Intrinsic Metastabilities in the Charge Configuration of a Double Quantum Dot

We report a thermally activated metastability in a GaAs double quantum dot exhibiting real-time charge switching in diamond shaped regions of the charge stability diagram. Accidental charge traps and sensor back action are excluded as the origin of the switching. We present an extension of the canonical double dot theory based on an intrinsic, thermal electron exchange process through the reservoirs, giving excellent agreement with the experiment. The electron spin is randomized by the exchange process, thus facilitating fast, gate-controlled spin initialization. At the same time, this process sets an intrinsic upper limit to the spin relaxation time.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures (color

Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg Interferometry of a Single Electron Charge Qubit

We perform Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg interferometry on a single electron GaAs charge qubit by repeatedly driving the system through an avoided crossing. We observe coherent destruction of tunneling, where periodic driving with specific amplitudes inhibits current flow. We probe the quantum dot occupation using a charge sensor, observing oscillations in the qubit population resulting from the microwave driving. At a frequency of 9 GHz we observe excitation processes driven by the absorption of up to 17 photons. Simulations of the qubit occupancy are in good agreement with the experimental data.Comment: Related papers at http://pettagroup.princeton.ed

Hybridization of electron subbands in a double quantum well at quantizing magnetic field

We employ magnetocapacitance and far-infrared spectroscopy techniques to study the spectrum of the double-layer electron system in a parabolic quantum well with a narrow tunnel barrier in the centre. For gate-bias-controlled asymmetric electron density distributions in this soft two-subband system we observe both individual subband gaps and double layer gaps at integer filling factor $\nu$. The bilayer gaps are shown to be either trivial common for two subbands or caused by hybridization of electron subbands in magnetic field. We describe the observed hybrid gaps at $\nu=1$ and $\nu=2$ within a simple model for the modified bilayer spectrum.Comment: REVTeX, 24 pages, 9 figures included. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Canted antiferromagnetic phase in a double quantum well in a tilted quantizing magnetic field

We investigate the double-layer electron system in a parabolic quantum well at filling factor $\nu=2$ in a tilted magnetic field using capacitance spectroscopy. The competition between two ground states is found at the Zeeman splitting appreciably smaller than the symmetric-antisymmetric splitting. Although at the transition point the system breaks up into domains of the two competing states, the activation energy turns out to be finite, signaling the occurrence of a new insulator-insulator quantum phase transition. We interpret the obtained results in terms of a predicted canted antiferromagnetic phase.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures included, accepted to PR

GaAs Quantum Dot Thermometry Using Direct Transport and Charge Sensing

We present measurements of the electron temperature using gate defined quantum dots formed in a GaAs 2D electron gas in both direct transport and charge sensing mode. Decent agreement with the refrigerator temperature was observed over a broad range of temperatures down to 10 mK. Upon cooling nuclear demagnetization stages integrated into the sample wires below 1 mK, the device electron temperature saturates, remaining close to 10 mK. The extreme sensitivity of the thermometer to its environment as well as electronic noise complicates temperature measurements but could potentially provide further insight into the device characteristics. We discuss thermal coupling mechanisms, address possible reasons for the temperature saturation and delineate the prospects of further reducing the device electron temperature.Comment: 8 pages, 3 (color) figure

Extended polarized semiclassical model for quantum-dot cavity QED and its application to single-photon sources

We present a simple extension of the semi-classical model for a two-level system in a cavity, in order to incorporate multiple polarized transitions, such as those appearing in neutral and charged quantum dots (QDs), and two nondegenerate linearly polarized cavity modes. We verify the model by exact quantum master equation calculations, and experimentally using a neutral QD in a polarization non-degenerate micro-cavity, in both cases we observe excellent agreement. Finally, the usefulness of this approach is demonstrated by optimizing a single-photon source based on polarization postselection, where we find an increase in the brightness for optimal polarization conditions as predicted by the model.Comment: 8 pages, for simple code see https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.347666

Scattering-assisted tunneling: energy dependence, magnetic field dependence, and use as an external probe of two-dimensional transport

For more than three decades, research on tunneling through planar barriers has focused principally on processes that conserve momentum parallel to the barrier. Here we investigate transport in which scattering destroys lateral momentum conservation and greatly enhances the tunneling probability. We have measured its energy dependence using capacitance spectroscopy, and we show that for electrons confined in a quantum well, the scattering enhancement can be quenched in an applied magnetic field, enabling this mechanism to function as an external probe of the origin of the quantum Hall effect

Mode Spectroscopy and Level Coupling in Ballistic Electron Waveguides

A tunable quantum point contact with modes occupied in both transverse directions is studied by magnetotransport experiments. We use conductance quantization of the one-dimensional subbands as a tool to determine the mode spectrum. A magnetic field applied along the direction of the current flow couples the modes. This can be described by an extension of the Darwin-Fock model. Anticrossings are observed as a function of the magnetic field, but not for zero field or perpendicular field directions, indicating coupling of the subbands due to nonparabolicity in the electrical confinement.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure