Bipolar spin blockade and coherent state superpositions in a triple quantum dot

Spin qubits based on interacting spins in double quantum dots have been successfully demonstrated. Readout of the qubit state involves a conversion of spin to charge information, universally achieved by taking advantage of a spin blockade phenomenon resulting from Pauli's exclusion principle. The archetypal spin blockade transport signature in double quantum dots takes the form of a rectified current. Currently more complex spin qubit circuits including triple quantum dots are being developed. Here we show both experimentally and theoretically (a) that in a linear triple quantum dot circuit, the spin blockade becomes bipolar with current strongly suppressed in both bias directions and (b) that a new quantum coherent mechanism becomes relevant. Within this mechanism charge is transferred non-intuitively via coherent states from one end of the linear triple dot circuit to the other without involving the centre site. Our results have implications in future complex nano-spintronic circuits.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure

Effects of noise on hysteresis and resonance width in graphene and nanotubes resonators

We investigate the role that noise plays in the hysteretic dynamics of a suspended nanotube or a graphene sheet subject to an oscillating force. We find that not only the size but also the position of the hysteresis region in these systems can be controlled by noise. We also find that nano-resonators act as noise rectifiers: by increasing the noise in the setup, the resonance width of the characteristic peak in these systems is reduced and, as a result, the quality factor is increased.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures. Sent to PRB (in revision

Gain in quantum cascade lasers and superlattices: A quantum transport theory

Gain in current-driven semiconductor heterostructure devices is calculated within the theory of nonequilibrium Green functions. In order to treat the nonequilibrium distribution self-consistently the full two-time structure of the theory is employed without relying on any sort of Kadanoff-Baym Ansatz. The results are independent of the choice of the electromagnetic field if the variation of the self-energy is taken into account. Excellent quantitative agreement is obtained with the experimental gain spectrum of a quantum cascade laser. Calculations for semiconductor superlattices show that the simple 2-time miniband transport model gives reliable results for large miniband widths at room temperatureComment: 8 Pages, 4 Figures directly included, to appear in Physical Review

Localization properties of driven disordered one-dimensional systems

We generalize the definition of localization length to disordered systems driven by a time-periodic potential using a Floquet-Green function formalism. We study its dependence on the amplitude and frequency of the driving field in a one-dimensional tight-binding model with different amounts of disorder in the lattice. As compared to the autonomous system, the localization length for the driven system can increase or decrease depending on the frequency of the driving. We investigate the dependence of the localization length with the particle's energy and prove that it is always periodic. Its maximum is not necessarily at the band center as in the non-driven case. We study the adiabatic limit by introducing a phenomenological inelastic scattering rate which limits the delocalizing effect of low-frequency fields.Comment: Accepted for publication in European Physical Journal

Coherent and sequential photoassisted tunneling through a semiconductor double barrier structure

We have studied the problem of coherent and sequential tunneling through a double barrier structure, assisted by light considered to be present All over the structure, i,e emitter, well and collector as in the experimental evidence. By means of a canonical transformation and in the framework of the time dependent perturbation theory, we have calculated the transmission coefficient and the electronic resonant current. Our calculations have been compared with experimental results turning out to be in good agreement. Also the effect on the coherent tunneling of a magnetic field parallel to the current in the presence of light, has been considered.Comment: Revtex3.0, 8figures uuencoded compressed tar-fil

Fabrication and properties of erbium oxide

Erbium oxide (Er{sub 2}O{sub 3}) is a rare earth oxide of interest because of its chemical and thermal stability and high melting point, 2,430 C. However, there is relatively little information available regarding the relation between the structure and the mechanical properties of this material. A densification study of polycrystalline erbium oxide powders is reported here. Erbium oxide pellets were uniaxially pressed (40--280 MPa) and sintered (1,500--1,800 C) in order to obtain density data for as-received commercial powders. In addition, the particle size and distribution of as-received powders were varied by milling and the effects on densification were studied. The powders were characterized for particle size, phase and impurity content and surface area. The mechanical properties of high density sintered erbium oxide bodies were characterized using indentation hardness and toughness as a function of temperature and microstructure. Relations between the microstructure and mechanical properties are described

Quasiperiodic time dependent current in driven superlattices: distorted Poincare maps and strange attractors

Intriguing routes to chaos have been experimentally observed in semiconductor superlattices driven by an ac field. In this work, a theoretical model of time dependent transport in ac driven superlattices is numerically solved. In agreement with experiments, distorted Poincare maps in the quasiperiodic regime are found. They indicate the appearance of very complex attractors and routes to chaos as the amplitude of the AC signal increases. Distorted maps are caused by the discrete well-to-well jump motion of a domain wall during spiky high-frequency self-sustained oscillations of the current.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Canted phase in double quantum dots

We perform a Hartree-Fock calculation in order to describe the ground state of a vertical double quantum dot in the absence of magnetic fields parallel to the growth direction. Intra- and interdot exchange interactions determine the singlet or triplet character of the system as the tunneling is tuned. At finite Zeeman splittings due to in-plane magnetic fields, we observe the continuous quantum phase transition from ferromagnetic to symmetric phase through a canted antiferromagnetic state. The latter is obtained even at zero Zeeman energy for an odd electron number.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Temperature dependence of current self-oscillations and electric field domains in sequential tunneling doped superlattices

We examine how the current--voltage characteristics of a doped weakly coupled superlattice depends on temperature. The drift velocity of a discrete drift model of sequential tunneling in a doped GaAs/AlAs superlattice is calculated as a function of temperature. Numerical simulations and theoretical arguments show that increasing temperature favors the appearance of current self-oscillations at the expense of static electric field domain formation. Our findings agree with available experimental evidence.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure