209 research outputs found
Electron spin relaxation in bulk GaAs for doping densities close to the metal-to-insulator transition
We have measured the electron spin relaxation rate and the integrated spin
noise power in n-doped GaAs for temperatures between 4 K and 80 K and for
doping concentrations ranging from 2.7 x 10^{-15} cm^{-3} to 8.8 x 10^{-16}
cm^{-3} using spin noise spectroscopy. The temperature dependent measurements
show a clear transition from localized to free electrons for the lower doped
samples and confirm mainly free electrons at all temperatures for the highest
doped sample. While the sample at the metal-insulator-transition shows the
longest spin relaxation time at low temperatures, a clear crossing of the spin
relaxation rates is observed at 70 K and the highest doped sample reveals the
longest spin relaxation time above 70 K.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Opening up the Quantum Three-Box Problem with Undetectable Measurements
One of the most striking features of quantum mechanics is the profound effect
exerted by measurements alone. Sophisticated quantum control is now available
in several experimental systems, exposing discrepancies between quantum and
classical mechanics whenever measurement induces disturbance of the
interrogated system. In practice, such discrepancies may frequently be
explained as the back-action required by quantum mechanics adding quantum noise
to a classical signal. Here we implement the 'three-box' quantum game of
Aharonov and Vaidman in which quantum measurements add no detectable noise to a
classical signal, by utilising state-of-the-art control and measurement of the
nitrogen vacancy centre in diamond.
Quantum and classical mechanics then make contradictory predictions for the
same experimental procedure, however classical observers cannot invoke
measurement-induced disturbance to explain this discrepancy. We quantify the
residual disturbance of our measurements and obtain data that rule out any
classical model by > 7.8 standard deviations, allowing us for the first time to
exclude the property of macroscopic state-definiteness from our system. Our
experiment is then equivalent to a Kochen-Spekker test of quantum
non-contextuality that successfully addresses the measurement detectability
loophole
Iron porphyrin molecules on Cu(001): Influence of adlayers and ligands on the magnetic properties
The structural and magnetic properties of Fe octaethylporphyrin (OEP)
molecules on Cu(001) have been investigated by means of density functional
theory (DFT) methods and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The molecules have been
adsorbed on the bare metal surface and on an oxygen-covered surface, which
shows a reconstruction. In order to allow
for a direct comparison between magnetic moments obtained from sum-rule
analysis and DFT we calculate the dipolar term , which is also
important in view of the magnetic anisotropy of the molecule. The measured
X-ray magnetic circular dichroism shows a strong dependence on the photon
incidence angle, which we could relate to a huge value of , e.g. on
Cu(001) amounts to -2.07\,\mbo{} for normal incidence leading to a
reduction of the effective spin moment . Calculations have also
been performed to study the influence of possible ligands such as Cl and O
atoms on the magnetic properties of the molecule and the interaction between
molecule and surface, because the experimental spectra display a clear
dependence on the ligand, which is used to stabilize the molecule in the gas
phase. Both types of ligands weaken the hybridization between surface and
porphyrin molecule and change the magnetic spin state of the molecule, but the
changes in the X-ray absorption are clearly related to residual Cl ligands.Comment: 17 figures, full articl
Demonstration of entanglement-by-measurement of solid state qubits
Projective measurements are a powerful tool for manipulating quantum states.
In particular, a set of qubits can be entangled by measurement of a joint
property such as qubit parity. These joint measurements do not require a direct
interaction between qubits and therefore provide a unique resource for quantum
information processing with well-isolated qubits. Numerous schemes for
entanglement-by-measurement of solid-state qubits have been proposed, but the
demanding experimental requirements have so far hindered implementations. Here
we realize a two-qubit parity measurement on nuclear spins in diamond by
exploiting the electron spin of a nitrogen-vacancy center as readout ancilla.
The measurement enables us to project the initially uncorrelated nuclear spins
into maximally entangled states. By combining this entanglement with
high-fidelity single-shot readout we demonstrate the first violation of Bells
inequality with solid-state spins. These results open the door to a new class
of experiments in which projective measurements are used to create, protect and
manipulate entanglement between solid-state qubits.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
physicochemical properties in the crystalline bulk and in thin films deposited from the gas phase
Four analogues of the spin-crossover complex [Fe(H2Bpz2)2(phen)] (H2Bpz2 =
dihydrobis(pyrazolyl)borate; 2) containing functionalized 1,10-phenanthroline
(phen) ligands have been prepared; i.e., [Fe(H2Bpz2)2(L)], L =
4-methyl-1,10-phenanthroline (3), 5-chloro-1,10-phenanthroline (4),
4,7-dichloro-1,10-phenanthroline (5), and 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline
(6). The systems are investigated by magnetic susceptibility measurements and
a range of spectroscopies in the solid state and in thin films obtained by
physical vapour deposition (PVD). Thermal as well as light-induced SCO
behaviour is observed for 3–6 in the films. By contrast, thermal SCO in the
solid state occurs only for 3 and 4 but is absent for 5 and 6. These findings
are discussed in the light of cooperative and intermolecular interactions
Experimental loophole-free violation of a Bell inequality using entangled electron spins separated by 1.3 km
For more than 80 years, the counterintuitive predictions of quantum theory
have stimulated debate about the nature of reality. In his seminal work, John
Bell proved that no theory of nature that obeys locality and realism can
reproduce all the predictions of quantum theory. Bell showed that in any local
realist theory the correlations between distant measurements satisfy an
inequality and, moreover, that this inequality can be violated according to
quantum theory. This provided a recipe for experimental tests of the
fundamental principles underlying the laws of nature. In the past decades,
numerous ingenious Bell inequality tests have been reported. However, because
of experimental limitations, all experiments to date required additional
assumptions to obtain a contradiction with local realism, resulting in
loopholes. Here we report on a Bell experiment that is free of any such
additional assumption and thus directly tests the principles underlying Bell's
inequality. We employ an event-ready scheme that enables the generation of
high-fidelity entanglement between distant electron spins. Efficient spin
readout avoids the fair sampling assumption (detection loophole), while the use
of fast random basis selection and readout combined with a spatial separation
of 1.3 km ensure the required locality conditions. We perform 245 trials
testing the CHSH-Bell inequality and find . A
null hypothesis test yields a probability of that a local-realist
model for space-like separated sites produces data with a violation at least as
large as observed, even when allowing for memory in the devices. This result
rules out large classes of local realist theories, and paves the way for
implementing device-independent quantum-secure communication and randomness
certification.Comment: Raw data will be made available after publicatio
Modality, Potentiality and Contradiction in Quantum Mechanics
In [11], Newton da Costa together with the author of this paper argued in
favor of the possibility to consider quantum superpositions in terms of a
paraconsistent approach. We claimed that, even though most interpretations of
quantum mechanics (QM) attempt to escape contradictions, there are many hints
that indicate it could be worth while to engage in a research of this kind.
Recently, Arenhart and Krause [1, 2, 3] have raised several arguments against
this approach and claimed that, taking into account the square of opposition,
quantum superpositions are better understood in terms of contrariety
propositions rather than contradictory propositions. In [17] we defended the
Paraconsistent Approach to Quantum Superpositions (PAQS) and provided arguments
in favor of its development. In the present paper we attempt to analyze the
meanings of modality, potentiality and contradiction in QM, and provide further
arguments of why the PAQS is better suited, than the Contrariety Approach to
Quantum Superpositions (CAQS) proposed by Arenhart and Krause, to face the
interpretational questions that quantum technology is forcing us to consider.Comment: Published in: New Directions in Paraconsistent Logic, J-Y B\'eziau M.
Chakraborty & S. Dutta (Eds.), Springer, in press. arXiv admin note: text
overlap with arXiv:1404.518
Spin dynamics in the optical cycle of single nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond
We investigate spin-dependent decay and intersystem crossing in the optical
cycle of single negatively-charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in diamond. We
use spin control and pulsed optical excitation to extract both the
spin-resolved lifetimes of the excited states and the degree of
optically-induced spin polarization. By optically exciting the centre with a
series of picosecond pulses, we determine the spin-flip probabilities per
optical cycle, as well as the spin-dependent probability for intersystem
crossing. This information, together with the indepedently measured decay rate
of singlet population provides a full description of spin dynamics in the
optical cycle of NV centres. The temperature dependence of the singlet
population decay rate provides information on the number of singlet states
involved in the optical cycle.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure
- …