Theoretical analysis of continuously driven dissipative solid-state qubits

We study a realistic model for driven qubits using the numerical solution of the Bloch-Redfield equation as well as analytical approximations using a high-frequency scheme. Unlike in idealized rotating-wave models suitable for NMR or quantum optics, we study a driving term which neither is orthogonal to the static term nor leaves the adiabatic energy value constant. We investigate the underlying dynamics and analyze the spectroscopy peaks obtained in recent experiments. We show, that unlike in the rotating-wave case, this system exhibits nonlinear driving effects.We study the width of spectroscopy peaks and show, how a full analysis of the parameters of the system can be performed by comparing the first and second resonance. We outline the limitations of the NMR linewidth formula at low temperature and show, that spectrocopic peaks experience a strong shift which goes much beyond the Bloch-Siegert shift of the Eigenfrequency.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Stationary and transient leakage current in the Pauli spin blockade

We study the effects of cotunneling and a non-uniform Zeeman splitting on the stationary and transient leakage current through a double quantum dot in the Pauli spin blockade regime. We find that the stationary current due to cotunneling vanishes at low temperature and large applied magnetic field, allowing for the dynamical preparation of a pure spin ground state, even at large voltage bias. Additionally, we analyze current that flows between blocking events, characterized, in general, by a fractional effective charge $e^*$. This charge can be used as a sensitive probe of spin relaxation mechanisms and can be used to determine the visibility of Rabi oscillations.Comment: v1: 4 pages; v2: 4 pages+ additional supplementary material, version to appear in PR