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The optical quality of site-controlled quantum dots is typically assessed by off-resonant photoluminescence spectroscopy, and emission linewidth is the most common figure of merit. Here, we combine photoluminescence and resonance fluorescence spectroscopy to obtain a more complete picture of site-controlled quantum dots embedded in a charge injection device. Although resonant and non-resonant linewidths are nearly as small as those of randomly nucleated dots, other optical properties show clear evidence of influence from defects introduced by the nanofabrication process. We demonstrate optical spin pumping and spin-flip Raman processes, which are important functions for use in quantum information applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-state quantum emitters have shown strong potential for applications in quantum information, but the spectral inhomogeneity of these emitters poses a significant challenge. We address this issue in a cavity-quantum dot system by demonstrating cavity-stimulated Raman spin flip emission. This process avoids populating the excited state of the emitter and generates a photon that is Raman shifted from the laser and enhanced by the cavity. The emission is spectrally narrow and tunable over a range of at least 125 GHz, which is two orders of magnitude greater than the natural linewidth. We obtain the regime in which the Raman emission is spin dependent, which couples the photon to a long-lived electron spin qubit. This process can enable an efficient, tunable source of indistinguishable photons and deterministic entanglement of distant spin qubits in a photonic-crystal quantum network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of confinement on biexciton renormalization in self-assembled InAs and interfacial GaAs quantum dot (QD) ensembles are studied using two-dimensional Fourier-transform spectroscopy. We find that in thermally annealed InAs QDs, changes in the biexciton transition energy are strongly correlated with those of the exciton and that the biexciton binding energy is similar for all QDs in the ensemble. These results are in contrast to those from GaAs QDs formed from interfacial fluctuations of a narrow quantum well (QW). In both the GaAs QW and QDs, correlation is reduced and the biexciton binding exhibits a strong dependence on localization. Comparison with simulations reveals how confinement and Coulomb interactions modify biexciton renormalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key ingredient for a quantum network is an interface between stationary quantum bits and photons, which act as flying qubits for interactions and communication. Photonic crystal architectures are promising platforms for enhancing the coupling of light to solid-state qubits. Quantum dots can be integrated into a photonic crystal, with optical transitions coupling to photons and spin states forming a long-lived quantum memory. Many researchers have now succeeded in coupling these emitters to photonic crystal cavities, but there have been no demonstrations of a functional spin qubit and quantum gates in this environment. Here, we have developed a coupled cavity-quantum dot system in which the dot is controllably charged with a single electron. We perform the initialization, rotation and measurement of a single electron spin qubit using laser pulses, and find that the cavity can significantly improve these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single hole spin in a semiconductor quantum dot has emerged as a quantum bit that is potentially superior to an electron spin. A key feature of holes is that they have a greatly reduced hyperfine interaction with nuclear spins, which is one of the biggest difficulties in working with an electron spin. It is now essential to show that holes are viable for quantum information processing by demonstrating fast quantum gates and scalability. To this end, we have developed InAs/GaAs quantum dots coupled through coherent tunnelling and charged with controlled numbers of holes. We report fast, single-qubit gates using a sequence of short laser pulses. We then take the important next step towards scalability of quantum information by optically controlling two interacting hole spins in separate dots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between two quantum bits enables the creation of entanglement, the two-particle correlations that are at the heart of quantum information science. In semiconductor quantum dots, much work has focused on demonstrating control over single spin qubits using optical techniques. However, optical control of two spin qubits remains a major challenge for scaling to a fully fledged quantum-information platform. Here, we combine advances in vertically stacked quantum dots with ultrafast laser techniques to achieve optical control of the entangled state of two electron spins. Each electron is in a separate InAs quantum dot, and the spins interact through tunnelling, where the tunnelling rate determines how rapidly entangling operations can be carried out. We achieve two-qubit gates with an interaction rate of 30 GHz, more than an order of magnitude faster than demonstrated in any other system so far. These results demonstrate the viability and advantages of optically controlled quantum-dot spins for multi-qubit systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single electron or hole spin trapped inside a semiconductor quantum dot forms the foundation for many proposed quantum logic devices. In group III–V materials, the resonance and coherence between two ground states of the single spin are inevitably affected by the lattice nuclear spins through the hyperfine interaction, while the dynamics of the single spin also influence the nuclear environment. Recent efforts have been made to protect the coherence of spins in quantum dots by suppressing the nuclear spin fluctuations. However, coherent control of a single spin in a single dot with simultaneous suppression of the nuclear fluctuations has yet to be achieved. Here we report the suppression of nuclear field fluctuations in a singly charged quantum dot to well below the thermal value, as shown by an enhancement of the single electron spin dephasing time T2*, which we measure using coherent dark-state spectroscopy. The suppression of nuclear fluctuations is found to result from a hole-spin assisted dynamic nuclear spin polarization feedback process, where the stable value of the nuclear field is determined only by the laser frequencies at fixed laser powers. This nuclear field locking is further demonstrated in a three-laser measurement, indicating a possible enhancement of the electron spin T2* by a factor of several hundred. This is a simple and powerful method of enhancing the electron spin coherence time without use of ‘spin echo’-type techniques. We expect that our results will enable the reproducible preparation of the nuclear spin environment for repetitive control and measurement of a single spin with minimal statistical broadening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns optically driven quantum logic devices based on semiconductor quantum dots. It provides a brief review of recent theoretical and experimental progress towards building such devices and a description of a possible direction of further research. We consider both the exciton and the electron spin as a potential qubit. Quantum dot fabrication and single dot spectroscopy studies are briefly discussed followed by a description of experimental demonstrations of basic quantum logic operations. A scheme for a scalable quantum computer based on optical control of electron spins localized in quantum dots is described in detail. Important lessons as well as challenges for future research are summarized. PACS: 78.67.Hc, 42.50.Md, 03.67.Lx, 42.50.Hz [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews optical studies of single quantum dots (QD). Properties of QD; Details on optical excitations; Ways of controlling electronic and nuclear spins.

The standing-wave behavior of scan impedance in a semiinfinite dipole array was previously shown for an H-plane scan. Computer simulations show larger-amplitude standing waves for an E-plane scan. Addition of a screen decreases the oscillations for the H plane, but unexpectedly increases them for the E-plane scan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scan impedance of elements, especially near the edge of a finite array, differs from that of an element in an infinite array. A numerical experiment shows the standing-wave behavior of scan impedance over the finite array, for a range of scan angles. The standing wave exists even for a broadside beam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the structural analysis of the quantum dots by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). It states that nuclear spin precess around magnetic field direction due to the strong magnetic field. It further states that the frequency of the oscillations is in resonance with the spin precession depending on type of nucleus, hence NMR is used to obtain structural information. It mentions that a single spin has small net polarization so large number of nuclear spins are required.

The article offers information on the study about the impact of coherent tunnelling to a nearby sea of electrons to the optical spectrum of a single quantum dot. The study notes that when an electron combines with the hole, there is a shake-up of the electron sea that establishes rise to characteristic spectral lineshapes. The study infers that the quantum size effects can be tailored to engineer the functionality of semiconductor quantum-dot systems.

Focuses on semiconductor quantum dots. Optical studies of individual quantum dots; Interest in semiconductor quantum dots that interact strongly with light; Details of quantum confinement of electrons; Harnessing quantum mechanical properties.

We review spin properties of semiconductor quantum dots and their effect on optical spectra. Photoluminescence and other types of spectroscopy are used to probe neutral and charged excitons in individual quantum dots with high spectral and spatial resolution. Spectral fine structure and polarization reveal how quantum dot spins interact with each other and with their environment. By taking advantage of the selectivity of optical selection rules and spin relaxation, optical spin pumping of the ground state electron and nuclear spins is achieved. Through such mechanisms, light can be used to process spins for use as a carrier of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]