Energy levels of a parabolically confined quantum dot in the presence of spin-orbit interaction

We present a theoretical study of the energy levels in a parabolically confined quantum dot in the presence of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI). The features of some low-lying states in various strengths of the SOI are examined at finite magnetic fields. The presence of a magnetic field enhances the possibility of the spin polarization and the SOI leads to different energy dependence on magnetic fields applied. Furthermore, in high magnetic fields, the spectra of low-lying states show basic features of Fock-Darwin levels as well as Landau levels.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted by J. Appl. Phy

Finger-gate array quantum pumps:pumping characteristics and mechanisms

We study the pumping effects, in both the adiabatic and nonadiabatic regimes, of a pair of \QTR{it}{finite} finger-gate array (FGA) on a narrow channel. Connection between the pumping characteristics and associated mechanisms is established. The pumping potential is generated by ac biasing the FGA pair. For a single pair (N=1) of finger gates (FG's), the pumping mechanism is due to the coherent inelastic scattering of the traversing electron to its subband threshold. For a pair of FGA with pair number $N>2$, the dominant pumping mechanism becomes that of the time-dependent Bragg reflection. The contribution of the time-dependent Bragg reflection to the pumping is enabled by breaking the symmetry in the electron transmission when the pumping potential is of a predominant propagating type. This propagating wave condition can be achieved both by an appropriate choice of the FGA pair configuration and by the monitoring of a phase difference $\phi$ between the ac biases in the FGA pair. The robustness of such a pumping mechanism is demonstrated by considering a FGA pair with only pair number N=4.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Optical properties of Si/Si0.87Ge0.13 multiple quantum well wires

Nanometer-scale wires cut into a Si/Si0.87Ge0.13 multiple quantum well structure were fabricated and characterized by using photoluminescence and photoreflectance at temperatures between 4 and 20 K. It was found that, in addition to a low-energy broadband emission at around 0.8 eV and other features normally observable in photoluminescence measurements, fabrication process induced strain relaxation and enhanced electron-hole droplets emission together with a new feature at 1.131 eV at 4 K were observed. The latter was further identified as a transition related to impurities located at the Si/Si0.87Ge0.13 heterointerfaces

AC Oscillation of a Spin Soliton Driven by a Constant Force

The phenomena of AC oscillation generated by a DC drive, such as the famous Josephson AC effect in superconductors and Bloch oscillation in solid physics, are of great interest in physics. Here we report another example of such counter-intuitive phenomenon that a spin soliton in a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate is driven by a constant force: The initially static spin soliton first moves in a direction opposite to the force and then changes direction, showing an extraordinary AC oscillation in a long term. In sharp contrast to the Josephson AC effect and Bloch oscillation, we find that the nonlinear interactions play important roles and the spin soliton can exhibit a periodic transition between negative and positive inertial mass even in the absence of periodic potentials. We then develop an explicit quasiparticle model that can account for this extraordinary oscillation satisfactorily. Important implications and possible applications of our finding are discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Properties of Resonating-Valence-Bond Spin Liquids and Critical Dimer Models

We use Monte Carlo simulations to study properties of Anderson's resonating-valence-bond (RVB) spin-liquid state on the square lattice (i.e., the equal superposition of all pairing of spins into nearest-neighbor singlet pairs) and compare with the classical dimer model (CDM). The latter system also corresponds to the ground state of the Rokhsar-Kivelson quantum dimer model at its critical point. We find that although spin-spin correlations decay exponentially in the RVB, four-spin valence-bond-solid (VBS) correlations are critical, qualitatively like the well-known dimer-dimer correlations of the CDM, but decaying more slowly (as $1/r^a$ with $a \approx 1.20$, compared with $a=2$ for the CDM). We also compute the distribution of monomer (defect) pair separations, which decay by a larger exponent in the RVB than in the CDM. We further study both models in their different winding number sectors and evaluate the relative weights of different sectors. Like the CDM, all the observed RVB behaviors can be understood in the framework of a mapping to a "height" model characterized by a gradient-squared stiffness constant $K$. Four independent measurements consistently show a value $K_{RVB} \approx 1.6 K_{CDM}$, with the same kinds of numerical evaluations of $K_{CDM}$ give results in agreement with the rigorously known value $K_{CDM}=\pi/16$. The background of a nonzero winding number gradient $W/L$ introduces spatial anisotropies and an increase in the effective K, both of which can be understood as a consequence of anharmonic terms in the height-model free energy, which are of relevance to the recently proposed scenario of "Cantor deconfinement" in extended quantum dimer models. We also study ensembles in which fourth-neighbor (bipartite) bonds are allowed, at a density controlled by a tunable fugacity, resulting (as expected) in a smooth reduction of K.Comment: 26 pages, 21 figures. v3: final versio

NbTiN superconducting nanowire detectors for visible and telecom wavelengths single photon counting on Si3N4 photonic circuits

We demonstrate niobium titanium nitride superconducting nanowires patterned on stoichiometric silicon nitride waveguides for detecting visible and infrared photons. The use of silicon nitride on insulator on silicon substrates allows us to simultaneously realize photonic circuits for visible and infrared light and integrate them with nanowire detectors directly on-chip. By implementing a traveling wave detector geometry in this material platform, we achieve efficient single photon detection for both wavelength regimes. Our detectors are an ideal match for integrated quantum optics as they provide crucial functionality on a wideband transparent waveguide material.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure