin Kondo effect in gallium arsenide quantum dots

Besides the spin Kondo effect, other degrees of freedom can give rise to the pseudospin Kondo effect. We report a direct observation of the orbital spin Kondo effect in a series-coupled gallium arsenide (GaAs) double quantum dot device where orbital degrees act as pseudospin. Electron occupation in both dots induces a pseudospin Kondo effect. In a region of one net spin impurity, complete spectra with three resonance peaks are observed. Furthermore, we observe a pseudo-Zeeman effect and demonstrate its electrical controllability for the artificial pseudospin in this orbital spin Kondo process via gate voltage control. The fourfold degeneracy point is realized at a specific value supplemented by spin degeneracy, indicating a transition from the SU(2) to the SU(4) Kondo effect.

Thermodynamic Properties of a Double Ring-Shaped Quantum Dot at Low and High Temperatures

In this work, we study thermodynamic properties of a GaAs double ring-shaped quantum dot under external magnetic and electric fields. To this end, we first solve the Schrodinger equation and obtain the energy levels and wave functions, analytically. Then, we calculate the entropy, heat capacity, average energy and magnetic susceptibility of the quantum dot in the presence of a magnetic field using the canonical ensemble approach. According to the results, it is found that the entropy is an increasing function of temperature. At low temperatures, the entropy increases monotonically with raising the temperature for all values of the magnetic fields and it is independent of the magnetic field. But, the entropy depends on the magnetic field at high temperatures. The entropy also decreases with increasing the magnetic field. The heat capacity and magnetic susceptibility show a peak structure. The heat capacity reduces with increasing the magnetic field at low temperatures. The magnetic susceptibility shows a transition between diamagnetic and paramagnetic below for $$T<4\hbox { K}$$ . The transition temperature depends on the magnetic field.

Spin and tunneling dynamics in an asymmetrical double quantum dot with spin-orbit coupling: Selective spin transport device

In this article, we study the spin and tunneling dynamics as a function of magnetic field in a one-dimensional GaAs double quantum dot with both the Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit coupling. In particular, we consider different spatial widths for the spin-up and spin-down electronic states. We find that the spin dynamics is a superposition of slow as well as fast Rabi oscillations. It is found that the Rashba interaction strength as well as the external magnetic field strongly modifies the slow Rabi oscillations which is particularly useful for implementing solid state selective spin transport device.

Quantum memory node based on a semiconductor double quantum dot in a laser-controlled optical resonator

The concept of a quantum node consisting of a memory qubit and a frequency convertor is proposed and analysed. The memory qubit is presented by a semiconductor four-level double quantum dot (DQD) placed in an optical microresonator (MR). The DQD contains an electron in the quantised part of the conduction band and the MR can be populated by a certain number of photons. The DQD and MR states are controlled be applying the laser and electrostatic fields. The difference between the telecommunication frequency of the photon (transport qubit) supplied to the system through a waveguide and the frequency of the electronic transition in the DQD is compensated for using an auxiliary element, i.e. a frequency convertor based on a single quantum dot (QD). This design allows the electron – photon state of the hybrid system to be controlled by an appropriate variation of the field parameters and the switching between resonance and nonresonance DQD and MR interaction regimes. As an example, a GaAs DQD placed in a microdisk MR is studied. A numerical technique for modelling an optical spectrum of a microdisk MR with an additional layer (AL) deposited on its surface is developed. Using this technique, the effect of the AL on the MR eigenmode properties is investigated and the possibility of tuning its frequency to the QD electronic transition frequency by depositing an AL on the disk surface is demonstrated.

Spin-orbit signatures in the dynamics of singlet-triplet qubits in double quantum dots

We characterize numerically and analytically the signatures of the spin-orbit interaction in a two-electron GaAs double quantum dot in the presence of an external magnetic field. In particular, we obtain the return probability of the singlet state by simulating Landau-Zener voltage detuning sweeps which traverse the singlet-triplet ($S-T_+$) resonance. Our results indicate that non-spin-conserving interdot tunneling processes arising from the spin-orbit interaction have well defined signatures. These allow direct access to the spin-orbit interaction scales and are characterized by a frequency shift and Fourier amplitude modulation of the Rabi flopping dynamics of the singlet-triplet qubits $S-T_0$ and $S-T_+$. By applying the Bloch-Feshbach projection formalism, we demonstrate analytically that the aforementioned effects originate from the interplay between spin-orbit interaction and processes driven by the hyperfine interaction between the electron spins and those of the GaAs nuclei.

Strong Coupling Cavity QED with Gate-Defined Double Quantum Dots Enabled by a High Impedance Resonator

The strong coupling limit of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) implies the capability of a matter-like quantum system to coherently transform an individual excitation into a single photon within a resonant structure. This not only enables essential processes required for quantum information processing but also allows for fundamental studies of matter-light interaction. In this work we demonstrate strong coupling between the charge degree of freedom in a gate-detuned GaAs double quantum dot (DQD) and a frequency-tunable high impedance resonator realized using an array of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). In the resonant regime, we resolve the vacuum Rabi mode splitting of size $2g/2\pi = 238$ MHz at a resonator linewidth $\kappa/2\pi = 12$ MHz and a DQD charge qubit dephasing rate of $\gamma_2/2\pi = 80$ MHz extracted independently from microwave spectroscopy in the dispersive regime. Our measurements indicate a viable path towards using circuit based cavity QED for quantum information processing in semiconductor nano-structures.