Tunnel Coupling Research Articles

Highly Tunable 2D Silicon Quantum Dot Array with Coupling beyond Nearest Neighbors.

Scaling up quantum dots to two-dimensional (2D) arrays is a crucial step for advancing semiconductor quantum computation. However, maintaining excellent tunability of quantum dot parameters, including both nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor couplings, during 2D scaling is challenging, particularly for silicon quantum dots due to their relatively small size. Here, we present a highly controllable and interconnected 2D quantum dot array in planar silicon, demonstrating independent control over electron fillings and the tunnel couplings of nearest-neighbor dots. More importantly, we also demonstrate the wide tuning of tunnel couplings between next-nearest-neighbor dots, which play a crucial role in 2D quantum dot arrays. This excellent tunability enables us to alter the coupling configuration of the array as needed. These results open up the possibility of utilizing silicon quantum dot arrays as versatile platforms for quantum computing and quantum simulation.

Spatial adiabatic passage of ultracold atoms in optical tweezers.

Coherent manipulation of matter waves, a distinctive hallmark of quantum mechanics, is fundamental to modern quantum technologies. Spatial adiabatic passage (SAP) is a prime example of this phenomenon, where a wave packet is transferred between two uncoupled localized modes by adjusting the tunneling coupling to an intermediate third mode in a counterintuitive sequence. Although this concept was introduced over two decades ago, its observation was previously limited to electromagnetic waves. In this study, we demonstrate this quantum interference effect using massive particles that tunnel between three micro-optical traps ("optical tweezers"). We begin by preparing ultracold fermionic atoms in low vibrational eigenstates of one trap, followed by manipulating the distance between the traps to execute the SAP protocol. We observe a smooth and high-efficiency transfer of atoms between the two outer traps, with a very low population remaining in the central trap. These findings open possibilities for advanced control schemes in optical tweezer array platforms.

Topological boundary states in engineered quantum-dot molecules on the InAs(111)A surface: Odd numbers of quantum dots

Atom manipulation by scanning tunneling microscopy was used to construct quantum dots on the InAs(111)A surface. Each dot comprised six ionized indium adatoms. The positively charged adatoms create a confining potential acting on surface-state electrons, leading to the emergence of a bound state associated with the dot. By lining up the dots into N-dot chains with alternating tunnel coupling between them, quantum-dot molecules were constructed that revealed electronic boundary states as predicted by the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model of one-dimensional topological phases. Dot chains with odd N were constructed such that they host a single end or domain-wall state, allowing one to probe the localization of the boundary state on a given sublattice by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. We found probability density also on the forbidden sublattice together with an asymmetric energy spectrum of the chain-confined states. This deviation from the SSH model arises because the dots are charged and create a variation in on-site potential along the chain—which does not remove the boundary states but shifts their energy away from the midgap position. Our results demonstrate that topological boundary states can be created in quantum-dot arrays engineered with atomic-scale precision. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Fluctuation-dissipation theorem and entanglement dynamics in one-dimensional low-density Jaynes-Cummings Hubbard model after a quench.

In one-dimensional low-density Jaynes-Cummings Hubbard (JCH) models [Phys. Rev. E 106, 064107 (2022)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.106.064107], we proved that the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH) is valid when the tunneling strength and coupling strength are of the same order. Surprisingly, at the weak tunneling limit, we observed that the entanglement entropy and scaling law of kinetic energy operators also exhibit obvious quantum chaotic properties, this is an unexpected result. To substantiate these findings, we further discuss their nonequilibrium dynamics in this paper. Our analysis reveals that when the model is a weak tunneling limit after the quench and the initial state is an equilibrium state of chaos, the system reaches an equilibrium state. This observation supports the conclusion that the low-density JCH model at the weak tunneling limit is nonintegrable, corroborating our previous results [Phys. Rev. E 106, 064107 (2022)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.106.064107]. Additionally, by discussing the validity of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT) and the evolution behavior of entanglement entropy and fidelity, we numerically demonstrate the differences between the one-dimensional low-density JCH model and general nonintegrable systems. Specifically, in the low-density JCH model, when the Hamiltonian after the quench is integrable, the validity of FDT depends on the thermal behavior of the initial Hamiltonian, and a metastable state is observed during the evolution of entanglement entropy. Our research presents an an intriguing and unique nonintegrable model, enriching the current understanding of nonintegrable systems.

Efficient characterization of a double quantum dot using the Hubbard model

Semiconductor quantum dots are favorable candidates for quantum information processing due to their long coherence time and potential scalability. However, the calibration and characterization of interconnected quantum dot arrays have proven to be challenging tasks. One method to characterize the configuration of such an array involves using the Hubbard model. In this paper, we present an efficient characterization algorithm that efficiently extracts the Hubbard model parameters, including tunnel coupling and capacitive coupling energy, from experimental stability diagrams. Leveraging the dual-annealing optimizer, we determine the set of Hubbard parameters that best characterize the experimental data. We compare our method with an alternate, well-established measure of tunnel coupling and find good agreement within the investigated regime. Our extracted tunnel couplings range from 69 to 517 μeV, and we discuss the limiting factors of our method.

Floquet engineering of electronic states and optical absorption in laterally-coupled quantum rings under a magnetic field

Tuning electronic and optical properties of low-dimensional quantum systems in a flexible way is of particular importance in designing semiconductor-based devices. Semiconductor quantum rings (QRs) are nanoscopic structures that have become promising systems for physical and technological applications due to their unique electronic and optical properties. Here, we explore the fundamental electronic and optical properties of laterally-coupled QRs by taking into account the combined effects of applied magnetic and non-resonant terahertz intense laser fields. The laser-dressed electronic states are solved using the Floquet theory of periodically driven quantum systems in high-frequency limits within the framework of effective mass approximation. We demonstrate that increasing the laser field parameter leads to reduced tunnel splitting in the energy spectrum and more pronounced Aharonov-Bohm oscillations for the ground state energy, due to the attenuation of the tunnel coupling. Furthermore, depending on the position of the avoided crossings in Aharonov-Bohm oscillations of laterally-coupled quantum rings, the evolution of the avoided crossings with increasing the laser field parameter can be elucidated as the attenuated tunnel coupling or the competition between the attenuated tunnel coupling and the strengthening anisotropy of the laser-dressed QR potential well. The intensity of the intraband optical transition of laterally-coupled QRs can be effectively tuned and reaches a larger value by manipulating the laser parameter and magnetic field. Optical Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in laterally-coupled QRs are still exhibited by changing laser field parameters. Our findings offer a novel approach to manipulate the electronic and optical performances as well as the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations based on the laterally-coupled QRs by using an intense terahertz laser field.

Three-Carrier Spin Blockade and Coupling in Bilayer Graphene Double Quantum Dots.

The spin degrees of freedom is crucial for the understanding of any condensed matter system. Knowledge of spin-mixing mechanisms is not only essential for successful control and manipulation of spin qubits, but also uncovers fundamental properties of investigated devices and material. For electrostatically defined bilayer graphene quantum dots, in which recent studies report spin-relaxation times T_{1} up to 50ms with strong magnetic field dependence, we study spin-blockade phenomena at charge configuration (1,2)↔(0,3). We examine the dependence of the spin-blockade leakage current on interdot tunnel coupling and on the magnitude and orientation of externally applied magnetic field. In out-of-plane magnetic field, the observed zero-field current peak could arise from finite-temperature cotunneling with the leads; though involvement of additional spin- and valley-mixing mechanisms are necessary for explaining the persistent sharp side peaks observed. In in-plane magnetic field, we observe a zero-field current dip, attributed to the competition between the spin Zeeman effect and the Kane-Mele spin-orbit interaction. Details of the line shape of this current dip, however, suggest additional underlying mechanisms are at play.

TUNNELING EFFECT IN DOUBLE QUANTUM DOTS NANOSTRUCTURE

In this working, we introduce a Q-DD composed of two QDs. We find that the absorption and dispersion spectra of the light pulse can be changed via the effect of and inter-dot tunnel couplings and probe pumping field of QDs. Then, we employ the steady state and dynamical state in the four-level double QDs system. The slope of dispersion switches from positive to negative. Therefore, both superluminal and Subluminal light propagations can be achieved by simply applying a gate voltage to the double inter dot tunnel coupling. It is also demonstrated that by applying the indirect pump probe field to the probe transition the absorption-free superluminal light propagation is obtained. The results show that by proper tuning of the bias voltage. This structure also indicates that a wide range of linearity from negative to positive can be simply adjusted via a bias voltage, which would result in wide control of signal beam.

Controllable antiresonance and low-bias negative differential conductance in T-shaped double dots with electron–phonon interaction

Controlling the quantum interference in nanoscaled systems has potential application for the realization of high-performance functional devices. In this work, the quantum interference of a T-shaped double-quantum-dot system is studied in detail by evaluation of differential conductance by means of nonequilibrium Green’s function method. The factors of Coulomb interaction in Luttinger liquid leads, electron–phonon interaction, interdot tunneling, and dot-lead coupling are taken into account. In the differential conductance curve, there appear a series of antiresonance dips due to phonon-assisted destructive interference when the interdot tunneling is weak, and they can coexist with zero-bias antiresonance dip. When the dot-lead couplings are asymmetric, both the antiresonance dip and Fano line shape dip can occur for strong dot-lead coupling. Our results also show the coexistence of low-bias negative differential conductance and Fano antiresonance, as a manifestation of the interplay between strong intralead Coulomb interaction and weak dot-lead coupling. These interference phenomena emerged in a relatively simple model promises helpful guidance for controlling over the electrical performance of interference-based molecular devices.

Optical bistability at lower photon number via photon and phonon interaction in the presence of Kerr nonlinearity

Optical bistability is theoretically analyzed in a hybrid optomechanical system consisting of an optical cavity including a Kerr medium and an optomechanical cavity coupled by direct tunnel coupling. The dynamics of the system is described by Heisenberg–Langevin equations. It is numerically shown that there is a critical value of the Kerr coefficient to observe the bistability of the intracavity intensity for a given coupling rate, and the changing of the Kerr coefficient will lead to the changing of the critical point to observe the bistability as well. In addition, the first critical value to observe bistability becomes larger with the increasing coupling rate between the two cavities. It is also demonstrated that the pump beam required to realize the bistable behavior in the blue sideband regime is significantly smaller than that in the red sideband regime. And the mean intracavity photon number is relatively larger in the red sideband case than that in the blue sideband case. It is remarkable to observe that the mean intracavity photon numbers in both cavities are much lower than that in ordinary situations.

Controllable storage and retrieval of temporal vector optical solitons in semiconductor double quantum dots by inter-dot tunneling coupling effect

In this study, we analyzed the storage and retrieval of vector optical fields in semiconductor double quantum dots with interdot tunneling coupling. Our findings indicate that temporal vector optical solitons (TVOS) can be effectively stored and retrieved through this coupling. Furthermore, we conducted numerical simulations to investigate the interaction between TVOS. Our results suggest that the interaction between in-phase solitons is attractive, while the interaction between anti-phase solitons is repulsive. Additionally, we found that TVOS remain stable even after a collision, which is significant for the processing of optical information in solid quantum materials. Overall, our study sheds light on the potential of interdot tunneling coupling for storing and retrieving vector optical fields in semiconductor double quantum dots. Additionally, our findings regarding the interaction between TVOS can inform future research in the field of optical information processing.

Spin-resolved counting statistics as a sensitive probe of spin correlation in transport through a quantum dot spin valve

We investigate the noise in spin transport through a single quantum dot (QD) tunnel coupled to ferromagnetic (FM) electrodes with noncollinear magnetizations. Based on a spin-resolved quantum master equation, auto- and cross-correlations of spin-resolved currents are analyzed to reveal the underlying spin transport dynamics and characteristics for various polarizations. We find the currents of majority and minority spins could be strongly autocorrelated despite uncorrelated charge transfer. The interplay between tunnel coupling and the Coulomb interaction gives rise to an exchange magnetic field, leading to the precession of the accumulated spin in the QD. It strongly suppresses the bunching of spin tunneling events and results in a unique double-peak structure in the noise of the net spin current. The spin autocorrelation is found to be susceptible to magnetization alignments, which may serve as a sensitive tool to measure the magnetization directions between the FM electrodes.

Quantum nonlinear effect in a dissipatively coupled optomechanical system.

A full-quantum approach is used to study the quantum nonlinear properties of a compound Michelson-Sagnac interferometer optomechanical system. By deriving the effective Hamiltonian, we find that the reduced system exhibits a Kerr nonlinear term with a complex coefficient, entirely induced by the dissipative and dispersive couplings. Unexpectedly, the nonlinearities resulting from the dissipative coupling possess non-Hermitian Hamiltonian-like properties preserving the quantum nature of the dispersive coupling beyond the traditional system dissipation. This protective mechanism allows the system to exhibit strong quantum nonlinear effects when the detuning (the compound cavity detuning Δc and the auxiliary cavity detuning Δe) and the tunneling coupling strength (J) of two cavities satisfy the relation J2 = ΔcΔe. Moreover, the additive effects of dispersive and dissipative couplings can produce strong anti-bunching effects, which exist in both strong and weak coupling conditions. Our work may provide a new way to study and produce strong quantum nonlinear effects in dissipatively coupled optomechanical systems.

Driven electron g-factor anisotropy in layered III–V semiconductors: Interfacing, tunnel coupling, and structure inversion asymmetry effects

A key piece for spintronic applications, the so-called electron g-factor engineering is still predominantly based on the semiconductor bulk g factor and its dependence on the bandgap energy. In nanostructures, however, the mesoscopic confinement introduces exclusive anisotropies, transforming scalar g factors into tensors, enabling different renormalization mechanisms as routes for fine-tuning the electron g factor. These questions we address in this comparative theoretical analysis between the obtained electron g-factor (tensor) anisotropies for realistic InAs|AlSb- and In0.53Ga0.47As|InP-based multilayers. The electron g-factor anisotropy, i.e., the difference between g factors for magnetic fields parallel and perpendicular to the interfaces, is analytically calculated via perturbation theory using the envelope-function approach based on the eight-band Kane model. Effects from bulk, interfacing, tunnel coupling, and structure inversion asymmetry are systematically introduced within a transparent comparative view; differences between obtained anisotropies, such as in the magnitude, sign, and other fine details, are analyzed in terms of the heterostructure parameters, mapped over different confining and tunnel-coupling regimes without requiring elaborated numerical computations.

Nonequilibrium Transport in a Superfluid Josephson Junction Chain: Is There Negative Differential Conductivity?

We consider the far-from-equilibrium quantum transport dynamics in a 1D Josephson junction chain of multimode Bose-Einstein condensates. We develop a theoretical model to examine the experiment of Labouvie etal. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 050601 (2015)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.115.050601], wherein the phenomenon of negative differential conductivity (NDC) was reported in the refilling dynamics of an initially depleted site within the chain. We demonstrate that a unitary c-field description can quantitatively reproduce the experimental results over the full range of tunnel couplings, and requires no fitted parameters. With a view toward atomtronic implementations, we further demonstrate that the filling is strongly dependent on spatial phase variations stemming from quantum fluctuations. Our findings suggest that the interpretation of the device in terms of NDC is invalid outside of the weak coupling regime. Within this restricted regime, the device exhibits a hybrid behavior of NDC and the ac Josephson effect. A simplified circuit model of the device will require an approach tailored to atomtronics that incorporates quantum fluctuations.

Shot Noise in Helical Edge States in Presence of a Static Magnetic Defect

The Fano factor, \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mathcal{F},$$\\end{document} of the shot noise of the current through the edge states of a two-dimensional topological insulator with contacts of generic type is calculated. A magnetic static defect changes \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mathcal{F}$$\\end{document} significantly. For metallic contacts, as the strength of the defect increases, the Fano factor increases from \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mathcal{F} = 0$$\\end{document} to its maximum value, \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\\mathcal{F}}_{{{\ ext{max}}}}} \\approx 0.17,$$\\end{document} and then decreases back to zero value in the limit of strong defect. For tunnel contacts in the limit of weak tunnel coupling, the Fano factor is insensitive to the strength of the defect: \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mathcal{F} \ o 1{\ ext{/}}2.$$\\end{document} For weak but finite tunnel coupling strength, \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mathcal{F}$$\\end{document} exhibits a periodic series of sharp peaks of small amplitude as a function of the magnetic flux piercing the sample. The peaks transform into Aharonov–Bohm harmonic oscillations with increasing the strength of the tunnel coupling.

Effect of inter-dot tunneling coupling on soliton dynamical behaviors in four-level triple quantum dot EIT medium

<sec>Soliton, which can travel over long distance without attenuation or shape change due to the balance of the interplay between dispersion (or diffraction) and nonlinearity in nonlinear medium, becomes a good information carrier in quantum information processing and transmission. Up to now, the study on the optical solitons mainly focuses on ultra-cold atomic electromagnetic induction transparency (EIT) medium. This is mainly because ultra-cold atomic system can generate strong nonlinear effect under low light excitation. However, for the practical application, it is a big challenge to control accurately the optical soliton dynamics in the atomic EIT medium due to its low temperature (which approaches to absolute zero) and rarefaction. Fortunately, with the maturity of semiconductor quantum production technology, quantum dots have extensive application prospect in quantum information processing and transmission. So, in the paper, we study the optical soliton dynamics in a four-level asymmetric array-type three-quantum-dot EIT medium.</sec><sec>Based on the current experimental results, we first propose a four-level asymmetric array-type three-quantum-dot EIT model. Subsequently, by using amplitude variable approach combined with multi-scale method, we study analytically the propagation of a probe pulse in this system. It is shown that when one (the another) inter-dot tunneling coupling is turned on (off), only a single transparency window appears in the center range of the probe field detuning. Only if two inter-dot tunneling couplings are turned on will two transparent windows be distributed on both sides of the central region of the probe field detuning. And the width of the single transparent window or the widths of two transparent windows become wider with the strength of the inter-dot tunneling coupling increasing. For the nonlinear case, by choosing appropriate parameters in the area of the transparency window, the stable propagation of soliton can be realized. Interestingly, we find that the strength of the inter-dot tunneling coupling has an important effect on the soliton dynamic behaviors. In the case that one (the another) inter-dot tunneling coupling is turned on (off), with the increase of strength of the inter-dot tunneling coupling, the velocity of the soliton exhibits a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, and the amplitude of the soliton presents a increasing trend for ever. For the case that two inter-dot tunneling couplings are turned on, with the strength of the two inter-dot tunneling coupling increasing, the velocity of the soliton presents a decreasing trend for ever, while the amplitude of the soliton exhibits a trend of first decreasing and then increasing. Thus, the amplitude modulation effect of optical soliton can be realized in semiconductor quantum dot devices.</sec>

Storage and retrieval of optical solitons in nanofiber-semiconductor quantum dot molecule coupling systems

The best carrier for quantum information transmission is light signal, which has a fast propagation speed and can carry a large amount of information. However, during the propagation of light, dispersion effect and diffraction effect can cause quantum information to be distorted to a certain extent. On the contrary, optical solitons are formed due to the balance between the system’s dispersion (diffraction) effect and nonlinear effect, and they exhibit very high stability and fidelity. Therefore, they have received widespread attention in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) media with ultracold atoms. However, cold atomic gas media require extremely low operating temperatures, and the performances of the materials are difficult to control precisely. These factors are unfavorable for the miniaturization and integration of future information devices, thus significantly limiting their practical applications. Semiconductor quantum dot media, on the other hand, possess advantages such as discrete energy level structures and spectral properties similar to those of cold atomic gases, longer decoherence times, larger electric dipole moments, more significant nonlinear optical effects, and easy integration, making them an ideal alternative to cold atomic media. In this work, semiconductor quantum dots are coupled with optical fibers, the most common carrier in optical communication, to explore the formation, storage, and retrieval of temporal optical solitons in the coupled system. The results show that due to the tunneling-induced transparency effect between dots in semiconductor quantum dot molecules, light absorption in the system is greatly suppressed. At the same time, the transverse confinement of the nanofiber can enhance the interaction between light and the system, and the enhanced nonlinear response of the system can balance the dispersion effect, resulting in stable temporal optical solitons. Further research indicates that by turning on and off the inter-dot tunneling coupling, the high-efficiency and high-fidelity storage and retrieval of optical solitons can be realized in the system. These findings have certain guiding significance and potential application value for the processing all-optical information in solid quantum materials.

Prospecting Quantum Correlations and Examining Teleportation Fidelity in a Pair of Coupled Double Quantum Dots System

AbstractThe topic of improving the ability of quantum systems to retain non‐local features and enhance the efficiency of quantum protocols continues. This study delves into the thermal investigation of quantum correlations and teleportation fidelity of a two‐qubit teleported state using excess electrons in a coupled double quantum dots system as a quantum channel. The study employs three reliable quantum quantifiers to prospect the resourcefulness and non‐classicality of the system. The findings suggest that preserving quantum correlations and optimizing teleportation fidelity require minimizing tunneling coupling and maximizing Coulomb interaction. The study has significant implications for quantum physics and its practical applications in quantum information processing.

Josephson current across a Double Quantum Dot Josephson junction in T-Shape Configuration

By implementing the Keldysh non-equilibrium Green's function equation of motion approach, Josephson current has been examined across a T-shaped uncorrelated double quantum dot Josephson junction. The behavior of the Josephson current as a function of the main quantum dot energy level for varied interdot tunneling and different dot-lead coupling strengths is examined. With this configuration, we illustrate that the side-attached quantum dot offers an alternative route for electron transmission, which modifies the Josephson current by varying interdot tunneling. Further, we also investigate how the dot-lead coupling strengths affect the Josephson current.