Electric field sensing with a scanning fiber-coupled quantum dot

We demonstrate the application of a fiber-coupled quantum-dot-in-a-tip as a probe for scanning electric field microscopy. We map the out-of-plane component of the electric field induced by a pair of electrodes by measurement of the quantum-confined Stark effect induced on a quantum dot spectral line. Our results are in agreement with finite element simulations of the experiment. Furthermore, we present results from analytic calculations and simulations which are relevant to any electric field sensor embedded in a dielectric tip. In particular, we highlight the impact of the tip geometry on both the resolution and sensitivity.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

The CI and RDT NWCSAF convection products

Póster presentado en: 3rd European Nowcasting Conference, celebrada en la sede central de AEMET en Madrid del 24 al 26 de abril de 2019

Harvesting, coupling and control of single exciton coherences in photonic waveguide antennas

We perform coherent non-linear spectroscopy of individual excitons strongly confined in single InAs quantum dots (QDs). The retrieval of their intrinsically weak four-wave mixing (FWM) response is enabled by a one-dimensional dielectric waveguide antenna. Compared to a similar QD embedded in bulk media, the FWM detection sensitivity is enhanced by up to four orders of magnitude, over a broad operation bandwidth. Three-beam FWM is employed to investigate coherence and population dynamics within individual QD transitions. We retrieve their homogenous dephasing in a presence of spectral wandering. Two-dimensional FWM reveals off-resonant F\"orster coupling between a pair of distinct QDs embedded in the antenna. We also detect a higher order QD non-linearity (six-wave mixing) and use it to coherently control the FWM transient. Waveguide antennas enable to conceive multi-color coherent manipulation schemes of individual emitters.Comment: 7 pages, 8 Figure

Observation of transition from escape dynamics to underdamped phase diffusion in a Josephson junction

We have investigated the dynamics of underdamped Josephson junctions. In addition to the usual crossover between macroscopic quantum tunnelling and thermally activated (TA) behaviour we observe in our samples with relatively small Josephson coupling E_J, for the first time, the transition from TA behaviour to underdamped phase diffusion. Above the crossover temperature the threshold for switching into the finite voltage state becomes extremely sharp. We propose a (T,E_J) phase-diagram with various regimes and show that for a proper description of it dissipation and level quantization in a metastable well are crucial.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Measuring the distribution of current fluctuations through a Josephson junction with very short current pulses

We propose to probe the distribution of current fluctuations by means of the escape probability histogram of a Josephson junction (JJ), obtained using very short bias current pulses in the adiabatic regime, where the low-frequency component of the current fluctuations plays a crucial role. We analyze the effect of the third cumulant on the histogram in the small skewness limit, and address two concrete examples assuming realistic parameters for the JJ. In the first one we study the effects due to fluctuations produced by a tunnel junction, finding that the signature of higher cumulants can be detected by taking the derivative of the escape probability with respect to current. In such a realistic situation, though, the determination of the whole distribution of current fluctuations requires an amplification of the cumulants. As a second example we consider magnetic flux fluctuations acting on a SQUID produced by a random telegraph source of noise.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures; final versio

Mac Cune-Albright syndrome. Answer to the e-quid “Painful lameness in a child”

International audienc

Weak coupling Josephson junction as a current probe: effect of dissipation on escape dynamics

We have studied the temperature dependence of escape phenomena in various underdamped Josephson junctions (JJs). The junctions had different Josephson coupling energies EJ which were relatively small, but larger than the charging energy EC. Upon increasing the temperature T, we first observe the usual cross-over between macroscopic quantum tunnelling and thermally activated (TA) behaviour at temperatures kBT ~ planckωp, where ωp is the plasma frequency of the junction. Increasing T further, the width of the switching current distribution has, counterintuitively, a non-monotonic temperature dependence. This can be explained by the novel cross-over from TA behaviour to underdamped phase diffusion. We show that this cross-over is expected to occur at temperatures such that kBT ~ EJ(1 − 4/πQ)3/2, where Q is the quality factor of the junction at the plasma frequency, in agreement with experiment. Our findings can be compared with detailed model calculations which take into account dissipation and level quantization in a metastable well. Particular attention is paid to the sample with the smallest EJ, which shows extensive phase diffusion even at the lowest temperatures. This sample consists of a dc-SQUID and a single JJ close to each other, such that the SQUID acts as a tunable inductive protection for the single junction from fluctuations of a dissipative environment. By varying the flux through the dc-SQUID, we present, for the first time, experimental evidence of the escape of a JJ from the phase diffusion regime to the free running state in a tunable environment. We also show that in the zero voltage state the losses mainly occur at frequencies near the plasmaPeer reviewe