Search

We present scanning optical stroboscopic confocal microscopy and spectroscopy measurements wherein three degrees of freedom, namely, energy, real space, and real time, are resolvable. The edge-state propagation is detected as a temporal change in the optical response in the downstream edge. We succeeded in visualizing the excited states of the most fundamental fractional quantum Hall state and the collective excitations near the edge. The results verify the current understanding of the edge excitation and also point toward further dynamics outside the edge channel.

We discuss methods of quantum state tomography for solid-state systems with a large nuclear spin I = 3/2 in nanometer-scale semiconductors devices based on a quantum well. Due to quadrupolar interactions, the Zeeman levels of these nuclear-spin devices become nonequidistant, forming a controllable four-level quantum system (known as quartit or ququart). The occupation of these levels can be selectively and coherently manipulated by multiphoton transitions using the techniques of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) [Yusa et al., Nature (London) 434, 1001 (2005)]. These methods are based on an unconventional approach to NMR, where the longitudinal magnetization Mz is directly measured. This is in contrast to the standard NMR experiments and tomographic methods, where the transverse magnetization Mxy is detected. The robustness against errors in the measured data is analyzed by using the condition number based on the spectral norm. We propose several methods with optimized sets of rotations yielding the highest robustness against errors, as described by the condition number equal to 1, assuming an ideal experimental detection. This robustness is only slightly deteriorated, as given by the condition number equal to 1.05, for a more realistic "noisy" Mz detection based on the standard cyclically ordered phase sequence (CYCLOPS) method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using photoluminescence microscopy enhanced by magnetic resonance, we visualize in real space both electron and nuclear polarization occurring in nonequilibrium fraction quantum Hall (FQH) liquids. We observe stripelike domain regions comprising FQH excited states which discretely form when the FQH liquid is excited by a source-drain current. These regions are deformable and give rise to bidirectionally polarized nuclear spins as spin-resolved electrons flow across their boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform real-space imaging of propagating magnetic domains in the fractional quantum Hall system using spin-sensitive photoluminescence microscopy. The propagation is continuous and proceeds in the direction of the conventional current, i.e., opposite to the electron flow direction. The mechanism of motion is shown to be connected to polarized nuclear spins around the domain walls. The propagation velocity increases when nuclei are depolarized, and decreases when the source-drain current generating this nuclear polarization is increased. We discuss how these phenomena may arise from spin interactions along the domain walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exciton, trion, and electron spin dynamics in a 20-nm-wide modulation-doped GaAs single quantum well are investigated using resonant ultrafast two-color Kerr rotation spectroscopy. Excitons and trions are selectively detected by resonant probe pulses while their relative spectral weight is controlled by adjusting the gate voltage which tunes the carrier density. Tuning the carrier density markedly influences the spin decay time of the two-dimensional electron gas. The spin decay time can be enhanced by a factor of 3 at an intermediate carrier concentration in the quantum well where excitons and trions coexist in the system. In addition, we explore the capability to tune the g factor of the electron gas via the carrier density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]