Probing a Kondo correlated quantum dot with spin spectroscopy

We investigate Kondo effect and spin blockade observed on a many-electron quantum dot and study the magnetic field dependence. At lower fields a pronounced Kondo effect is found which is replaced by spin blockade at higher fields. In an intermediate regime both effects are visible. We make use of this combined effect to gain information about the internal spin configuration of our quantum dot. We find that the data cannot be explained assuming regular filling of electronic orbitals. Instead spin polarized filling seems to be probable.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Dephasing in (Ga,Mn)As nanowires and rings

To understand quantum mechanical transport in ferromagnetic semiconductor the knowledge of basic material properties like phase coherence length and corresponding dephasing mechanism are indispensable ingredients. The lack of observable quantum phenomena prevented experimental access to these quantities so far. Here we report about the observations of universal conductance fluctuations in ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As. The analysis of the length and temperature dependence of the fluctuations reveals a T^{-1} dependence of the dephasing time.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Non-invasive detection of charge-rearrangement in a quantum dot in high magnetic fields

We demonstrate electron redistribution caused by magnetic field on a single quantum dot measured by means of a quantum point contact as non-invasive detector. Our device which is fabricated by local anodic oxidation allows to control independently the quantum point contact and all tunnelling barriers of the quantum dot. Thus we are able to measure both the change of the quantum dot charge and also changes of the electron configuration at constant number of electrons on the quantum dot. We use these features to exploit the quantum dot in a high magnetic field where transport through the quantum dot displays the effects of Landau shells and spin blockade. We confirm the internal rearrangement of electrons as function of the magnetic field for a fixed number of electrons on the quantum dot.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Measurements of higher order noise correlations in a quantum dot with a finite bandwidth detector

We present measurements of the fourth and fifth cumulants of the distribution of transmitted charge in a tunable quantum dot. We investigate how the measured statistics is influenced by the finite bandwidth of the detector and by the finite measurement time. By including the detector when modeling the system, we use the theory of full counting statistics to calculate the noise levels for the combined system. The predictions of the finite-bandwidth model are in good agreement with measured data

Time-resolved charge detection with cross-correlation techniques

We present time-resolved charge sensing measurements on a GaAs double quantum dot with two proximal quantum point contact (QPC) detectors. The QPC currents are analyzed with cross-correlation techniques, which enables us to measure dot charging and discharging rates for significantly smaller signal-to-noise ratios than required for charge detection with a single QPC. This allows to reduce the current level in the detector and therefore the invasiveness of the detection process and may help to increase the available measurement bandwidth in noise-limited setups.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Spatially resolved manipulation of single electrons in quantum dots using a scanned probe

The scanning metallic tip of a scanning force microscope was coupled capacitively to electrons confined in a lithographically defined gate-tunable quantum dot at a temperature of 300 mK. Single electrons were made to hop on or off the dot by moving the tip or by changing the tip bias voltage owing to the Coulomb-blockade effect. Spatial images of conductance resonances map the interaction potential between the tip and individual electronic quantum dot states. Under certain conditions this interaction is found to contain a tip-voltage induced and a tip-voltage independent contribution.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Single electron charging of impurity sites visualized by scanning gate experiments on a quantum point contact

A quantum point contact (QPC) patterned on a two-dimensional electron gas is investigated with a scanning gate setup operated at a temperature of 300 mK. The conductance of the point contact is recorded while the local potential is modified by scanning the tip. Single electron charging of impurities induced by the local potential is observed as a stepwise conductance change of the constriction. By selectively changing the state of some of these impurities, it is possible to observe changes in transmission resonances of the QPC. The location of such impurities is determined, and their density is estimated to be below 50 per \mu m^2, corresponding to less than 1 % of the doping concentration

Phase coherent transport in (Ga,Mn)As

Quantum interference effects and resulting quantum corrections of the conductivity have been intensively studied in disordered conductors over the last decades. The knowledge of phase coherence lengths and underlying dephasing mechanisms are crucial to understand quantum corrections to the resistivity in the different material systems. Due to the internal magnetic field and the associated breaking of time-reversal symmetry quantum interference effects in ferromagnetic materials have been scarcely explored. Below we describe the investigation of phase coherent transport phenomena in the newly discovered ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As. We explore universal conductance fluctuations in mesoscopic (Ga,Mn)As wires and rings, the Aharonov-Bohm effect in nanoscale rings and weak localization in arrays of wires, made of the ferromagnetic semiconductor material. The experiments allow to probe the phase coherence length L_phi and the spin flip length L_SO as well as the temperature dependence of dephasing.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure