246 research outputs found
Properties of implanted and CVD incorporated nitrogen-vacancy centers: preferential charge state and preferential orientation
The combination of the long electron state spin coherence time and the optical coupling of the ground electronic states to an excited state manifold makes the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond an attractive candidate for quantum information processing. To date the best spin and optical properties have been found in centers deep within the diamond crystal. For useful devices it will be necessary to engineer NVs with similar properties close to the diamond surface. We report on properties including charge state control and preferential orientation for near surface NVs formed either in CVD growth or through implantation and annealing
Low-temperature tapered-fiber probing of diamond NV ensembles coupled to GaP microcavities
In this work we present a platform for testing the device performance of a
cavity-emitter system, using an ensemble of emitters and a tapered optical
fiber. This method provides high-contrast spectra of the cavity modes,
selective detection of emitters coupled to the cavity, and an estimate of the
device performance in the single- emitter case. Using nitrogen-vacancy (NV)
centers in diamond and a GaP optical microcavity, we are able to tune the
cavity onto the NV resonance at 10 K, couple the cavity-coupled emission to a
tapered fiber, and measure the fiber-coupled NV spontaneous emission decay.
Theoretically we show that the fiber-coupled average Purcell factor is 2-3
times greater than that of free-space collection; although due to ensemble
averaging it is still a factor of 3 less than the Purcell factor of a single,
ideally placed center.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure
Microcavity controlled coupling of excitonic qubits
Controlled non-local energy and coherence transfer enables light harvesting
in photosynthesis and non-local logical operations in quantum computing. The
most relevant mechanism of coherent coupling of distant qubits is coupling via
the electromagnetic field. Here, we demonstrate the controlled coherent
coupling of spatially separated excitonic qubits via the photon mode of a solid
state microresonator. This is revealed by two-dimensional spectroscopy of the
sample's coherent response, a sensitive and selective probe of the coherent
coupling. The experimental results are quantitatively described by a rigorous
theory of the cavity mediated coupling within a cluster of quantum dots
excitons. Having demonstrated this mechanism, it can be used in extended
coupling channels - sculptured, for instance, in photonic crystal cavities - to
enable a long-range, non-local wiring up of individual emitters in solids
Photonic quantum technologies
The first quantum technology, which harnesses uniquely quantum mechanical
effects for its core operation, has arrived in the form of commercially
available quantum key distribution systems that achieve enhanced security by
encoding information in photons such that information gained by an eavesdropper
can be detected. Anticipated future quantum technologies include large-scale
secure networks, enhanced measurement and lithography, and quantum information
processors, promising exponentially greater computation power for particular
tasks. Photonics is destined for a central role in such technologies owing to
the need for high-speed transmission and the outstanding low-noise properties
of photons. These technologies may use single photons or quantum states of
bright laser beams, or both, and will undoubtably apply and drive
state-of-the-art developments in photonics
Resonant enhancement of the zero-phonon emission from a color center in a diamond cavity
We demonstrate coupling of the zero-phonon line of individual
nitrogen-vacancy centers and the modes of microring resonators fabricated in
single-crystal diamond. A zero-phonon line enhancement exceeding ten-fold is
estimated from lifetime measurements at cryogenic temperatures. The devices are
fabricated using standard semiconductor techniques and off-the-shelf materials,
thus enabling integrated diamond photonics.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Ultrafast all-optical switching by single photons
An outstanding goal in quantum optics is the realization of fast optical
non-linearities at the single-photon level. Such non-linearities would allow
for the realization of optical devices with new functionalities such as a
single-photon switch/transistor or a controlled-phase gate, which could form
the basis of future quantum optical technologies. While non-linear optics
effects at the single-emitter level have been demonstrated in different
systems, including atoms coupled to Fabry-Perot or toroidal micro-cavities,
super-conducting qubits in strip-line resonators or quantum dots (QDs) in
nano-cavities, none of these experiments so far has demonstrated single-photon
switching on ultrafast timescales. Here, we demonstrate that in a strongly
coupled QD-cavity system the presence of a single photon on one of the
fundamental polariton transitions can turn on light scattering on a transition
from the first to the second Jaynes-Cummings manifold with a switching time of
20 ps. As an additional device application, we use this non-linearity to
implement a single-photon pulse-correlator. Our QD-cavity system could form the
building-block of future high-bandwidth photonic networks operating in the
quantum regime
Waveguide Coupled Resonance Fluorescence from On-Chip Quantum Emitter
Resonantly driven quantum emitters offer a very promising route to obtain highly coherent sources of single photons required for applications in quantum information processing (QIP). Realizing this for on-chip scalable devices would be important for scientific advances and practical applications in the field of integrated quantum optics. Here we report on-chip quantum dot (QD) resonance fluorescence (RF) efficiently coupled into a single-mode waveguide, a key component of a photonic integrated circuit, with a negligible resonant laser background and show that the QD coherence is enhanced by more than a factor of 4 compared to off-resonant excitation. Single-photon behavior is confirmed under resonant excitation, and fast fluctuating charge dynamics are revealed in autocorrelation g(2) measurements. The potential for triggered operation is verified in pulsed RF. These results pave the way to a novel class of integrated quantum-optical devices for on-chip quantum information processing with embedded resonantly driven quantum emitters
Resonant Photonic States in Coupled Heterostructure Photonic Crystal Waveguides
In this paper, we study the photonic resonance states and transmission spectra of coupled waveguides made from heterostructure photonic crystals. We consider photonic crystal waveguides made from three photonic crystals A, B and C, where the waveguide heterostructure is denoted as B/A/C/A/B. Due to the band structure engineering, light is confined within crystal A, which thus act as waveguides. Here, photonic crystal C is taken as a nonlinear photonic crystal, which has a band gap that may be modified by applying a pump laser. We have found that the number of bound states within the waveguides depends on the width and well depth of photonic crystal A. It has also been found that when both waveguides are far away from each other, the energies of bound photons in each of the waveguides are degenerate. However, when they are brought close to each other, the degeneracy of the bound states is removed due to the coupling between them, which causes these states to split into pairs. We have also investigated the effect of the pump field on photonic crystal C. We have shown that by applying a pump field, the system may be switched between a double waveguide to a single waveguide, which effectively turns on or off the coupling between degenerate states. This reveals interesting results that can be applied to develop new types of nanophotonic devices such as nano-switches and nano-transistors
Laser oscillation in a strongly coupled single quantum dot-nanocavity system
Strong coupling of photons and materials in semiconductor nanocavity systems
has been investigated because of its potentials in quantum information
processing and related applications, and has been testbeds for cavity quantum
electrodynamics (QED). Interesting phenomena such as coherent exchange of a
single quantum between a single quantum dot and an optical cavity, called
vacuum Rabi oscillation, and highly efficient cavity QED lasers have been
reported thus far. The coexistence of vacuum Rabi oscillation and laser
oscillation appears to be contradictory in nature, because the fragile
reversible process may not survive in laser oscillation. However, recently, it
has been theoretically predicted that the strong-coupling effect could be
sustained in laser oscillation in properly designed semiconductor systems.
Nevertheless, the experimental realization of this phenomenon has remained
difficult since the first demonstration of the strong-coupling, because an
extremely high cavity quality factor and strong light-matter coupling are both
required for this purpose. Here, we demonstrate the onset of laser oscillation
in the strong-coupling regime in a single quantum dot (SQD)-cavity system. A
high-quality semiconductor optical nanocavity and strong SQD-field coupling
enabled to the onset of lasing while maintaining the fragile coherent exchange
of quanta between the SQD and the cavity. In addition to the interesting
physical features, this device is seen as a prototype of an ultimate solid
state light source with an SQD gain, which operates at ultra-low power, with
expected applications in future nanophotonic integrated systems and monolithic
quantum information devices.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
SummaryBackground The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context. Methods We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease Study to estimate attributable deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and trends in exposure by age group, sex, year, and geography for 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks from 1990 to 2015. This study included 388 risk-outcome pairs that met World Cancer Research Fund-defined criteria for convincing or probable evidence. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from randomised controlled trials, cohorts, pooled cohorts, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. We developed a metric that allows comparisons of exposure across risk factors—the summary exposure value. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk level, we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We decomposed trends in attributable burden into contributions from population growth, population age structure, risk exposure, and risk-deleted cause-specific DALY rates. We characterised risk exposure in relation to a Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Findings Between 1990 and 2015, global exposure to unsafe sanitation, household air pollution, childhood underweight, childhood stunting, and smoking each decreased by more than 25%. Global exposure for several occupational risks, high body-mass index (BMI), and drug use increased by more than 25% over the same period. All risks jointly evaluated in 2015 accounted for 57·8% (95% CI 56·6–58·8) of global deaths and 41·2% (39·8–42·8) of DALYs. In 2015, the ten largest contributors to global DALYs among Level 3 risks were high systolic blood pressure (211·8 million [192·7 million to 231·1 million] global DALYs), smoking (148·6 million [134·2 million to 163·1 million]), high fasting plasma glucose (143·1 million [125·1 million to 163·5 million]), high BMI (120·1 million [83·8 million to 158·4 million]), childhood undernutrition (113·3 million [103·9 million to 123·4 million]), ambient particulate matter (103·1 million [90·8 million to 115·1 million]), high total cholesterol (88·7 million [74·6 million to 105·7 million]), household air pollution (85·6 million [66·7 million to 106·1 million]), alcohol use (85·0 million [77·2 million to 93·0 million]), and diets high in sodium (83·0 million [49·3 million to 127·5 million]). From 1990 to 2015, attributable DALYs declined for micronutrient deficiencies, childhood undernutrition, unsafe sanitation and water, and household air pollution; reductions in risk-deleted DALY rates rather than reductions in exposure drove these declines. Rising exposure contributed to notable increases in attributable DALYs from high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, occupational carcinogens, and drug use. Environmental risks and childhood undernutrition declined steadily with SDI; low physical activity, high BMI, and high fasting plasma glucose increased with SDI. In 119 countries, metabolic risks, such as high BMI and fasting plasma glucose, contributed the most attributable DALYs in 2015. Regionally, smoking still ranked among the leading five risk factors for attributable DALYs in 109 countries; childhood underweight and unsafe sex remained primary drivers of early death and disability in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Interpretation Declines in some key environmental risks have contributed to declines in critical infectious diseases. Some risks appear to be invariant to SDI. Increasing risks, including high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, drug use, and some occupational exposures, contribute to rising burden from some conditions, but also provide opportunities for intervention. Some highly preventable risks, such as smoking, remain major causes of attributable DALYs, even as exposure is declining. Public policy makers need to pay attention to the risks that are increasingly major contributors to global burden. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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