1,577 research outputs found
Frequency-encoded linear cluster states with coherent Raman photons
Entangled multi-qubit states are an essential resource for quantum
information and computation. Solid-state emitters can mediate interactions
between subsequently emitted photons via their spin, thus offering a route
towards generating entangled multi-photon states. However, existing schemes
typically rely on the incoherent emission of single photons and suffer from
severe practical limitations, for self-assembled quantum dots most notably the
limited spin coherence time due to Overhauser magnetic field fluctuations. We
here propose an alternative approach of employing spin-flip Raman scattering
events of self-assembled quantum dots in Voigt geometry. We argue that weakly
driven hole spins constitute a promising platform for the practical generation
of frequency-entangled photonic cluster states
Quantum-enhanced capture of photons using optical ratchet states
Natural and artificial light harvesting systems often operate in a regime
where the flux of photons is relatively low. Besides absorbing as many photons
as possible it is therefore paramount to prevent excitons from annihilation via
photon re-emission until they have undergone an irreversible energy conversion
process. Taking inspiration from photosynthetic antenna structures, we here
consider ring-like systems and introduce a class of states we call ratchets:
excited states capable of absorbing but not emitting light. This allows our
antennae to absorb further photons whilst retaining the excitations from those
that have already been captured. Simulations for a ring of four sites reveal a
peak power enhancement by up to a factor of 35 under ambient conditions owing
to a combination of ratcheting and the prevention of emission through
dark-state population. In the slow extraction limit the achievable power
enhancement due to ratcheting alone exceeds 20%.Comment: major revision with improved model (all data and figures updated
Optimal power generation using dark states in dimers strongly coupled to their environment
Dark state protection has been proposed as a mechanism to increase the power
output of light harvesting devices by reducing the rate of radiative
recombination. Indeed many theoretical studies have reported increased power
outputs in dimer systems which use quantum interference to generate dark
states. These models have typically been restricted to particular geometries
and to weakly coupled vibrational baths. Here we consider the
experimentally-relevant strong vibrational coupling regime with no geometric
restrictions on the dimer. We analyze how dark states can be formed in the
dimer by numerically minimizing the emission rate of the lowest energy excited
eigenstate, and then calculate the power output of the molecules with these
dark states. We find that there are two distinct types of dark states depending
on whether the monomers form homodimers, where energy splittings and dipole
strengths are identical, or heterodimers, where there is some difference.
Homodimers, which exploit destructive quantum interference, produce high power
outputs but strong phonon couplings and perturbations from ideal geometries are
extremely detrimental. Heterodimers, which are closer to the classical picture
of a distinct donor and acceptor molecule, produce an intermediate power output
that is relatively stable to these changes. The strong vibrational couplings
typically found in organic molecules will suppress destructive interference and
thus favour the dark-state enhancement offered by heterodimers.Comment: 20+18 pages, 5+5 figures. We have updated Figures 4, 5, F1 and G1 to
correct for a minor error, however the correction is small and does not
change the message of the paper. We have also added a paragraph to the
appendix to detail how the rotating wave approximation and double excited
state affect the master equatio
Superabsorption of light via quantum engineering
Almost 60 years ago Dicke introduced the term superradiance to describe a
signature quantum effect: N atoms can collectively emit light at a rate
proportional to N^2. Even for moderate N this represents a significant increase
over the prediction of classical physics, and the effect has found applications
ranging from probing exciton delocalisation in biological systems, to
developing a new class of laser, and even in astrophysics. Structures that
super-radiate must also have enhanced absorption, but the former always
dominates in natural systems. Here we show that modern quantum control
techniques can overcome this restriction. Our theory establishes that
superabsorption can be achieved and sustained in certain simple nanostructures,
by trapping the system in a highly excited state while extracting energy into a
non-radiative channel. The effect offers the prospect of a new class of quantum
nanotechnology, capable of absorbing light many times faster than is currently
possible; potential applications of this effect include light harvesting and
photon detection. An array of quantum dots or a porphyrin ring could provide an
implementation to demonstrate this effect
Phonon-Induced Rabi-Frequency Renormalization of Optically Driven Single InGaAs/GaAs Quantum Dots
The authors thank the EPSRC (U.K.) EP/G001642, and the QIPIRC U.K. for financial support. A. N. is supported by the EPSRC and B.W. L. by the Royal Society.We study optically driven Rabi rotations of a quantum dot exciton transition between 5 and 50 K, and for pulse areas of up to 14 pi. In a high driving field regime, the decay of the Rabi rotations is nonmonotonic, and the period decreases with pulse area and increases with temperature. By comparing the experiments to a weak-coupling model of the exciton-phonon interaction, we demonstrate that the observed renormalization of the Rabi frequency is induced by fluctuations in the bath of longitudinal acoustic phonons, an effect that is a phonon analogy of the Lamb shift.Peer reviewe
Screening nuclear field fluctuations in quantum dots for indistinguishable photon generation
A semiconductor quantum dot can generate highly coherent and
indistinguishable single photons. However, intrinsic semiconductor dephasing
mechanisms can reduce the visibility of two-photon interference. For an
electron in a quantum dot, a fundamental dephasing process is the hyperfine
interaction with the nuclear spin bath. Here we directly probe the consequence
of the fluctuating nuclear spins on the elastic and inelastic scattered photon
spectra from a resident electron in a single dot. We find the nuclear spin
fluctuations lead to detuned Raman scattered photons which are distinguishable
from both the elastic and incoherent components of the resonance fluorescence.
This significantly reduces two-photon interference visibility. However, we
demonstrate successful screening of the nuclear spin noise which enables the
generation of coherent single photons that exhibit high visibility two-photon
interference.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures + Supplementary Informatio
Overcoming phonon-induced dephasing for indistinguishable photon sources
Reliable single photon sources constitute the basis of schemes for quantum
communication and measurement based quantum computing. Solid state single
photon sources based on quantum dots are convenient and versatile but the
electronic transitions that generate the photons are subject to interactions
with lattice vibrations. Using a microscopic model of electron-phonon
interactions and a quantum master equation, we here examine phonon-induced
decoherence and assess its impact on the rate of production, and
indistinguishability, of single photons emitted from an optically driven
quantum dot system. We find that, above a certain threshold of desired
indistinguishability, it is possible to mitigate the deleterious effects of
phonons by exploiting a three-level Raman process for photon production
Fluid transport at low Reynolds number with magnetically actuated artificial cilia
By numerical modeling we investigate fluid transport in low-Reynolds-number
flow achieved with a special elastic filament or artifical cilium attached to a
planar surface. The filament is made of superparamagnetic particles linked
together by DNA double strands. An external magnetic field induces dipolar
interactions between the beads of the filament which provides a convenient way
of actuating the cilium in a well-controlled manner. The filament has recently
been used to successfully construct the first artificial micro-swimmer [R.
Dreyfus at al., Nature 437, 862 (2005)]. In our numerical study we introduce a
measure, which we call pumping performance, to quantify the fluid transport
induced by the magnetically actuated cilium and identify an optimum stroke
pattern of the filament. It consists of a slow transport stroke and a fast
recovery stroke. Our detailed parameter study also reveals that for
sufficiently large magnetic fields the artificial cilium is mainly governed by
the Mason number that compares frictional to magnetic forces. Initial studies
on multi-cilia systems show that the pumping performance is very sensitive to
the imposed phase lag between neighboring cilia, i.e., to the details of the
initiated metachronal wave.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. To appear in EPJE, available online at
http://dx.doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2008-10388-
Comment on `A scattering quantum circuit for measuring Bell's time inequality: a nuclear magnetic resonance demonstration using maximally mixed states'
A recent paper by Souza, Oliveira and Sarthour (SOS) reports the experimental
violation of a Leggett-Garg inequality (sometimes referred to as a temporal
Bell inequality). The inequality tests for quantum mechanical superposition: if
the inequality is violated, the dynamics cannot be explained by a large class
of classical theories under the heading of macrorealism. Experimental tests of
the LG inequality are beset by the difficulty of performing the necessary
so-called 'non-invasive' measurements (which for the macrorealist will extract
information from a system of interest without disturbing it). SOS argue that
they nevertheless achieve this difficult goal by putting the system in a
maximally mixed state. The system then allegedly undergoes no perturbation
during their experiment. Unfortunately the method is ultimately unconvincing to
a skeptical macrorealist, and so the conclusions drawn by SOS are unjustified.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figur
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