Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Ultrafast optical spin echo in a single quantum dot

Nature Photonics volume 4, pages 367–370 (2010)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Many proposed photonic quantum networks rely on matter qubits to serve as memory elements1,2. The spin of a single electron confined in a semiconductor quantum dot forms a promising matter qubit that may be interfaced with a photonic network3. Ultrafast optical spin control allows gate operations to be performed on the spin within a picosecond timescale4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14, orders of magnitude faster than microwave or electrical control15,16. One obstacle to storing quantum information in a single quantum dot spin is the apparent nanosecond-timescale dephasing due to slow variations in the background nuclear magnetic field15,16,17. Here we use an ultrafast, all-optical spin echo technique to increase the decoherence time of a single quantum dot electron spin from nanoseconds to several microseconds. The ratio of decoherence time to gate time exceeds 105, suggesting strong promise for future photonic quantum information processors18 and repeater networks1,2.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Experimental set-up for optical single-spin manipulation and detection.
Figure 2: Experimental demonstration of spin echo and single-spin dephasing.
Figure 3: Measurement of T2 using spin echo.
Figure 4: Magnetic field dependence of T2.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cirac, J. I., Zoller, P., Kimble, H. J. & Mabuchi, H. Quantum state transfer and entanglement distribution among distant nodes in a quantum network. Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 3221–3224 (1997).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Duan, L.-M., Lukin, M. D., Cirac, J. I. & Zoller, P. Long-distance quantum communication with atomic ensembles and linear optics. Nature 414, 413–418 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Yao, W., Liu, R.-B. & Sham, L. J. Theory of control of the spin-photon interface for quantum networks. Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 030504 (2005).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gupta, J. A., Knobel, R., Samarth, N. & Awschalom, D. D. Ultrafast manipulation of electron spin coherence. Science 292, 2458–2461 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Berezovsky, J., Mikkelson, M. H., Stoltz, N. G., Coldren, L. A. & Awschalom, D. D. Picosecond coherent optical manipulation of a single electron spin in a quantum dot. Science 320, 349–352 (2008).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Dutt, M. V. G. et al. Ultrafast optical control of electron spin coherence in charged GaAs quantum dots. Phys. Rev. B 74, 125306 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Greilich, A. et al. Mode locking of electron spin coherences in singly charged quantum dots. Science 313, 341–345 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Greilich, A. et al. Ultrafast optical rotations of electron spins in quantum dots. Nature Phys. 5, 262–266 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Carter, S. G., Chen, Z. & Cundiff, S. T. Ultrafast below-resonance Raman rotation of electron spins in GaAs quantum wells. Phys. Rev. B 76, 201308(R) (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Press, D., Ladd, T. D., Zhang, B. & Yamamoto, Y. Complete quantum control of a single quantum dot spin using ultrafast optical pulses. Nature 456, 218–221 (2008).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Carter, S. G. et al. Directing nuclear spin flips in InAs quantum dots using detuned optical pulse trains. Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 167403 (2009).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Clark, S. et al. Ultrafast optical spin echo for electron spins in semiconductors. Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 247601 (2009).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Phelps, C., Sweeney, T., Cox, R. T. & Wang, H. Ultrafast coherent electron spin flip in a modulation-doped CdTe quantum well. Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 237402 (2009).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kim, E. D. et al. Fast spin rotations and optically controlled geometric phases in a quantum dot. Preprint at <http://arXiv.org/0910.5189> (2009).

  15. Petta, J. R. et al. Coherent manipulation of coupled electron spins in semiconductor quantum dots. Science 309, 2180–2184 (2005).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Koppens, F. H. L., Nowack, K. C. & Vandersypen, L. M. K. Spin echo of a single electron spin in a quantum dot. Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 236802 (2008).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Xu, X. et al. Optically controlled locking of the nuclear field via coherent dark-state spectroscopy. Nature 459, 1105–1109 (2009).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Imamog¯lu, A. et al. Quantum information processing using quantum dot spins and cavity QED. Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 4204–4207 (1999).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Dutt, M. V. G. et al. Stimulated and spontaneous optical generation of electron spin coherence in charged GaAs quantum dots. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 227403 (2005).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. Bracker, A. S. et al. Optical pumping of the electronic and nuclear spin of single charge-tunable quantum dots. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 047402 (2005).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Hahn, E. L. Spin echoes. Phys. Rev. 80, 580–594 (1950).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Coish, W. A. & Loss, D. Hyperfine interaction in a quantum dot: non-Markovian electron spin dynamics. Phys. Rev. B 70, 195340 (2004).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Witzel, W. M. & Das Sarma, S. Quantum theory for electron spin decoherence induced by nuclear spin dynamics in semiconductor quantum computer architectures: spectral diffusion of localized electron spins in the nuclear solid-state environment. Phys. Rev. B 74, 035322 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Yao, W., Liu, R.-B. & Sham, L. J. Theory of electron spin decoherence by interacting nuclear spins in a quantum dot. Phys. Rev. B 74, 195301 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Liu, R.-B., Yao, W. & Sham, L. J. Control of electron spin decoherence caused by electron-nuclear spin dynamics in a quantum dot. New J. Phys. 9, 226 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. Atatüre, M. et al. Quantum-dot spin-state preparation with near-unity fidelity. Science 312, 551–553 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Xu, X. et al. Fast spin state initialization in a singly charged InAs–GaAs quantum dot by optical cooling. Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 097401 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Bayer, M. et al. Fine structure of neutral and charged excitons in self-assembled In(Ga)As/(Al)GaAs quantum dots. Phys. Rev. B 65, 195315 (2002).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT Japan), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT Japan), the National Science Foundation (CCF0829694), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (60NANB9D9170), the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology and the State of Bavaria. We thank T. Steinl, A. Wolf and M. Emmerling for their assistance with sample fabrication. P.L.M. was supported by a David Cheriton Stanford Graduate Fellowship.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Thaddeus D. Ladd

    Present address: Present address: HRL Laboratories, LLC, 3011 Malibu Canyon Road, Malibu, California 90265, USA,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. E. L. Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305, California, USA

    David Press, Kristiaan De Greve, Peter L. McMahon, Thaddeus D. Ladd, Benedikt Friess & Yoshihisa Yamamoto

  2. National Institute of Informatics, Hitotsubashi 2-1-2, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-8403, Japan

    Thaddeus D. Ladd & Yoshihisa Yamamoto

  3. Technische Physik, Physikalisches Institut, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen Research Center for Complex Material Systems, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany

    Benedikt Friess, Christian Schneider, Martin Kamp, Sven Höfling & Alfred Forchel

Authors
  1. David Press
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kristiaan De Greve
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter L. McMahon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Thaddeus D. Ladd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Benedikt Friess
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Christian Schneider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Martin Kamp
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Sven Höfling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Alfred Forchel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Yoshihisa Yamamoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

C.S., M.K., and S.H. grew and fabricated the sample. D.P., K.D.G. and P.L.M. carried out the optical experiments. B.F. wrote the data acquisition software. T.D.L. provided theoretical analysis and guidance. Y.Y. and A.F. guided the work. D.P. wrote the manuscript with input from all authors.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Press.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Press, D., De Greve, K., McMahon, P. et al. Ultrafast optical spin echo in a single quantum dot. Nature Photon 4, 367–370 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2010.83

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2010.83

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing