Quantum Stress: Density Functional Theory Formulation and Physical Manifestation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Hao; Liu, Feng

2012-02-01

The concept of ``quantum stress (QS)'' is introduced and formulated within density functional theory (DFT), to underlie extrinsic electronic effects on the stress state of solids and thin films in the absence of lattice strain. An explicit expression of QS (σ^Q) is derived in relation to the deformation potential of electronic states (ξ) and the variation of electron density (δn), σ^Q=ξ(δn), as a quantum analog of classical Hook's law. Two distinct QS manifestations are demonstrated quantitatively by DFT calculations: (1) in the form of bulk stress induced by charge carriers; and (2) in the form of surface stress induced by quantum confinement. QS has broad implications in physical phenomena and technological applications that are based on coupling of electronic structure with lattice strain.

Quantum dot behavior in transition metal dichalcogenides nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Gang; Zhang, Zhuo-Zhi; Li, Hai-Ou; Song, Xiang-Xiang; Deng, Guang-Wei; Cao, Gang; Xiao, Ming; Guo, Guo-Ping

2017-08-01

Recently, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) semiconductors have been utilized for investigating quantum phenomena because of their unique band structures and novel electronic properties. In a quantum dot (QD), electrons are confined in all lateral dimensions, offering the possibility for detailed investigation and controlled manipulation of individual quantum systems. Beyond the definition of graphene QDs by opening an energy gap in nanoconstrictions, with the presence of a bandgap, gate-defined QDs can be achieved on TMDCs semiconductors. In this paper, we review the confinement and transport of QDs in TMDCs nanostructures. The fabrication techniques for demonstrating two-dimensional (2D) materials nanostructures such as field-effect transistors and QDs, mainly based on e-beam lithography and transfer assembly techniques are discussed. Subsequently, we focus on electron transport through TMDCs nanostructures and QDs. With steady improvement in nanoscale materials characterization and using graphene as a springboard, 2D materials offer a platform that allows creation of heterostructure QDs integrated with a variety of crystals, each of which has entirely unique physical properties.

The physics of quantum materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keimer, B.; Moore, J. E.

2017-11-01

The physical description of all materials is rooted in quantum mechanics, which describes how atoms bond and electrons interact at a fundamental level. Although these quantum effects can in many cases be approximated by a classical description at the macroscopic level, in recent years there has been growing interest in material systems where quantum effects remain manifest over a wider range of energy and length scales. Such quantum materials include superconductors, graphene, topological insulators, Weyl semimetals, quantum spin liquids, and spin ices. Many of them derive their properties from reduced dimensionality, in particular from confinement of electrons to two-dimensional sheets. Moreover, they tend to be materials in which electrons cannot be considered as independent particles but interact strongly and give rise to collective excitations known as quasiparticles. In all cases, however, quantum-mechanical effects fundamentally alter properties of the material. This Review surveys the electronic properties of quantum materials through the prism of the electron wavefunction, and examines how its entanglement and topology give rise to a rich variety of quantum states and phases; these are less classically describable than conventional ordered states also driven by quantum mechanics, such as ferromagnetism.

Quantum Chromodynamics and Color Confinement (confinement 2000) - Proceedings of the International Symposium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suganuma, H.; Fukushima, M.; Toki, H.

The Table of Contents for the book is as follows: * Preface * Opening Address * Monopole Condensation and Quark Confinement * Dual QCD, Effective String Theory, and Regge Trajectories * Abelian Dominance and Monopole Condensation * Non-Abelian Stokes Theorem and Quark Confinement in QCD * Infrared Region of QCD and Confining Configurations * BRS Quartet Mechanism for Color Confinement * Color Confinement and Quartet Mechanism * Numerical Tests of the Kugo-Ojima Color Confinement Criterion * Monopoles and Confinement in Lattice QCD * SU(2) Lattice Gauge Theory at T > 0 in a Finite Box with Fixed Holonomy * Confining and Dirac Strings in Gluodynamics * Cooling, Monopoles, and Vortices in SU(2) Lattice Gauge Theory * Quark Confinement Physics from Lattice QCD * An (Almost) Perfect Lattice Action for SU(2) and SU(3) Gluodynamics * Vortices and Confinement in Lattice QCD * P-Vortices, Nexuses and Effects of Gribov Copies in the Center Gauges * Laplacian Center Vortices * Center Vortices at Strong Couplings and All Couplings * Simulations in SO(3) × Z(2) Lattice Gauge Theory * Exciting a Vortex - the Cost of Confinement * Instantons in QCD * Deformation of Instanton in External Color Fields * Field Strength Correlators in the Instanton Liquid * Instanton and Meron Physics in Lattice QCD * The Dual Ginzburg-Landau Theory for Confinement and the Role of Instantons * Lattice QCD for Quarks, Gluons and Hadrons * Hadronic Spectral Functions in QCD * Universality and Chaos in Quantum Field Theories * Lattice QCD Study of Three Quark Potential * Probing the QCD Vacuum with Flavour Singlet Objects : η' on the Lattice * Lattice Studies of Quarks and Gluons * Quarks and Hadrons in QCD * Supersymmetric Nonlinear Sigma Models * Chiral Transition and Baryon-number Susceptibility * Light Quark Masses in QCD * Chiral Symmetry of Baryons and Baryon Resonances * Confinement and Bound States in QCD * Parallel Session * Off-diagonal Gluon Mass Generation and Strong Randomness of Off-diagonal Gluon Phase in the Maximally Abelian Gauge * On the Colour Confinement and the Minimal Surface * Glueball Mass and String Tension of SU(2) Gluodynamics from Abelian Monopoles and Strings * Application of the Non-Perturbative Renormalization Group to the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio Model at Finite Temperature and Density * Confining Flux-Tube and Hadrons in QCD * Gauge Symmetry Breakdown due to Dynamical Higgs Scalar * Spatial Structure of Quark Cooper Pairs * New Approach to Axial Coupling Constants in the QCD Sum Rule and Instanton Effects * String Breaking on a Lattice * Bethe-Salpeter Approach for Mesons within the Dual Ginzburg-Landau Theory * Gauge Dependence and Matching Procedure of a Nonrelativistic QCD Boundstate Formalism * A Mathematical Approach to the SU(2)-Quark Confinement * Simulations of Odd Flavors QCD by Hybrid Monte Carlo * Non-Perturbative Renormalization Group Analysis of Dynamical Chiral Symmetry Breaking with Beyond Ladder Contributions * Charmonium Physics in Finite Temperature Lattice QCD * From Meson-Nucleon Scattering to Vector Mesons in Nuclear Matter * Symposium Program * List of Participants

Physics of Electronic Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rammer, Jørgen

2017-03-01

1. Quantum mechanics; 2. Quantum tunneling; 3. Standard metal model; 4. Standard conductor model; 5. Electric circuit theory; 6. Quantum wells; 7. Particle in a periodic potential; 8. Bloch currents; 9. Crystalline solids; 10. Semiconductor doping; 11. Transistors; 12. Heterostructures; 13. Mesoscopic physics; 14. Arithmetic, logic and machines; Appendix A. Principles of quantum mechanics; Appendix B. Dirac's delta function; Appendix C. Fourier analysis; Appendix D. Classical mechanics; Appendix E. Wave function properties; Appendix F. Transfer matrix properties; Appendix G. Momentum; Appendix H. Confined particles; Appendix I. Spin and quantum statistics; Appendix J. Statistical mechanics; Appendix K. The Fermi-Dirac distribution; Appendix L. Thermal current fluctuations; Appendix M. Gaussian wave packets; Appendix N. Wave packet dynamics; Appendix O. Screening by symmetry method; Appendix P. Commutation and common eigenfunctions; Appendix Q. Interband coupling; Appendix R. Common crystal structures; Appendix S. Effective mass approximation; Appendix T. Integral doubling formula; Bibliography; Index.

Invited Article: Autonomous assembly of atomically perfect nanostructures using a scanning tunneling microscope.

PubMed

Celotta, Robert J; Balakirsky, Stephen B; Fein, Aaron P; Hess, Frank M; Rutter, Gregory M; Stroscio, Joseph A

2014-12-01

A major goal of nanotechnology is to develop the capability to arrange matter at will by placing individual atoms at desired locations in a predetermined configuration to build a nanostructure with specific properties or function. The scanning tunneling microscope has demonstrated the ability to arrange the basic building blocks of matter, single atoms, in two-dimensional configurations. An array of various nanostructures has been assembled, which display the quantum mechanics of quantum confined geometries. The level of human interaction needed to physically locate the atom and bring it to the desired location limits this atom assembly technology. Here we report the use of autonomous atom assembly via path planning technology; this allows atomically perfect nanostructures to be assembled without the need for human intervention, resulting in precise constructions in shorter times. We demonstrate autonomous assembly by assembling various quantum confinement geometries using atoms and molecules and describe the benefits of this approach.

Manipulating topological-insulator properties using quantum confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotulla, M.; Zülicke, U.

2017-07-01

Recent discoveries have spurred the theoretical prediction and experimental realization of novel materials that have topological properties arising from band inversion. Such topological insulators are insulating in the bulk but have conductive surface or edge states. Topological materials show various unusual physical properties and are surmised to enable the creation of exotic Majorana-fermion quasiparticles. How the signatures of topological behavior evolve when the system size is reduced is interesting from both a fundamental and an application-oriented point of view, as such understanding may form the basis for tailoring systems to be in specific topological phases. This work considers the specific case of quantum-well confinement defining two-dimensional layers. Based on the effective-Hamiltonian description of bulk topological insulators, and using a harmonic-oscillator potential as an example for a softer-than-hard-wall confinement, we have studied the interplay of band inversion and size quantization. Our model system provides a useful platform for systematic study of the transition between the normal and topological phases, including the development of band inversion and the formation of massless-Dirac-fermion surface states. The effects of bare size quantization, two-dimensional-subband mixing, and electron-hole asymmetry are disentangled and their respective physical consequences elucidated.

Two-electrons quantum dot in plasmas under the external fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahar, M. K.; Soylu, A.

2018-02-01

In this study, for the first time, the combined effects of the external electric field, magnetic field, and confinement frequency on energies of two-electron parabolic quantum dots in Debye and quantum plasmas modeled by more general exponential cosine screened Coulomb (MGECSC) potential are investigated by numerically solving the Schrödinger equation using the asymptotic iteration method. The MGECSC potential includes four different potential forms when considering different sets of the parameters in potential. Since the plasma is an important experimental argument for quantum dots, the influence of plasmas modeled by the MGECSC potential on quantum dots is probed. The confinement frequency of quantum dots and the external fields created significant quantum restrictions on quantum dot. In this study, as well as discussion of the functionalities of the quantum restrictions for experimental applications, the parameters are also compared with each other in terms of influence and behaviour. In this manner, the motivation points of this study are summarized as follows: Which parameter can be alternative to which parameter, in terms of experimental applications? Which parameters exhibit similar behaviour? What is the role of plasmas on the corresponding behaviours? In the light of these research studies, it can be said that obtained results and performed discussions would be important in experimental and theoretical research related to plasma physics and/or quantum dots.

Emergent Phenomena at Mott Interfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-03

from a two-dimensional electron gas at a Mott/band insulator interface, Applied Physics Letters, (10 2012): 151604. doi: 10.1063/1.4758989...coefficient of a quantum confined, high-electron-density electron gas in SrTiO3, Applied Physics Letters, (04 2012): 161601. doi: 10.1063...Jalan, Susanne Stemmer, Shawn Mack, S. James Allen. Two-dimensional electron gas in delta- doped SrTiO3, Physical Review B, (08 2010): . doi: A

Study of the nature of the confinement in the GlueX experiment

DOE PAGES

Somov, S.; Berdnikov, Vladmir; Tolstukhin, Ivan; ...

2015-11-03

Confinement is a fundamental property of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) associated with the unique role of the gluonic field responsible for binding quarks in hadrons. Understanding the role of gluons in the confinement of quarks is one of the most tantalizing topics in modern particle physics to be explored. The new experiment GlueX has been recently constructed at Jefferson Lab. The experiment was designed to search for hybrid mesons with exotic quantum numbers using a beam of linearly polarized photons incident on a liquid hydrogen target. The spectrum of these states and their mass splitting from normal mesons may yield informationmore » on confinement. In addition, these observations in combination with detailed chromodynamics calculations such as on the Lattice can provide important tests for our understanding of the role of gluons. The production of exotic mesons is expected to be enhanced in p interactions, where the experimental data is very limited. We present the description of the GlueX detector, beam line, and first results of the commissioning with photon beam.« less

Gate-defined Quantum Confinement in Suspended Bilayer Graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Monica

2013-03-01

Quantum confined devices in carbon-based materials offer unique possibilities for applications ranging from quantum computation to sensing. In particular, nanostructured carbon is a promising candidate for spin-based quantum computation due to the ability to suppress hyperfine coupling to nuclear spins, a dominant source of spin decoherence. Yet graphene lacks an intrinsic bandgap, which poses a serious challenge for the creation of such devices. We present a novel approach to quantum confinement utilizing tunnel barriers defined by local electric fields that break sublattice symmetry in suspended bilayer graphene. This technique electrostatically confines charges via band structure control, thereby eliminating the edge and substrate disorder that hinders on-chip etched nanostructures to date. We report clean single electron tunneling through gate-defined quantum dots in two regimes: at zero magnetic field using the energy gap induced by a perpendicular electric field and at finite magnetic fields using Landau level confinement. The observed Coulomb blockade periodicity agrees with electrostatic simulations based on local top-gate geometry, a direct demonstration of local control over the band structure of graphene. This technology integrates quantum confinement with pristine device quality and access to vibrational modes, enabling wide applications from electromechanical sensors to quantum bits. More broadly, the ability to externally tailor the graphene bandgap over nanometer scales opens a new unexplored avenue for creating quantum devices.

Quantum criticality and universal scaling of strongly attractive spin-imbalanced Fermi gases in a one-dimensional harmonic trap

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yin Xiangguo; Chen Shu; Guan Xiwen

2011-07-15

We investigate quantum criticality and universal scaling of strongly attractive Fermi gases confined in a one-dimensional harmonic trap. We demonstrate from the power-law scaling of the thermodynamic properties that current experiments on this system are capable of measuring universal features at quantum criticality, such as universal scaling and Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid physics. The results also provide insights on recent measurements of key features of the phase diagram of a spin-imbalanced atomic Fermi gas [Y. Liao et al., Nature (London) 467, 567 (2010)] and point to further study of quantum critical phenomena in ultracold atomic Fermi gases.

What's on the Surface? Physics and Chemistry of Delta-Doped Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoenk, Michael

2011-01-01

Outline of presentation: 1. Detector surfaces and the problem of stability 2. Delta-doped detectors 3. Physics of Delta-doped Silicon 4. Chemistry of the Si-SiO2 Interface 5. Physics and Chemistry of Delta-doped Surfaces a. Compensation b. Inversion c. Quantum exclusion. Conclusions: 1. Quantum confinement of electrons and holes dominates the behavior of delta-doped surfaces. 2. Stability of delta-doped detectors: Delta-layer creates an approx 1 eV tunnel barrier between bulk and surface. 3. At high surface charge densities, Tamm-Shockley states form at the surface. 4. Surface passivation by quantum exclusion: Near-surface delta-layer suppresses T-S trapping of minority carriers. 5. The Si-SiO2 interface compensates the surface 6. For delta-layers at intermediate depth, surface inversion layer forms 7. Density of Si-SiO2 interface charge can be extremely high (>10(exp 14)/sq cm)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eads, Calley N.; Bandak, Dmytro; Neupane, Mahesh R.

Strong quantum confinement effects lead to striking new physics in two-dimensional materials such as graphene or transition metal dichalcogenides. While spectroscopic fingerprints of such quantum confinement have been demonstrated widely, the consequences for carrier dynamics are at present less clear, particularly on ultrafast timescales. This is important for tailoring, probing, and understanding spin and electron dynamics in layered and two-dimensional materials even in cases where the desired bandgap engineering has been achieved. Here in this paper we show by means of core–hole clock spectroscopy that SnS 2 exhibits spindependent attosecond charge delocalization times (τ deloc) for carriers confined within amore » layer, τ deloc < 400 as, whereas interlayer charge delocalization is dynamically quenched in excess of a factor of 10, τ deloc > 2.7 fs. These layer decoupling dynamics are a direct consequence of strongly anisotropic screening established within attoseconds, and demonstrate that important two-dimensional characteristics are also present in bulk crystals of van der Waalslayered materials, at least on ultrafast timescales.« less

Quantum scar and breakdown of universality in graphene: A theoretical insight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyakutti, Kombiah; Rajeswarapalanichamy, Ratnavelu; Surya, Velappa Jayaraman; Kawazoe, Yoshiyuki

2017-12-01

Graphene has brought forward a lot of new physics. One of them is the emergence of massless Dirac fermions in addition to the electrons and these features are new to physics. In this theoretical study, the signatures for quantum scar and the breakdown of universality in graphene are investigated with reference to the presence of these two types of fermions. Taking the graphene quantum dot (QD) potential as the confining potential, the radial part of Dirac equations are solved numerically. Concentrations of the two component eigen-wavefunctions about classical periodic orbits emerge as the signatures for the quantum scar. The sudden variations, in the ratio of the radial wave-functions (large and small components), R(g/f), with mass ratio κ are the signatures for breakdown of universality in graphene. The breakdown of universality occurs for the states k = -1 and k = 1, and the state k = -1 is more susceptible to the breakdown of universality.

Hydrogen atom in a quantum plasma environment under the influence of Aharonov-Bohm flux and electric and magnetic fields.

PubMed

Falaye, Babatunde James; Sun, Guo-Hua; Silva-Ortigoza, Ramón; Dong, Shi-Hai

2016-05-01

This study presents the confinement influences of Aharonov-Bohm (AB) flux and electric and magnetic fields directed along the z axis and encircled by quantum plasmas on the hydrogen atom. The all-inclusive effects result in a strongly attractive system while the localizations of quantum levels change and the eigenvalues decrease. We find that the combined effect of the fields is stronger than a solitary effect and consequently there is a substantial shift in the bound state energy of the system. We also find that to perpetuate a low-energy medium for the hydrogen atom in quantum plasmas, a strong electric field and weak magnetic field are required, whereas the AB flux field can be used as a regulator. The application of the perturbation technique utilized in this paper is not restricted to plasma physics; it can also be applied in molecular physics.

What Exactly is the Information Paradox?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathur, S. D.

The black hole information paradox tells us something important about the way quantum mechanics and gravity fit together. In these lectures I try to give a pedagogical review of the essential physics leading to the paradox, using mostly pictures. Hawking's argument is recast as a "theorem": if quantum gravity effects are confined to within a given length scale and the vacuum is assumed to be unique, then there will be information loss. We conclude with a brief summary of how quantum effects in string theory violate the first condition and make the interior of the hole a "fuzzball".

Fan-out Estimation in Spin-based Quantum Computer Scale-up.

PubMed

Nguyen, Thien; Hill, Charles D; Hollenberg, Lloyd C L; James, Matthew R

2017-10-17

Solid-state spin-based qubits offer good prospects for scaling based on their long coherence times and nexus to large-scale electronic scale-up technologies. However, high-threshold quantum error correction requires a two-dimensional qubit array operating in parallel, posing significant challenges in fabrication and control. While architectures incorporating distributed quantum control meet this challenge head-on, most designs rely on individual control and readout of all qubits with high gate densities. We analysed the fan-out routing overhead of a dedicated control line architecture, basing the analysis on a generalised solid-state spin qubit platform parameterised to encompass Coulomb confined (e.g. donor based spin qubits) or electrostatically confined (e.g. quantum dot based spin qubits) implementations. The spatial scalability under this model is estimated using standard electronic routing methods and present-day fabrication constraints. Based on reasonable assumptions for qubit control and readout we estimate 10 2 -10 5 physical qubits, depending on the quantum interconnect implementation, can be integrated and fanned-out independently. Assuming relatively long control-free interconnects the scalability can be extended. Ultimately, the universal quantum computation may necessitate a much higher number of integrated qubits, indicating that higher dimensional electronics fabrication and/or multiplexed distributed control and readout schemes may be the preferredstrategy for large-scale implementation.

Exciton-polariton trapping and potential landscape engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, C.; Winkler, K.; Fraser, M. D.; Kamp, M.; Yamamoto, Y.; Ostrovskaya, E. A.; Höfling, S.

2017-01-01

Exciton-polaritons in semiconductor microcavities have become a model system for the studies of dynamical Bose-Einstein condensation, macroscopic coherence, many-body effects, nonclassical states of light and matter, and possibly quantum phase transitions in a solid state. These low-mass bosonic quasiparticles can condense at comparatively high temperatures up to 300 K, and preserve the fundamental properties of the condensate, such as coherence in space and time domain, even when they are out of equilibrium with the environment. Although the presence of a confining potential is not strictly necessary in order to observe Bose-Einstein condensation, engineering of the polariton confinement is a key to controlling, shaping, and directing the flow of polaritons. Prototype polariton-based optoelectronic devices rely on ultrafast photon-like velocities and strong nonlinearities exhibited by polaritons, as well as on their tailored confinement. Nanotechnology provides several pathways to achieving polariton confinement, and the specific features and advantages of different methods are discussed in this review. Being hybrid exciton-photon quasiparticles, polaritons can be trapped via their excitonic as well as photonic component, which leads to a wide choice of highly complementary trapping techniques. Here, we highlight the almost free choice of the confinement strengths and trapping geometries that provide powerful means for control and manipulation of the polariton systems both in the semi-classical and quantum regimes. Furthermore, the possibilities to observe effects of the polariton blockade, Mott insulator physics, and population of higher-order energy bands in sophisticated lattice potentials are discussed. Observation of such effects could lead to realization of novel polaritonic non-classical light sources and quantum simulators.

Optical properties of Si and Ge nanocrystals: Parameter-free calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, L. E.; Weissker, H.-Ch.; Furthmüller, J.; Bechstedt, F.

2005-12-01

The cover picture of the current issue refers to the Edi-tor's Choice article of Ramos et al. [1]. The paper gives an overview of the electronic and optical properties of silicon and germanium nanocrystals determined by state-of-the-art ab initio methods. Nanocrystals have promising applications in opto-electronic devices, since they can be used to confine electrons and holes and facilitate radiative recombination. Since meas-urements for single nanoparticles are difficult to make, ab initio theoretical investigations become important to understand the mechanisms of luminescence.The cover picture shows nanocrystals of four sizes with tetrahedral coordination whose dangling bonds at the surface are passivated with hydrogen. As often observed in experiments, the nanocrystals are not perfectly spherical, but contain facets. Apart from the size of the nanocrystals, which determines the quantum confinement, the way their dangling bonds are passivated is relevant for their electronic and optical properties. For instance, the passivation with hydroxyls reduces the quantum confine-ment. On the other hand, the oxidation of the silicon nanocrys-tals increases the quantum confinement and reduces the effect of single surface terminations on the gap. Due to the oscillator strengths of the lowest-energy optical transitions, Ge nanocrys-tals are in principle more suitable for opto-electronic applica-tions than Si nanocrystals.The first author, Luis E. Ramos, is a postdoc at the Institute of Solid-State Physics and Optics (IFTO), Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Germany. He investigates electronic and optical properties of semiconductor nanocrystallites and is a member of the European Network of Excellence NANO-QUANTA and of the European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility (ETSF).

Confinement and surface effects on the physical properties of rhombohedral-shape hematite (α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) nanocrystals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luna, Carlos, E-mail: carlos.lunacd@uanl.edu.mx; Cuan-Guerra, Aída D.; Barriga-Castro, Enrique D.

2016-08-15

Highlights: • Uniform rhombohedral hematite nanocrystals (RHNCs) have been obtained. • A detailed formation mechanism of these HNCS has been proposed. • Phonon confinement effects were revealed in the RHNCS vibrational bands. • Quantum confinement effects on the optical and electronic properties were found. - Abstract: Morphological, microstructural and vibrational properties of hematite (α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) nanocrystals with a rhombohedral shape and rounded edges, obtained by forced hydrolysis of iron(III) solutions under a fast nucleation, have been investigated in detail as a function of aging time. These studies allowed us to propose a detailed formation mechanism and revealed that thesemore » nanocrystals are composed of four {104} side facets, two {110} faces at the edges of the long diagonal of the nanocrystals and two {−441} facets as the top and bottom faces. Also, the presence of nanoscopic pores and fissures was evidenced. The vibrational bands of such nanocrystals were shifted to lower frequencies in comparison with bulk hematite ones as the nanocrystal size was reduced due to phonon confinement effects. Also, the indirect and direct transition band gaps displayed interesting dependences on the aging time arising from quantum confinement and surface effects.« less

Invited Article: Autonomous assembly of atomically perfect nanostructures using a scanning tunneling microscope

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Celotta, Robert J., E-mail: robert.celotta@nist.gov, E-mail: joseph.stroscio@nist.gov; Hess, Frank M.; Rutter, Gregory M.

2014-12-15

A major goal of nanotechnology is to develop the capability to arrange matter at will by placing individual atoms at desired locations in a predetermined configuration to build a nanostructure with specific properties or function. The scanning tunneling microscope has demonstrated the ability to arrange the basic building blocks of matter, single atoms, in two-dimensional configurations. An array of various nanostructures has been assembled, which display the quantum mechanics of quantum confined geometries. The level of human interaction needed to physically locate the atom and bring it to the desired location limits this atom assembly technology. Here we report themore » use of autonomous atom assembly via path planning technology; this allows atomically perfect nanostructures to be assembled without the need for human intervention, resulting in precise constructions in shorter times. We demonstrate autonomous assembly by assembling various quantum confinement geometries using atoms and molecules and describe the benefits of this approach.« less

Quantum Computation with Neutral Atoms at Addressable Optical Lattice Sites and Atoms in Confined Geometries

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-13

include doublon dissolution, quantum distillation , and confinement of vacancies in a doublon sea, can be 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4. TITLE AND...include doublon dissolution, quantum distillation , and confinement of vacancies in a doublon sea, can be qualitatively understood even in the intermediate...with a deep enough lattice that isolated doublons are stable; the quantum distillation of singlons out of the doublon sea; and the long term

Electrical control of charged carriers and excitons in atomically thin materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ke; De Greve, Kristiaan; Jauregui, Luis A.; Sushko, Andrey; High, Alexander; Zhou, You; Scuri, Giovanni; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Lukin, Mikhail D.; Park, Hongkun; Kim, Philip

2018-02-01

Electrical confinement and manipulation of charge carriers in semiconducting nanostructures are essential for realizing functional quantum electronic devices1-3. The unique band structure4-7 of atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offers a new route towards realizing novel 2D quantum electronic devices, such as valleytronic devices and valley-spin qubits8. 2D TMDs also provide a platform for novel quantum optoelectronic devices9-11 due to their large exciton binding energy12,13. However, controlled confinement and manipulation of electronic and excitonic excitations in TMD nanostructures have been technically challenging due to the prevailing disorder in the material, preventing accurate experimental control of local confinement and tunnel couplings14-16. Here we demonstrate a novel method for creating high-quality heterostructures composed of atomically thin materials that allows for efficient electrical control of excitations. Specifically, we demonstrate quantum transport in the gate-defined, quantum-confined region, observing spin-valley locked quantized conductance in quantum point contacts. We also realize gate-controlled Coulomb blockade associated with confinement of electrons and demonstrate electrical control over charged excitons with tunable local confinement potentials and tunnel couplings. Our work provides a basis for novel quantum opto-electronic devices based on manipulation of charged carriers and excitons.

Nonlocal character of quantum theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stapp, H.P.

1997-04-01

According to a common conception of causality, the truth of a statement that refers only to phenomena confined to an earlier time cannot depend upon which measurement an experimenter will freely choose to perform at a later time. According to a common idea of the theory of relativity this causality condition should be valid in all Lorentz frames. It is shown here that this concept of relativistic causality is incompatible with some simple predictions of quantum theory. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Association of Physics Teachers.}

Observability of localized magnetoplasmons in quantum dots: Scrutinizing the eligibility of far-infrared, Raman, and electron-energy-loss spectroscopies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushwaha, Manvir S.

2016-03-01

We investigate a one-component, quasi-zero dimensional, quantum plasma exposed to a parabolic potential and an applied magnetic field in the symmetric gauge. If the size of such a system as can be realized in the semiconducting quantum dots is on the order of the de-Broglie wavelength, the electronic and optical properties become highly tunable. Then the quantum size effects challenge the observation of many-particle phenomena such as the magneto-optical absorption, Raman intensity, and electron energy-loss spectrum. An exact analytical solution of the problem leads us to infer that these many-particle phenomena are, in fact, dictated by the generalized Kohn's theorem (GKT) in the long-wavelength limit. Maneuvering the confinement and/or the magnetic field furnishes the resonance energies capable of being explored with the FIR, Raman, and/or electron-energy-loss spectroscopy. This implies that either of these probes is competent in observing the localized magnetoplasmons in the system. As an application of the rigorous analytical diagnosis of the system, we have presented various pertinent single-particle, such as Fock-Darwin spectrum, Fermi energy, zigzag excitation spectrum, and magneto-optical transitions, and the many-particle phenomena, such as magneto-optical absorption, Raman intensity, and electron energy-loss probability. In the latter, the energy position of the resonance peaks is observed to be independent of the electron-electron interactions and hence of the number of electrons in the quantum dot in compliance with the GKT. It is found that both confinement potential and magnetic field play a decisive role in influencing the aforementioned many-particle phenomena. Specifically, increasing (decreasing) the strength of the confining potential is found to be analogous to shrinking (expanding) the size of the quantum dots and results into a blue (red) shift in the respective spectra. Intensifying the magnetic field has two-fold effects in the resonance spectra associated with all three spectroscopies considered here: the lower resonance peak observes a red shift, whereas the higher one experiences a blue shift. This is a unique and intriguing behavior observed in the quantum dots with complete confinement. A deeper insight into the physics of the quantum dots is paving the way for their implementation in such diverse fields as quantum computing and medical imaging.

Quantum confinement of nanocrystals within amorphous matrices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lusk, Mark T.; Collins, Reuben T.; Nourbakhsh, Zahra; Akbarzadeh, Hadi

2014-02-01

Nanocrystals encapsulated within an amorphous matrix are computationally analyzed to quantify the degree to which the matrix modifies the nature of their quantum-confinement power—i.e., the relationship between nanocrystal size and the gap between valence- and conduction-band edges. A special geometry allows exactly the same amorphous matrix to be applied to nanocrystals of increasing size to precisely quantify changes in confinement without the noise typically associated with encapsulating structures that are different for each nanocrystal. The results both explain and quantify the degree to which amorphous matrices redshift the character of quantum confinement. The character of this confinement depends on both the type of encapsulating material and the separation distance between the nanocrystals within it. Surprisingly, the analysis also identifies a critical nanocrystal threshold below which quantum confinement is not possible—a feature unique to amorphous encapsulation. Although applied to silicon nanocrystals within an amorphous silicon matrix, the methodology can be used to accurately analyze the confinement softening of other amorphous systems as well.

Deterministic quantum teleportation of atomic qubits.

PubMed

Barrett, M D; Chiaverini, J; Schaetz, T; Britton, J; Itano, W M; Jost, J D; Knill, E; Langer, C; Leibfried, D; Ozeri, R; Wineland, D J

2004-06-17

Quantum teleportation provides a means to transport quantum information efficiently from one location to another, without the physical transfer of the associated quantum-information carrier. This is achieved by using the non-local correlations of previously distributed, entangled quantum bits (qubits). Teleportation is expected to play an integral role in quantum communication and quantum computation. Previous experimental demonstrations have been implemented with optical systems that used both discrete and continuous variables, and with liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. Here we report unconditional teleportation of massive particle qubits using atomic (9Be+) ions confined in a segmented ion trap, which aids individual qubit addressing. We achieve an average fidelity of 78 per cent, which exceeds the fidelity of any protocol that does not use entanglement. This demonstration is also important because it incorporates most of the techniques necessary for scalable quantum information processing in an ion-trap system.

Influence of quantum confinement and strain on orbital polarization of four-layer LaNiO 3 superlattices: A DFT+DMFT study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, Hyowon; Millis, Andrew J.; Marianetti, Chris A.

Atomically precise superlattices involving transition metal oxides provide a unique opportunity to engineer correlated electron physics using strain (modulated by choice of substate) and quantum confinement (controlled by layer thickness). We use the combination of density functional theory and dynamical mean field theory (DFT+DMFT) to study Ni E g d-orbital polarization in strained LaNiO 3/LaAlO 3 superlattices consisting of four layers of nominally metallic NiO 2 and four layers of insulating AlO 2 separated by LaO layers. The layer-resolved orbital polarization is calculated as a function of strain and analyzed in terms of structural, quantum confinement, and correlation effects. Wemore » determined that the effect of strain is from the dependence of the results on the Ni-O bondlength ratio and the octahedral rotation angles; quantum confinement is studied by comparison to bulk calculations with similar degrees of strain; correlation effects are inferred by varying interaction parameters within our DFT+DMFT calculations. The calculated dependence of orbital polarization on strain in superlattices is qualitatively consistent with recent X-ray absorption spectroscopy and resonant reflectometry data. But, interesting differences of detail are found between theory and experiment. Under tensile strain, the two inequivalent Ni ions display orbital polarization similar to that calculated for strained bulk LaNiO 3 and observed in experiment. Compressive strain produces a larger dependence of orbital polarization on Ni position and even the inner Ni layer exhibits orbital polarization different from that calculated for strained bulk LaNiO 3.« less

Influence of quantum confinement and strain on orbital polarization of four-layer LaNiO 3 superlattices: A DFT+DMFT study

DOE PAGES

Park, Hyowon; Millis, Andrew J.; Marianetti, Chris A.

2016-06-07

Atomically precise superlattices involving transition metal oxides provide a unique opportunity to engineer correlated electron physics using strain (modulated by choice of substate) and quantum confinement (controlled by layer thickness). We use the combination of density functional theory and dynamical mean field theory (DFT+DMFT) to study Ni E g d-orbital polarization in strained LaNiO 3/LaAlO 3 superlattices consisting of four layers of nominally metallic NiO 2 and four layers of insulating AlO 2 separated by LaO layers. The layer-resolved orbital polarization is calculated as a function of strain and analyzed in terms of structural, quantum confinement, and correlation effects. Wemore » determined that the effect of strain is from the dependence of the results on the Ni-O bondlength ratio and the octahedral rotation angles; quantum confinement is studied by comparison to bulk calculations with similar degrees of strain; correlation effects are inferred by varying interaction parameters within our DFT+DMFT calculations. The calculated dependence of orbital polarization on strain in superlattices is qualitatively consistent with recent X-ray absorption spectroscopy and resonant reflectometry data. But, interesting differences of detail are found between theory and experiment. Under tensile strain, the two inequivalent Ni ions display orbital polarization similar to that calculated for strained bulk LaNiO 3 and observed in experiment. Compressive strain produces a larger dependence of orbital polarization on Ni position and even the inner Ni layer exhibits orbital polarization different from that calculated for strained bulk LaNiO 3.« less

Efficient Multi-Dimensional Simulation of Quantum Confinement Effects in Advanced MOS Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biegel, Bryan A.; Rafferty, Conor S.; Ancona, Mario G.; Yu, Zhi-Ping

2000-01-01

We investigate the density-gradient (DG) transport model for efficient multi-dimensional simulation of quantum confinement effects in advanced MOS devices. The formulation of the DG model is described as a quantum correction to the classical drift-diffusion model. Quantum confinement effects are shown to be significant in sub-100nm MOSFETs. In thin-oxide MOS capacitors, quantum effects may reduce gate capacitance by 25% or more. As a result, the inclusion or quantum effects in simulations dramatically improves the match between C-V simulations and measurements for oxide thickness down to 2 nm. Significant quantum corrections also occur in the I-V characteristics of short-channel (30 to 100 nm) n-MOSFETs, with current drive reduced by up to 70%. This effect is shown to result from reduced inversion charge due to quantum confinement of electrons in the channel. Also, subthreshold slope is degraded by 15 to 20 mV/decade with the inclusion of quantum effects via the density-gradient model, and short channel effects (in particular, drain-induced barrier lowering) are noticeably increased.

Characteristics of gradient-interface-structured ZnCdSSe quantum dots with modified interface and its application to quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Da-Woon; Kim, Jae-Yup; Seo, Han Wook; Lim, Kyoung-Mook; Ko, Min Jae; Seong, Tae-Yeon; Kim, Bum Sung

2018-01-01

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are attractive materials for application in photovoltaics, LEDs, displays, and bio devices owing to their unique properties. In this study, we synthesized gradient-interface-structured ZnCdSSe QDs and modified the interface based on a thermodynamic simulation to investigate its optical and physical properties. In addition, the interface was modified by increasing the molar concentration of Se. QDs at the modified interface were applied to QD-sensitized solar cells, which showed a 25.5% increase in photoelectric conversion efficiency owing to the reduced electron confinement effect. The increase seems to be caused by the excited electrons being relatively easily transferred to the level of TiO2 owing to the reduced electron confinement effect. Consequently, the electron confinement effect was observed to be reduced by increasing the ZnSe (or Zn1-xCdxSe)-rich phase at the interface. This means that, based on the thermodynamic simulation, the interface between the core QDs and the surface of the QDs can be controlled. The improvement of optical and electronic properties by controlling interfaces and surfaces during the synthesis of QDs, as reported in this work, can be useful for many applications beyond solar cells.

Gate-defined quantum confinement in suspended bilayer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, M. T.; Martin, J.; Yacoby, A.

2012-07-01

Quantum-confined devices that manipulate single electrons in graphene are emerging as attractive candidates for nanoelectronics applications. Previous experiments have employed etched graphene nanostructures, but edge and substrate disorder severely limit device functionality. Here we present a technique that builds quantum-confined structures in suspended bilayer graphene with tunnel barriers defined by external electric fields that open a bandgap, thereby eliminating both edge and substrate disorder. We report clean quantum dot formation in two regimes: at zero magnetic field B using the energy gap induced by a perpendicular electric field and at B>0 using the quantum Hall ν=0 gap for confinement. Coulomb blockade oscillations exhibit periodicity consistent with electrostatic simulations based on local top-gate geometry, a direct demonstration of local control over the band structure of graphene. This technology integrates single electron transport with high device quality and access to vibrational modes, enabling broad applications from electromechanical sensors to quantum bits.

Stochastic analysis of surface roughness models in quantum wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nedjalkov, Mihail; Ellinghaus, Paul; Weinbub, Josef; Sadi, Toufik; Asenov, Asen; Dimov, Ivan; Selberherr, Siegfried

2018-07-01

We present a signed particle computational approach for the Wigner transport model and use it to analyze the electron state dynamics in quantum wires focusing on the effect of surface roughness. Usually surface roughness is considered as a scattering model, accounted for by the Fermi Golden Rule, which relies on approximations like statistical averaging and in the case of quantum wires incorporates quantum corrections based on the mode space approach. We provide a novel computational approach to enable physical analysis of these assumptions in terms of phase space and particles. Utilized is the signed particles model of Wigner evolution, which, besides providing a full quantum description of the electron dynamics, enables intuitive insights into the processes of tunneling, which govern the physical evolution. It is shown that the basic assumptions of the quantum-corrected scattering model correspond to the quantum behavior of the electron system. Of particular importance is the distribution of the density: Due to the quantum confinement, electrons are kept away from the walls, which is in contrast to the classical scattering model. Further quantum effects are retardation of the electron dynamics and quantum reflection. Far from equilibrium the assumption of homogeneous conditions along the wire breaks even in the case of ideal wire walls.

Multi-million atom electronic structure calculations for quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usman, Muhammad

Quantum dots grown by self-assembly process are typically constructed by 50,000 to 5,000,000 structural atoms which confine a small, countable number of extra electrons or holes in a space that is comparable in size to the electron wavelength. Under such conditions quantum dots can be interpreted as artificial atoms with the potential to be custom tailored to new functionality. In the past decade or so, these nanostructures have attracted significant experimental and theoretical attention in the field of nanoscience. The new and tunable optical and electrical properties of these artificial atoms have been proposed in a variety of different fields, for example in communication and computing systems, medical and quantum computing applications. Predictive and quantitative modeling and simulation of these structures can help to narrow down the vast design space to a range that is experimentally affordable and move this part of nanoscience to nano-Technology. Modeling of such quantum dots pose a formidable challenge to theoretical physicists because: (1) Strain originating from the lattice mismatch of the materials penetrates deep inside the buffer surrounding the quantum dots and require large scale (multi-million atom) simulations to correctly capture its effect on the electronic structure, (2) The interface roughness, the alloy randomness, and the atomistic granularity require the calculation of electronic structure at the atomistic scale. Most of the current or past theoretical calculations are based on continuum approach such as effective mass approximation or k.p modeling capturing either no or one of the above mentioned effects, thus missing some of the essential physics. The Objectives of this thesis are: (1) to model and simulate the experimental quantum dot topologies at the atomistic scale; (2) to theoretically explore the essential physics i.e. long range strain, linear and quadratic piezoelectricity, interband optical transition strengths, quantum confined stark shift, coherent coupling of electronic states in a quantum dot molecule etc.; (3) to assess the potential use of the quantum dots in real device implementation and to provide physical insight to the experimentalists. Full three dimensional strain and electronic structure simulations of quantum dot structures containing multi-million atoms are done using NEMO 3-D. Both single and vertically stacked quantum dot structures are analyzed in detail. The results show that the strain and the piezoelectricity significantly impact the electronic structure of these devices. This work shows that the InAs quantum dots when placed in the InGaAs quantum well red shifts the emission wavelength. Such InAs/GaAs-based optical devices can be used for optical-fiber based communication systems at longer wavelengths (1.3um -- 1.5um). Our atomistic simulations of InAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots quantitatively match with the experiment and give the critical insight of the physics involved in these structures. A single quantum dot molecule is studied for coherent quantum coupling of electronic states under the influence of static electric field applied in the growth direction. Such nanostructures can be used in the implementation of quantum information technologies. A close quantitative match with the experimental optical measurements allowed us to get a physical insight into the complex physics of quantum tunnel couplings of electronic states as the device operation switches between atomic and molecular regimes. Another important aspect is to design the quantum dots for a desired isotropic polarization of the optical emissions. Both single and coupled quantum dots are studied for TE/TM ratio engineering. The atomistic study provides a detailed physical analysis of these computationally expensive large nanostructures and serves as a guide for the experimentalists for the design of the polarization independent devices for the optical communication systems.

Efficient Multi-Dimensional Simulation of Quantum Confinement Effects in Advanced MOS Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biegel, Bryan A.; Ancona, Mario G.; Rafferty, Conor S.; Yu, Zhiping

2000-01-01

We investigate the density-gradient (DG) transport model for efficient multi-dimensional simulation of quantum confinement effects in advanced MOS devices. The formulation of the DG model is described as a quantum correction ot the classical drift-diffusion model. Quantum confinement effects are shown to be significant in sub-100nm MOSFETs. In thin-oxide MOS capacitors, quantum effects may reduce gate capacitance by 25% or more. As a result, the inclusion of quantum effects may reduce gate capacitance by 25% or more. As a result, the inclusion of quantum effects in simulations dramatically improves the match between C-V simulations and measurements for oxide thickness down to 2 nm. Significant quantum corrections also occur in the I-V characteristics of short-channel (30 to 100 nm) n-MOSFETs, with current drive reduced by up to 70%. This effect is shown to result from reduced inversion charge due to quantum confinement of electrons in the channel. Also, subthreshold slope is degraded by 15 to 20 mV/decade with the inclusion of quantum effects via the density-gradient model, and short channel effects (in particular, drain-induced barrier lowering) are noticeably increased.

Quantum confinement engineering on a novel two dimensional electron gas based on KTaO3 oxide interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Ludi; Wang, Jing; Du, Renzhong; Bedford, Bailey; Huber, Nathan; Zhao, Weiwei; Li, Qi; Qi Li's Research Group Team

The discovery of two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at transition metal oxide (TMO) surfaces and interfaces has opened up broad interest due to their exotic properties such as quantum Hall effect, 2D superconductivity and gate controlled ground states. Recently, 5 d TMOs are hotly investigated due to their strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), a key element of topological materials. Among them, KTaO3 (KTO) not only hosts 2DEGs but also involves strong SOC. Here we report the discovery of electron gas based on KTO oxide interface, with low temperature mobility as large as 8000cm2V-1s-1. Strong Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillation in magnetoresistance is observed at 350 mK. Based on this playground we demonstrate a novel technique to perform quantum confinement engineering by inserting an insulating spacing layer into the interface. Indeed, we observed a drastic change in SdH oscillation from 3D-like behavior to 2D-like behavior. In addition, Fermi surface reconstruction due to the quantum confinement is also observed from SdH oscillation. Our results not only provide a novel playground for condensed matter physics and all-oxide device applications, but also open a promising new route in tailoring the dimensionality of electron gas systems. The research was supported in part by the DOE (Grant No. DE-FG02-08ER4653) on measurements and the NSF (Grant No. DMR-1411166) on nanofabrications.

Probing the excited subband dispersion of holes confined to GaAs wide quantum wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jo, Insun; Liu, Yang; Deng, H.; Shayegan, M.; Pfeiffer, L. N.; West, K. W.; Baldwin, K. W.; Winkler, R.

Owing to the strong spin-orbit coupling and their large effective mass, the two-dimensional (2D) holes in modulation-doped GaAs quantum wells provide a fertile test bed to study the rich physics of low-dimensional systems. In a wide quantum well, even at moderate 2D densities, the holes start to occupy the excited subband, a subband whose dispersion is very unusual and has a non-monotonic dependence on the wave vector. Here, we study a 2D hole system confined to a 40-nm-thick (001) GaAs quantum well and demonstrate that, via the application of both front and back gates, the density can be tuned in a wide range, between ~1 and 2 ×1011 cm-2. Using Fourier analysis of the low-field Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, we investigate the population of holes and the spin-orbit interaction induced spin-splitting in different subbands. We discuss the results in light of self-consistent quantum calculations of magneto-oscillations. Work support by the DOE BES (DE-FG02-00-ER45841), the NSF (Grants DMR-1305691 and MRSEC DMR-1420541), the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Grant GBMF4420), and Keck Foundation for experiments, and the NSF Grant DMR-1310199 for calculations.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kushwaha, Manvir S.

We investigate a one-component, quasi-zero dimensional, quantum plasma exposed to a parabolic potential and an applied magnetic field in the symmetric gauge. If the size of such a system as can be realized in the semiconducting quantum dots is on the order of the de-Broglie wavelength, the electronic and optical properties become highly tunable. Then the quantum size effects challenge the observation of many-particle phenomena such as the magneto-optical absorption, Raman intensity, and electron energy-loss spectrum. An exact analytical solution of the problem leads us to infer that these many-particle phenomena are, in fact, dictated by the generalized Kohn’s theoremmore » (GKT) in the long-wavelength limit. Maneuvering the confinement and/or the magnetic field furnishes the resonance energies capable of being explored with the FIR, Raman, and/or electron-energy-loss spectroscopy. This implies that either of these probes is competent in observing the localized magnetoplasmons in the system. As an application of the rigorous analytical diagnosis of the system, we have presented various pertinent single-particle, such as Fock-Darwin spectrum, Fermi energy, zigzag excitation spectrum, and magneto-optical transitions, and the many-particle phenomena, such as magneto-optical absorption, Raman intensity, and electron energy-loss probability. In the latter, the energy position of the resonance peaks is observed to be independent of the electron-electron interactions and hence of the number of electrons in the quantum dot in compliance with the GKT. It is found that both confinement potential and magnetic field play a decisive role in influencing the aforementioned many-particle phenomena. Specifically, increasing (decreasing) the strength of the confining potential is found to be analogous to shrinking (expanding) the size of the quantum dots and results into a blue (red) shift in the respective spectra. Intensifying the magnetic field has two-fold effects in the resonance spectra associated with all three spectroscopies considered here: the lower resonance peak observes a red shift, whereas the higher one experiences a blue shift. This is a unique and intriguing behavior observed in the quantum dots with complete confinement. A deeper insight into the physics of the quantum dots is paving the way for their implementation in such diverse fields as quantum computing and medical imaging.« less

Properties and applications of quantum dot heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

PubMed Central

2006-01-01

One of the main directions of contemporary semiconductor physics is the production and study of structures with a dimension less than two: quantum wires and quantum dots, in order to realize novel devices that make use of low-dimensional confinement effects. One of the promising fabrication methods is to use self-organized three-dimensional (3D) structures, such as 3D coherent islands, which are often formed during the initial stage of heteroepitaxial growth in lattice-mismatched systems. This article is intended to convey the flavour of the subject by focussing on the structural, optical and electronic properties and device applications of self-assembled quantum dots and to give an elementary introduction to some of the essential characteristics.

SEMICONDUCTOR PHYSICS: Properties of the two- and three-dimensional quantum dot qubit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shihua, Chen

2010-05-01

On the condition of electric-longitudinal-optical (LO) phonon strong coupling in both two- and three-dimensional parabolic quantum dots (QDs), we obtain the eigenenergies of the ground state (GS) and the first excited state (ES), the eigenfunctions of the GS and the first ES by using a variational method of Pekar type. This system in QD may be employed as a quantum system-quantum bit (qubit). When the electron is in the superposition state of the GS and the first ES, we obtain the time evolution of the electron density. The relations of both the electron probability density and the period of oscillation with the electric-LO phonon coupling strength and confinement length are discussed.

Anisotropic attosecond charge carrier dynamics and layer decoupling in quasi-2D layered SnS 2

DOE PAGES

Eads, Calley N.; Bandak, Dmytro; Neupane, Mahesh R.; ...

2017-11-08

Strong quantum confinement effects lead to striking new physics in two-dimensional materials such as graphene or transition metal dichalcogenides. While spectroscopic fingerprints of such quantum confinement have been demonstrated widely, the consequences for carrier dynamics are at present less clear, particularly on ultrafast timescales. This is important for tailoring, probing, and understanding spin and electron dynamics in layered and two-dimensional materials even in cases where the desired bandgap engineering has been achieved. Here in this paper we show by means of core–hole clock spectroscopy that SnS 2 exhibits spindependent attosecond charge delocalization times (τ deloc) for carriers confined within amore » layer, τ deloc < 400 as, whereas interlayer charge delocalization is dynamically quenched in excess of a factor of 10, τ deloc > 2.7 fs. These layer decoupling dynamics are a direct consequence of strongly anisotropic screening established within attoseconds, and demonstrate that important two-dimensional characteristics are also present in bulk crystals of van der Waalslayered materials, at least on ultrafast timescales.« less

Physical approach to quantum networks with massive particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersen, Molte Emil Strange; Zinner, Nikolaj Thomas

2018-04-01

Assembling large-scale quantum networks is a key goal of modern physics research with applications in quantum information and computation. Quantum wires and waveguides in which massive particles propagate in tailored confinement is one promising platform for realizing a quantum network. In the literature, such networks are often treated as quantum graphs, that is, the wave functions are taken to live on graphs of one-dimensional edges meeting in vertices. Hitherto, it has been unclear what boundary conditions on the vertices produce the physical states one finds in nature. This paper treats a quantum network from a physical approach, explicitly finds the physical eigenstates and compares them to the quantum-graph description. The basic building block of a quantum network is an X-shaped potential well made by crossing two quantum wires, and we consider a massive particle in such an X well. The system is analyzed using a variational method based on an expansion into modes with fast convergence and it provides a very clear intuition for the physics of the problem. The particle is found to have a ground state that is exponentially localized to the center of the X well, and the other symmetric solutions are formed so to be orthogonal to the ground state. This is in contrast to the predictions of the conventionally used so-called Kirchoff boundary conditions in quantum graph theory that predict a different sequence of symmetric solutions that cannot be physically realized. Numerical methods have previously been the only source of information on the ground-state wave function and our results provide a different perspective with strong analytical insights. The ground-state wave function has a spatial profile that looks very similar to the shape of a solitonic solution to a nonlinear Schrödinger equation, enabling an analytical prediction of the wave number. When combining multiple X wells into a network or grid, each site supports a solitonlike localized state. These localized solutions only couple to each other and are able to jump from one site to another as if they were trapped in a discrete lattice.

Effects of quantum confinement and shape on band gap of core/shell quantum dots and nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Faming

2011-05-01

A quantum confinement model for nanocrystals developed is extended to study for the optical gap shifts in core/shell quantum dots and nanowires. The chemical bond properties and gap shifts in the InP/ZnS, CdSe/CdS, CdSe/ZnS, and CdTe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots are calculated in detail. The calculated band gaps are in excellent agreement with experimental values. The effects of structural taping and twinning on quantum confinement of InP and Si nanowires are elucidated. It is found theoretically that a competition between the positive Kubo energy-gap shift and the negative surface energy shift plays the crucial role in the optical gaps of these nanosystems.

Silicon CMOS architecture for a spin-based quantum computer.

PubMed

Veldhorst, M; Eenink, H G J; Yang, C H; Dzurak, A S

2017-12-15

Recent advances in quantum error correction codes for fault-tolerant quantum computing and physical realizations of high-fidelity qubits in multiple platforms give promise for the construction of a quantum computer based on millions of interacting qubits. However, the classical-quantum interface remains a nascent field of exploration. Here, we propose an architecture for a silicon-based quantum computer processor based on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. We show how a transistor-based control circuit together with charge-storage electrodes can be used to operate a dense and scalable two-dimensional qubit system. The qubits are defined by the spin state of a single electron confined in quantum dots, coupled via exchange interactions, controlled using a microwave cavity, and measured via gate-based dispersive readout. We implement a spin qubit surface code, showing the prospects for universal quantum computation. We discuss the challenges and focus areas that need to be addressed, providing a path for large-scale quantum computing.

Using ‘particle in a box’ models to calculate energy levels in semiconductor quantum well structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebbens, A. T.

2018-07-01

Although infinite potential ‘particle in a box’ models are widely used to introduce quantised energy levels their predictions cannot be quantitatively compared with atomic emission spectra. Here, this problem is overcome by describing how both infinite and finite potential well models can be used to calculate the confined energy levels of semiconductor quantum wells. This is done by using physics and mathematics concepts that are accessible to pre-university students. The results of the models are compared with experimental data and their accuracy discussed.

Fast Single-Shot Hold Spin Readout in Double Quantum Dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogan, Alexander; Studenikin, Sergei; Korkusinski, Marek; Aers, Geof; Gaudreau, Louis; Zawadzki, Piotr; Sachrajda, Andy; Tracy, Lisa; Reno, John; Hargett, Terry

Solid state spin qubits in quantum dots hold promise as scalable, high-density qubits in quantum information processing architectures. While much of the experimental investigation of these devices and their physics has focused on confined electron spins, hole spins in III-V semiconductors are attractive alternatives to electrons due to the reduced hyperfine coupling between the spin and the incoherent nuclear environment. In this talk, we will discuss a measurement protocol of the hole spin relaxation time T1 in a gated lateral GaAs double quantum dot tuned to the one and two-hole regimes, as well as a new technique for single-shot projective measurement of a single spin in tens of nanoseconds or less. The technique makes use of fast non-spin-conserving inter-dot transitions permitted by strong spin-orbit interactions for holes, as well as the latching of the charge state of the second quantum dot for enhanced sensitivity. This technique allows a direct measurement of the single spin relaxation time on time-scales set by physical device rather than by limitations of the measurement circuit.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramírez-Morales, A.; Martínez-Orozco, J. C.; Rodríguez-Vargas, I.

The main characteristics of the quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE) are studied theoretically in quantum wells of Gaussian profile. The semi-empirical tight-binding model and the Green function formalism are applied in the numerical calculations. A comparison of the QCSE in quantum wells with different kinds of confining potential is presented.

Photonic engineering of highly linearly polarized quantum dot emission at telecommunication wavelengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mrowiński, P.; Emmerling, M.; Schneider, C.; Reithmaier, J. P.; Misiewicz, J.; Höfling, S.; Sek, G.

2018-04-01

In this work, we discuss a method to control the polarization anisotropy of spontaneous emission from neutral excitons confined in quantum-dot-like nanostructures, namely single epitaxial InAs quantum dashes emitting at telecom wavelengths. The nanostructures are embedded inside lithographically defined, in-plane asymmetric photonic mesa structures, which generate polarization-dependent photonic confinement. First, we study the influence of the photonic confinement on the polarization anisotropy of the emission by photoluminescence spectroscopy, and we find evidence of different contributions to a degree of linear polarization (DOLP), i.e., from the quantum dash and the photonic mesa, in total giving rise to DOLP =0.85 . Then, we perform finite-difference time-domain simulations of photonic confinement, and we calculate the DOLP in a dipole approximation showing well-matched results for the established model. Furthermore, by using numerical calculations, we demonstrate several types of photonic confinements where highly linearly polarized emission with DOLP of about 0.9 is possible by controlling the position of a quantum emitter inside the photonic structure. Then, we elaborate on anisotropic quantum emitters allowing for exceeding DOLP =0.95 in an optimized case, and we discuss the ways towards efficient linearly polarized single photon source at telecom bands.

Electron-Phonon Coupling and Resonant Relaxation from 1D and 1P States in PbS Quantum Dots.

PubMed

Kennehan, Eric R; Doucette, Grayson S; Marshall, Ashley R; Grieco, Christopher; Munson, Kyle T; Beard, Matthew C; Asbury, John B

2018-05-31

Observations of the hot-phonon bottleneck, which is predicted to slow the rate of hot carrier cooling in quantum confined nanocrystals, have been limited to date for reasons that are not fully understood. We used time-resolved infrared spectroscopy to directly measure higher energy intraband transitions in PbS colloidal quantum dots. Direct measurements of these intraband transitions permitted detailed analysis of the electronic overlap of the quantum confined states that may influence their relaxation processes. In smaller PbS nanocrystals, where the hot-phonon bottleneck is expected to be most pronounced, we found that relaxation of parity selection rules combined with stronger electron-phonon coupling led to greater spectral overlap of transitions among the quantum confined states. This created pathways for fast energy transfer and relaxation that may bypass the predicted hot-phonon bottleneck. In contrast, larger, but still quantum confined nanocrystals did not exhibit such relaxation of the parity selection rules and possessed narrower intraband states. These observations were consistent with slower relaxation dynamics that have been measured in larger quantum confined systems. These findings indicated that, at small radii, electron-phonon interactions overcome the advantageous increase in energetic separation of the electronic states for PbS quantum dots. Selection of appropriately sized quantum dots, which minimize spectral broadening due to electron-phonon interactions while maximizing electronic state separation, is necessary to observe the hot-phonon bottleneck. Such optimization may provide a framework for achieving efficient hot carrier collection and multiple exciton generation.

Horizon quantum fuzziness for non-singular black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giugno, Andrea; Giusti, Andrea; Helou, Alexis

2018-03-01

We study the extent of quantum gravitational effects in the internal region of non-singular, Hayward-like solutions of Einstein's field equations according to the formalism known as horizon quantum mechanics. We grant a microscopic description to the horizon by considering a huge number of soft, off-shell gravitons, which superimpose in the same quantum state, as suggested by Dvali and Gomez. In addition to that, the constituents of such a configuration are understood as loosely confined in a binding harmonic potential. A simple analysis shows that the resolution of a central singularity through quantum physics does not tarnish the classical description, which is bestowed upon this extended self-gravitating system by General Relativity. Finally, we estimate the appearance of an internal horizon as being negligible, because of the suppression of the related probability caused by the large number of virtual gravitons.

Quantum control of quasi-collision states: A protocol for hybrid fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilela Mendes, R.

2018-04-01

When confined to small regions quantum systems exhibit electronic and structural properties different from their free space behavior. These properties are of interest, for example, for molecular insertion, hydrogen storage and the exploration of new pathways for chemical and nuclear reactions. Here, a confined three-body problem is studied, with emphasis on the study of the “quantum scars” associated to dynamical collisions. For the particular case of nuclear reactions, it is proposed that a molecular cage might simply be used as a confining device with the collision states accessed by quantum control techniques.

Superconducting nanoribbon with a constriction: A quantum-confined Josephson junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flammia, L.; Zhang, L.-F.; Covaci, L.; Perali, A.; Milošević, M. V.

2018-04-01

Extended defects are known to strongly affect nanoscale superconductors. Here, we report the properties of superconducting nanoribbons with a constriction formed between two adjacent step edges by solving the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations self-consistently in the regime where quantum confinement is important. Since the quantum resonances of the superconducting gap in the constricted area are different from the rest of the nanoribbon, such constriction forms a quantum-confined S-S'-S Josephson junction, with a broadly tunable performance depending on the length and width of the constriction with respect to the nanoribbon, and possible gating. These findings provide an intriguing approach to further tailor superconducting quantum devices where Josephson effect is of use.

Adjustable Spin-Spin Interaction with 171Yb+ ions and Addressing of a Quantum Byte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wunderlich, Christof

2015-05-01

Trapped atomic ions are a well-advanced physical system for investigating fundamental questions of quantum physics and for quantum information science and its applications. When contemplating the scalability of trapped ions for quantum information science one notes that the use of laser light for coherent operations gives rise to technical and also physical issues that can be remedied by replacing laser light by microwave (MW) and radio-frequency (RF) radiation employing suitably modified ion traps. Magnetic gradient induced coupling (MAGIC) makes it possible to coherently manipulate trapped ions using exclusively MW and RF radiation. After introducing the general concept of MAGIC, I shall report on recent experimental progress using 171Yb+ ions, confined in a suitable Paul trap, as effective spin-1/2 systems interacting via MAGIC. Entangling gates between non-neighbouring ions will be presented. The spin-spin coupling strength is variable and can be adjusted by variation of the secular trap frequency. In general, executing a quantum gate with a single qubit, or a subset of qubits, affects the quantum states of all other qubits. This reduced fidelity of the whole quantum register may preclude scalability. We demonstrate addressing of individual qubits within a quantum byte (eight qubits interacting via MAGIC) using MW radiation and measure the error induced in all non-addressed qubits (cross-talk) associated with the application of single-qubit gates. The measured cross-talk is on the order 10-5 and therefore below the threshold commonly agreed sufficient to efficiently realize fault-tolerant quantum computing. Furthermore, experimental results on continuous and pulsed dynamical decoupling (DD) for protecting quantum memories and quantum gates against decoherence will be briefly discussed. Finally, I report on using continuous DD to realize a broadband ultrasensitive single-atom magnetometer.

Quantum confined stark effect on the binding energy of exciton in type II quantum heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suseel, Rahul K.; Mathew, Vincent

2018-05-01

In this work, we have investigated the effect of external electric field on the strongly confined excitonic properties of CdTe/CdSe/CdTe/CdSe type-II quantum dot heterostructures. Within the effective mass approximation, we solved the Poisson-Schrodinger equations of the exciton in nanostructure using relaxation method in a self-consistent iterative manner. We changed both the external electric field and core radius of the quantum dot, to study the behavior of binding energy of exciton. Our studies show that the external electric field destroys the positional flipped state of exciton by modifying the confining potentials of electron and hole.

Metallic tin quantum sheets confined in graphene toward high-efficiency carbon dioxide electroreduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Fengcai; Liu, Wei; Sun, Yongfu; Xu, Jiaqi; Liu, Katong; Liang, Liang; Yao, Tao; Pan, Bicai; Wei, Shiqiang; Xie, Yi

2016-09-01

Ultrathin metal layers can be highly active carbon dioxide electroreduction catalysts, but may also be prone to oxidation. Here we construct a model of graphene confined ultrathin layers of highly reactive metals, taking the synthetic highly reactive tin quantum sheets confined in graphene as an example. The higher electrochemical active area ensures 9 times larger carbon dioxide adsorption capacity relative to bulk tin, while the highly-conductive graphene favours rate-determining electron transfer from carbon dioxide to its radical anion. The lowered tin-tin coordination numbers, revealed by X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, enable tin quantum sheets confined in graphene to efficiently stabilize the carbon dioxide radical anion, verified by 0.13 volts lowered potential of hydroxyl ion adsorption compared with bulk tin. Hence, the tin quantum sheets confined in graphene show enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability. This work may provide a promising lead for designing efficient and robust catalysts for electrolytic fuel synthesis.

Quantum simulation of a Fermi-Hubbard model using a semiconductor quantum dot array.

PubMed

Hensgens, T; Fujita, T; Janssen, L; Li, Xiao; Van Diepen, C J; Reichl, C; Wegscheider, W; Das Sarma, S; Vandersypen, L M K

2017-08-02

Interacting fermions on a lattice can develop strong quantum correlations, which are the cause of the classical intractability of many exotic phases of matter. Current efforts are directed towards the control of artificial quantum systems that can be made to emulate the underlying Fermi-Hubbard models. Electrostatically confined conduction-band electrons define interacting quantum coherent spin and charge degrees of freedom that allow all-electrical initialization of low-entropy states and readily adhere to the Fermi-Hubbard Hamiltonian. Until now, however, the substantial electrostatic disorder of the solid state has meant that only a few attempts at emulating Fermi-Hubbard physics on solid-state platforms have been made. Here we show that for gate-defined quantum dots this disorder can be suppressed in a controlled manner. Using a semi-automated and scalable set of experimental tools, we homogeneously and independently set up the electron filling and nearest-neighbour tunnel coupling in a semiconductor quantum dot array so as to simulate a Fermi-Hubbard system. With this set-up, we realize a detailed characterization of the collective Coulomb blockade transition, which is the finite-size analogue of the interaction-driven Mott metal-to-insulator transition. As automation and device fabrication of semiconductor quantum dots continue to improve, the ideas presented here will enable the investigation of the physics of ever more complex many-body states using quantum dots.

Problems in particle theory. Technical report - 1993--1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adler, S.L.; Wilczek, F.

This report is a progress report on the work of two principal investigators in the broad area of particle physics theory, covering their personal work, that of their coworkers, and their proposed work for the future. One author has worked in the past on various topics in field theory and particle physics, among them current algebras, the physics of neutrino induced reactions, quantum electrodynamics (including strong magnetic field processes), the theory of the axial-vector current anomaly, topics in quantum gravity, and nonlinear models for quark confinement. While much of his work has been analytical, all of the projects listed abovemore » (except for the work on gravity) had phases which required considerable computer work as well. Over the next several years, he proposes to continue or initiate research on the following problems: (1) Acceleration algorithms for the Monte Carlo analysis of lattice field and gauge theories, and more generally, new research in computational neuroscience and pattern recognition. (2) Construction of quaternionic generalizations of complex quantum mechanics and field theory, and their application to composite models of quarks and leptons, and to the problem of unifying quantum theories of matter with general relativity. One author has worked on problems in exotic quantum statistics and its applications to condensed matter systems. His work has also continued on the quantum theory of black holes. This has evolved toward understanding properties of quantum field theory and string theory in incomplete regions of flat space.« less

Classical and quantum filaments in the ground state of trapped dipolar Bose gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cinti, Fabio; Boninsegni, Massimo

2017-07-01

We study, by quantum Monte Carlo simulations, the ground state of a harmonically confined dipolar Bose gas with aligned dipole moments and with the inclusion of a repulsive two-body potential of varying range. Two different limits can clearly be identified, namely, a classical one in which the attractive part of the dipolar interaction dominates and the system forms an ordered array of parallel filaments and a quantum-mechanical one, wherein filaments are destabilized by zero-point motion, and eventually the ground state becomes a uniform cloud. The physical character of the system smoothly evolves from classical to quantum mechanical as the range of the repulsive two-body potential increases. An intermediate regime is observed in which ordered filaments are still present, albeit forming different structures from the ones predicted classically; quantum-mechanical exchanges of indistinguishable particles across different filaments allow phase coherence to be established, underlying a global superfluid response.

Photonic ququart logic assisted by the cavity-QED system.

PubMed

Luo, Ming-Xing; Deng, Yun; Li, Hui-Ran; Ma, Song-Ya

2015-08-14

Universal quantum logic gates are important elements for a quantum computer. In contrast to previous constructions of qubit systems, we investigate the possibility of ququart systems (four-dimensional states) dependent on two DOFs of photon systems. We propose some useful one-parameter four-dimensional quantum transformations for the construction of universal ququart logic gates. The interface between the spin of a photon and an electron spin confined in a quantum dot embedded in a microcavity is applied to build universal ququart logic gates on the photon system with two freedoms. Our elementary controlled-ququart gates cost no more than 8 CNOT gates in a qubit system, which is far less than the 104 CNOT gates required for a general four-qubit logic gate. The ququart logic is also used to generate useful hyperentanglements and hyperentanglement-assisted quantum error-correcting code, which may be available in modern physical technology.

Photonic ququart logic assisted by the cavity-QED system

PubMed Central

Luo, Ming-Xing; Deng, Yun; Li, Hui-Ran; Ma, Song-Ya

2015-01-01

Universal quantum logic gates are important elements for a quantum computer. In contrast to previous constructions of qubit systems, we investigate the possibility of ququart systems (four-dimensional states) dependent on two DOFs of photon systems. We propose some useful one-parameter four-dimensional quantum transformations for the construction of universal ququart logic gates. The interface between the spin of a photon and an electron spin confined in a quantum dot embedded in a microcavity is applied to build universal ququart logic gates on the photon system with two freedoms. Our elementary controlled-ququart gates cost no more than 8 CNOT gates in a qubit system, which is far less than the 104 CNOT gates required for a general four-qubit logic gate. The ququart logic is also used to generate useful hyperentanglements and hyperentanglement-assisted quantum error-correcting code, which may be available in modern physical technology. PMID:26272869

Electrostatically confined quantum rings in bilayer graphene.

PubMed

Zarenia, M; Pereira, J M; Peeters, F M; Farias, G A

2009-12-01

We propose a new system where electron and hole states are electrostatically confined into a quantum ring in bilayer graphene. These structures can be created by tuning the gap of the graphene bilayer using nanostructured gates or by position-dependent doping. The energy levels have a magnetic field (B(0)) dependence that is strikingly distinct from that of usual semiconductor quantum rings. In particular, the eigenvalues are not invariant under a B(0) --> -B(0) transformation and, for a fixed total angular momentum index m, their field dependence is not parabolic, but displays two minima separated by a saddle point. The spectra also display several anticrossings, which arise due to the overlap of gate-confined and magnetically confined states.

Determination of shift in energy of band edges and band gap of ZnSe spherical quantum dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siboh, Dutem; Kalita, Pradip Kumar; Sarma, Jayanta Kumar; Nath, Nayan Mani

2018-04-01

We have determined the quantum confinement induced shifts in energy of band edges and band gap with respect to size of ZnSe spherical quantum dot employing an effective confinement potential model developed in our earlier communication "arXiv:1705.10343". We have also performed phenomenological analysis of our theoretical results in comparison with available experimental data and observe a very good agreement in this regard. Phenomenological success achieved in this regard confirms validity of the confining potential model as well as signifies the capability and applicability of the ansatz for the effective confining potential to have reasonable information in the study of real nano-structured spherical systems.

Stark shift of impurity doped quantum dots: Role of noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arif, Sk. Md.; Bera, Aindrila; Ghosh, Anuja; Ghosh, Manas

2018-02-01

Present study makes a punctilious investigation of the profiles of Stark shift (SS) of doped GaAs quantum dot (QD) under the supervision of Gaussian white noise. A few physical parameters have been varied and the consequent variations in the SS profiles have been monitored. The said physical parameters comprise of magnetic field, confinement potential, dopant location, dopant potential, noise strength, aluminium concentration (only for AlxGa1-x As alloy QD), position-dependent effective mass (PDEM), position-dependent dielectric screening function (PDDSF), anisotropy, hydrostatic pressure (HP) and temperature. The SS profiles unfurl interesting features that heavily depend upon the particular physical quantity concerned, presence/absence of noise and the manner (additive/multiplicative) noise enters the system. The study highlights feasible means of maximizing SS of doped QD in presence of noise by suitable adjustment of several control parameters. The study deems importance in view of technological applications of QD devices where noise plays some prominent role.

Exploiting broad-area surface emitting lasers to manifest the path-length distributions of finite-potential quantum billiards.

PubMed

Yu, Y T; Tuan, P H; Chang, K C; Hsieh, Y H; Huang, K F; Chen, Y F

2016-01-11

Broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with different cavity sizes are experimentally exploited to manifest the influence of the finite confinement strength on the path-length distribution of quantum billiards. The subthreshold emission spectra of VCSELs are measured to obtain the path-length distributions by using the Fourier transform. It is verified that the number of the resonant peaks in the path-length distribution decreases with decreasing the confinement strength. Theoretical analyses for finite-potential quantum billiards are numerically performed to confirm that the mesoscopic phenomena of quantum billiards with finite confinement strength can be analogously revealed by using broad-area VCSELs.

Study of quantum confinement effects in ZnO nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Movlarooy, Tayebeh

2018-03-01

Motivation to fact that zinc oxide nanowires and nanotubes with successful synthesis and the mechanism of formation, stability and electronic properties have been investigated; in this study the structural, electronic properties and quantum confinement effects of zinc oxide nanotubes and nanowires with different diameters are discussed. The calculations within density functional theory and the pseudo potential approximation are done. The electronic structure and energy gap for Armchair and zigzag ZnO nanotubes with a diameter of about 4 to 55 Angstrom and ZnO nanowires with a diameter range of 4 to 23 Å is calculated. The results revealed that due to the quantum confinement effects, by reducing the diameter of nanowires and nanotubes, the energy gap increases. Zinc oxide semiconductor nanostructures since having direct band gap with size-dependent and quantum confinement effect are recommended as an appropriate candidate for making nanoscale optoelectronic devices.

Oscillator strength and quantum-confined Stark effect of excitons in a thin PbS quantum disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oukerroum, A.; El-Yadri, M.; El Aouami, A.; Feddi, E.; Dujardin, F.; Duque, C. A.; Sadoqi, M.; Long, G.

2018-01-01

In this paper, we report a study of the effect of a lateral electric field on a quantum-confined exciton in a thin PbS quantum disk. Our approach was performed in the framework of the effective mass theory and adiabatic approximation. The ground state energy and the stark shift were determined by using a variational method with an adequate trial wavefunction, by investigating a 2D oscillator strength under simultaneous consideration of the geometrical confinement and the electric field strength. Our results showed a strong dependence of the exciton binding and the Stark shift on the disk dimensions in both axial and longitudinal directions. On the other hand, our results also showed that the Stark shift’s dependence on the electric field is not purely quadratic but the linear contribution is also important and cannot be neglected, especially when the confinement gets weaker.

An information theory model for dissipation in open quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, David M.

2017-08-01

This work presents a general model for open quantum systems using an information game along the lines of Jaynes’ original work. It is shown how an energy based reweighting of propagators provides a novel moment generating function at each time point in the process. Derivatives of the generating function give moments of the time derivatives of observables. Aside from the mathematically helpful properties, the ansatz reproduces key physics of stochastic quantum processes. At high temperature, the average density matrix follows the Caldeira-Leggett equation. Its associated Langevin equation clearly demonstrates the emergence of dissipation and decoherence time scales, as well as an additional diffusion due to quantum confinement. A consistent interpretation of these results is that decoherence and wavefunction collapse during measurement are directly related to the degree of environmental noise, and thus occur because of subjective uncertainty of an observer.

Stretchable Fluorescent Polyfluorene/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber Blend Electrospun Fibers through Physical Interaction and Geometrical Confinement.

PubMed

Hsieh, Hui-Ching; Chen, Jung-Yao; Lee, Wen-Ya; Bera, Debaditya; Chen, Wen-Chang

2018-03-01

Stretchable light-emitting polymers are important for wearable electronics; however, the development of intrinsic stretchable light-emitting materials with great performance under large applied strain is the most critical challenge. Herein, this study demonstrates the fabrication of stretchable fluorescent poly[(9,9-bis(3'-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctyl-fluorene)]/acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (PFN/NBR) blend nanofibers using the uniaxial electrospinning technique. The physical interaction of PFN with NBR and the geometrical confinement of nanofibers are employed to reduce PFN aggregation, leading to the high photoluminescence quantum yield of 35.7%. Such fiber mat film shows stable blue emission at the 50% strain for 200 stretching/release cycles, which has potential applications in smart textiles. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

AlGaAs-GaAs quantum-well lasers for direct solar photopumping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Unnikrishnan, Sreenath; Anderson, Neal G.

1991-01-01

The paper theoretically examines the solar power requirements for low-threshold AlGaAs-GaAs quantum-well lasers directly photopumped by focused sunlight. A model of separate-confinement quantum-well-heterostructure (SCQWH) lasers was developed, which explicitly treats absorption and transport phenomena relevant to solar pumping. The model was used to identify separate-confinement single-quantum-well laser structures which should operate at photoexcitation intensities of less than 10,000 suns.

Quasi-one-dimensional density of states in a single quantum ring.

PubMed

Kim, Heedae; Lee, Woojin; Park, Seongho; Kyhm, Kwangseuk; Je, Koochul; Taylor, Robert A; Nogues, Gilles; Dang, Le Si; Song, Jin Dong

2017-01-05

Generally confinement size is considered to determine the dimensionality of nanostructures. While the exciton Bohr radius is used as a criterion to define either weak or strong confinement in optical experiments, the binding energy of confined excitons is difficult to measure experimentally. One alternative is to use the temperature dependence of the radiative recombination time, which has been employed previously in quantum wells and quantum wires. A one-dimensional loop structure is often assumed to model quantum rings, but this approximation ceases to be valid when the rim width becomes comparable to the ring radius. We have evaluated the density of states in a single quantum ring by measuring the temperature dependence of the radiative recombination of excitons, where the photoluminescence decay time as a function of temperature was calibrated by using the low temperature integrated intensity and linewidth. We conclude that the quasi-continuous finely-spaced levels arising from the rotation energy give rise to a quasi-one-dimensional density of states, as long as the confined exciton is allowed to rotate around the opening of the anisotropic ring structure, which has a finite rim width.

Effects of Organic Cation Length on Exciton Recombination in Two-Dimensional Layered Lead Iodide Hybrid Perovskite Crystals.

PubMed

Gan, Lu; Li, Jing; Fang, Zhishan; He, Haiping; Ye, Zhizhen

2017-10-19

In recent years, 2D layered organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites have attracted considerable attention due to the distinctive quantum confinement effects as well as prominent excitonic luminescence. Herein, we show that the recombination dynamics and photoluminescence (PL) of the 2D layered perovskites can be tuned by the organic cation length. 2D lead iodide perovskite crystals with increased length of the organic chains reveal blue-shifted PL as well as enhanced relative internal quantum efficiency. Furthermore, we provide experimental evidence that the formation of face-sharing [PbI 6 ] 4- octahedron in perovskites with long alkyls induces additional confinement for the excitons, leading to 1D-like recombination. As a result, the PL spectra show enhanced inhomogeneous broadening at low temperature. Our work provides physical understanding of the role of organic cation in the optical properties of 2D layered perovskites, and would benefit the improvement of luminescence efficiency of such materials.

Bounds on quantum confinement effects in metal nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackman, G. Neal; Genov, Dentcho A.

2018-03-01

Quantum size effects on the permittivity of metal nanoparticles are investigated using the quantum box model. Explicit upper and lower bounds are derived for the permittivity and relaxation rates due to quantum confinement effects. These bounds are verified numerically, and the size dependence and frequency dependence of the empirical Drude size parameter is extracted from the model. Results suggest that the common practice of empirically modifying the dielectric function can lead to inaccurate predictions for highly uniform distributions of finite-sized particles.

The Interplay of Quantum Confinement and Hydrogenation in Amorphous Silicon Quantum Dots.

PubMed

Askari, Sadegh; Svrcek, Vladmir; Maguire, Paul; Mariotti, Davide

2015-12-22

Hydrogenation in amorphous silicon quantum dots (QDs) has a dramatic impact on the corresponding optical properties and band energy structure, leading to a quantum-confined composite material with unique characteristics. The synthesis of a-Si:H QDs is demonstrated with an atmospheric-pressure plasma process, which allows for accurate control of a highly chemically reactive non-equilibrium environment with temperatures well below the crystallization temperature of Si QDs. © 2015 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Confinement and Structural Changes in Vertically Aligned Dust Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyde, Truell

2013-10-01

In physics, confinement is known to influence collective system behavior. Examples include coulomb crystal variants such as those formed from ions or dust particles (classical), electrons in quantum dots (quantum) and the structural changes observed in vertically aligned dust particle systems formed within a glass box placed on the lower electrode of a Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) rf reference cell. Recent experimental studies have expanded the above to include the biological domain by showing that the stability and dynamics of proteins confined through encapsulation and enzyme molecules placed in inorganic cavities such as those found in biosensors are also directly influenced by their confinement. In this paper, the self-assembly and subsequent collective behavior of structures formed from n, charged dust particles interacting with one another and located within a glass box placed on the lower, powered electrode of a GEC rf reference cell is discussed. Self-organized formation of vertically aligned one-dimensional chains, two-dimensional zigzag structures, and three-dimensional helical structures of triangular, quadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, and heptagonal symmetries are shown to occur. System evolution is shown to progress from one-dimensional chain structures, through a zigzag transition to a two-dimensional, spindle like structures, and then to various three-dimensional, helical structures exhibiting various symmetries. Stable configurations are shown to be strongly dependent upon system confinement. The critical conditions for structural transitions as well as the basic symmetry exhibited by the one-, two-, and three-dimensional structures that subsequently develop will be shown to be in good agreement with molecular dynamics simulations.

Light-front holographic QCD and emerging confinement

DOE PAGES

Brodsky, Stanley J.; de Téramond, Guy F.; Dosch, Hans Günter; ...

2015-05-21

In this study we explore the remarkable connections between light-front dynamics, its holographic mapping to gravity in a higher-dimensional anti-de Sitter (AdS) space, and conformal quantum mechanics. This approach provides new insights into the origin of a fundamental mass scale and the physics underlying confinement dynamics in QCD in the limit of massless quarks. The result is a relativistic light-front wave equation for arbitrary spin with an effective confinement potential derived from a conformal action and its embedding in AdS space. This equation allows for the computation of essential features of hadron spectra in terms of a single scale. Themore » light-front holographic methods described here give a precise interpretation of holographic variables and quantities in AdS space in terms of light-front variables and quantum numbers. This leads to a relation between the AdS wave functions and the boost-invariant light-front wave functions describing the internal structure of hadronic bound-states in physical spacetime. The pion is massless in the chiral limit and the excitation spectra of relativistic light-quark meson and baryon bound states lie on linear Regge trajectories with identical slopes in the radial and orbital quantum numbers. In the light-front holographic approach described here currents are expressed as an infinite sum of poles, and form factors as a product of poles. At large q 2 the form factor incorporates the correct power-law fall-off for hard scattering independent of the specific dynamics and is dictated by the twist. At low q 2 the form factor leads to vector dominance. The approach is also extended to include small quark masses. We briefly review in this report other holographic approaches to QCD, in particular top-down and bottom-up models based on chiral symmetry breaking. We also include a discussion of open problems and future applications.« less

Smooth interface effects on the confinement properties of GaSb/Al xGa 1- xSb quantum wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adib, Artur B.; de Sousa, Jeanlex S.; Farias, Gil A.; Freire, Valder N.

2000-10-01

A theoretical investigation on the confinement properties of GaSb/Al xGa 1- xSb single quantum wells (QWs) with smooth interfaces is performed. Error function ( erf)-like interfacial aluminum molar fraction variations in the QWs, from which it is possible to obtain the carriers effective masses and confinement potential profiles, are assumed. It is shown that the existence of smooth interfaces blue shifts considerably the confined carriers and exciton energies, an effect which is stronger in thin QWs.

Growth of group II-VI semiconductor quantum dots with strong quantum confinement and low size dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Praveen K.; Sharma, Kriti; Nagpal, Swati; Bhatnagar, P. K.; Mathur, P. C.

2003-11-01

CdTe quantum dots embedded in glass matrix are grown using two-step annealing method. The results for the optical transmission characterization are analysed and compared with the results obtained from CdTe quantum dots grown using conventional single-step annealing method. A theoretical model for the absorption spectra is used to quantitatively estimate the size dispersion in the two cases. In the present work, it is established that the quantum dots grown using two-step annealing method have stronger quantum confinement, reduced size dispersion and higher volume ratio as compared to the single-step annealed samples. (

One-dimensional quantum matter: gold-induced nanowires on semiconductor surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudy, L.; Aulbach, J.; Wagner, T.; Schäfer, J.; Claessen, R.

2017-11-01

Interacting electrons confined to only one spatial dimension display a wide range of unusual many-body quantum phenomena, ranging from Peierls instabilities to the breakdown of the canonical Fermi liquid paradigm to even unusual spin phenomena. The underlying physics is not only of tremendous fundamental interest, but may also have bearing on device functionality in future micro- and nanoelectronics with lateral extensions reaching the atomic limit. Metallic adatoms deposited on semiconductor surfaces may form self-assembled atomic nanowires, thus representing highly interesting and well-controlled solid-state realizations of such 1D quantum systems. Here we review experimental and theoretical investigations on a few selected prototypical nanowire surface systems, specifically Ge(0 0 1)-Au and Si(hhk)-Au, and the search for 1D quantum states in them. We summarize the current state of research and identify open questions and issues.

Aqueous synthesis of III-V semiconductor GaP and InP exhibiting pronounced quantum confinement.

PubMed

Gao, Shanmin; Lu, Jun; Chen, Nan; Zhao, Yan; Xie, Yi

2002-12-21

A mild aqueous synthesis route was successfully established to synthesize well crystallized and monodisperse GaP and InP nanocrystals, which were proved to exhibit pronounced quantum confinement by room-temperature UV/Vis adsorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra.

Recent advances in biocompatible semiconductor nanocrystals for immunobiological applications.

PubMed

Nanda, Sitansu Sekhar; Kim, Min Jik; Kim, Kwangmeyung; Papaefthymiou, Georgia C; Selvan, Subramanian Tamil; Yi, Dong Kee

2017-11-01

Quantum confinement in inorganic semiconductor nanocrystals produces brightly luminescent nanoparticles endowed with unique photo-physical properties, such as tunable optical properties. These have found widespread applications in nanotechnology. The ability to render such nanostructures biocompatible, while maintaining their tunable radiation in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum, renders them appropriate for bio-applications. Promising in vitro and in vivo diagnostic applications have been demonstrated, such as fluorescence-based detection of biological interactions, single molecule tracking, multiplexing and immunoassaying. In particular, these fluorescent inorganic semiconductor nanocrystals, generally known as quantum dots, have the potential of remarkable immunobiological applications. This review focuses on the current status of biocompatible quantum dots and their applications in immunobiology - immunosensing, immunofluorescent imaging and immunotherapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Performance analysis and optimization for generalized quantum Stirling refrigeration cycle with working substance of a particle confined in a general 1D potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Yong; Chen, Lingen; Wu, Feng

2018-03-01

A generalized irreversible quantum Stirling refrigeration cycle (GIQSRC) is proposed. The working substance of the GIQSRC is a particle confined in a general 1D potential which energy spectrum can be expressed as εn = ℏωnσ . Heat leakage and non-ideal regeneration loss are taken into account. The expressions of coefficient of performance (COP) and dimensionless cooling load are obtained. The different practical cases of the energy spectrum are analyzed. The results of this paper are meaningful to understand the quantum thermodynamics cycles with a particle confined in different potential as working substance.

Cobalt-doped ZnO nanocrystals: quantum confinement and surface effects from ab initio methods.

PubMed

Schoenhalz, Aline L; Dalpian, Gustavo M

2013-10-14

Cobalt-doped ZnO nanocrystals were studied through ab initio methods based on the Density Functional Theory. Both quantum confinement and surface effects were explicitly taken into account. When only quantum confinement effects are considered, Co atoms interact through a superexchange mechanism, stabilizing an antiferromagnetic ground state. Usually, this is the case for high quality nanoparticles with perfect surface saturation. When the surfaces were considered, a strong hybridization between the Co atoms and surfaces was observed, strongly changing their electronic and magnetic properties. Our results indicated that the surfaces might qualitatively change the properties of impurities in semiconductor nanocrystals.

Magnetically Defined Qubits on 3D Topological Insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Gerson J.; Loss, Daniel

2014-03-01

We explore potentials that break time-reversal symmetry to confine the surface states of 3D topological insulators into quantum wires and quantum dots. A magnetic domain wall on a ferromagnet insulator cap layer provides interfacial states predicted to show the quantum anomalous Hall effect. Here, we show that confinement can also occur at magnetic domain heterostructures, with states extended in the inner domain, as well as interfacial QAHE states at the surrounding domain walls. The proposed geometry allows the isolation of the wire and dot from spurious circumventing surface states. For the quantum dots, we find that highly spin-polarized quantized QAHE states at the dot edge constitute a promising candidate for quantum computing qubits. See [Ferreira and Loss, Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 106802 (2013)]. We explore potentials that break time-reversal symmetry to confine the surface states of 3D topological insulators into quantum wires and quantum dots. A magnetic domain wall on a ferromagnet insulator cap layer provides interfacial states predicted to show the quantum anomalous Hall effect. Here, we show that confinement can also occur at magnetic domain heterostructures, with states extended in the inner domain, as well as interfacial QAHE states at the surrounding domain walls. The proposed geometry allows the isolation of the wire and dot from spurious circumventing surface states. For the quantum dots, we find that highly spin-polarized quantized QAHE states at the dot edge constitute a promising candidate for quantum computing qubits. See [Ferreira and Loss, Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 106802 (2013)]. We acknowledge support from the Swiss NSF, NCCR Nanoscience, NCCR QSIT, and the Brazillian Research Support Center Initiative (NAP Q-NANO) from Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa (PRP/USP).

Photoluminescence Spectra From The Direct Energy Gap of a-SiQDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdul-Ameer, Nidhal M.; Abdulrida, Moafak C.; Abdul-Hakeem, Shatha M.

2018-05-01

A theoretical model for radiative recombination in amorphous silicon quantum dots (a-SiQDs) was developed. In this model, for the first time, the coexistence of both spatial and quantum confinements were considered. Also, it is found that the photoluminescence exhibits significant size dependence in the range (1-4) nm of the quantum dots. a-SiQDs show visible light emission peak energies and high radiative quantum efficiency at room temperature,in contrast to bulk a-Si structures. The quantum efficiency is sensitive to any change in defect density (the volume nonradiative centers density and/or the surface nonradiative centers density) but, with small dots sizes, the quantum efficiency is insensitive to such defects. Our analysis shows that the photoluminescence intensity increases or decreases by the effect of radiative quantum efficiency. By controlling the size of a-SiQDs, we note that the energy of emission can be tuned. The blue shift is attributed to quantum confinement effect. Meanwhile, the spatial confinement effect is clearly observed in red shift in emission spectra. we found a good agreement with the experimental published data. Therefore, we assert that a-SiQDs material is a promising candidate for visible, tunable, and high performance devices of light emitting.

Methods for modeling non-equilibrium degenerate statistics and quantum-confined scattering in 3D ensemble Monte Carlo transport simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crum, Dax M.; Valsaraj, Amithraj; David, John K.; Register, Leonard F.; Banerjee, Sanjay K.

2016-12-01

Particle-based ensemble semi-classical Monte Carlo (MC) methods employ quantum corrections (QCs) to address quantum confinement and degenerate carrier populations to model tomorrow's ultra-scaled metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect-transistors. Here, we present the most complete treatment of quantum confinement and carrier degeneracy effects in a three-dimensional (3D) MC device simulator to date, and illustrate their significance through simulation of n-channel Si and III-V FinFETs. Original contributions include our treatment of far-from-equilibrium degenerate statistics and QC-based modeling of surface-roughness scattering, as well as considering quantum-confined phonon and ionized-impurity scattering in 3D. Typical MC simulations approximate degenerate carrier populations as Fermi distributions to model the Pauli-blocking (PB) of scattering to occupied final states. To allow for increasingly far-from-equilibrium non-Fermi carrier distributions in ultra-scaled and III-V devices, we instead generate the final-state occupation probabilities used for PB by sampling the local carrier populations as function of energy and energy valley. This process is aided by the use of fractional carriers or sub-carriers, which minimizes classical carrier-carrier scattering intrinsically incompatible with degenerate statistics. Quantum-confinement effects are addressed through quantum-correction potentials (QCPs) generated from coupled Schrödinger-Poisson solvers, as commonly done. However, we use these valley- and orientation-dependent QCPs not just to redistribute carriers in real space, or even among energy valleys, but also to calculate confinement-dependent phonon, ionized-impurity, and surface-roughness scattering rates. FinFET simulations are used to illustrate the contributions of each of these QCs. Collectively, these quantum effects can substantially reduce and even eliminate otherwise expected benefits of considered In0.53Ga0.47 As FinFETs over otherwise identical Si FinFETs despite higher thermal velocities in In0.53Ga0.47 As. It also may be possible to extend these basic uses of QCPs, however calculated, to still more computationally efficient drift-diffusion and hydrodynamic simulations, and the basic concepts even to compact device modeling.

Effect of confinement potential on exciton diamagnetism in the perspective of constituent carriers in a Quantum Well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vignesh, G.; Nithiananthi, P.

2018-03-01

Diamagnetic susceptibility of excitons is investigated in the perspective of the electron and hole separation along the lateral (ρ) and normal direction (z) of a GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs quantum well. Using a variational technique, the spatial extensions of these carriers has been observed. The coulomb interaction of the carriers is investigated by subjecting the carriers to three confinement potentials, Square (SQW), Parabolic (PQW) and Triangular Quantum Wells (TQW). The stability of the exciton has been estimated by observing the diamagnetic susceptibility. The hole is very sensitive to confinement potential and has tremendous variations in spatial extension. Among the three confinements, TQW offers more localization and high stability to excitons. The anisotropy of band parameters and the dielectric constants of the well and barrier materials are taken into consideration.

A Resonant Tunneling Nanowire Field Effect Transistor with Physical Contractions: A Negative Differential Resistance Device for Low Power Very Large Scale Integration Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molaei Imen Abadi, Rouzbeh; Saremi, Mehdi

2018-02-01

In this paper, the influence of ultra-scaled physical symmetrical contraction on electrical characteristics of ultra-thin silicon-on-insulator nanowires with circular gate-all-around structure is investigated by using a 3D Atlas numerical quantum simulator based on non-equilibrium green's function formalism. It is demonstrated that local cross-section variation in a nanowire transistor results in the establishment of tunnel energy barriers at the source-channel and drain-channel junctions which change device physics and cause a transmission from a quantum wire (1-D) to a floating quantum dot nanowire (0-D) introducing a resonant tunneling nanowire FET (RT-NWFET) as an interesting concept of nanoscale MOSFETs. The barriers construct resonance energy levels in the channel region of nanowires because of the longitudinal confinement in three directions causing some fluctuation in I D- V GS characteristic. In addition, these barriers remarkably improve the subthreshold swing and minimize the ON/OFF-current ratio degradation at a low operation voltage of 0.5 V. As a result, RT-NWFETs are intrinsically preserved from drain-source tunneling and are an interesting candidate for developing the roadmap below 10 nm.

Quantum confinement of zero-dimensional hybrid organic-inorganic polaritons at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, H. S.; Han, Z.; Abdel-Baki, K.; Lafosse, X.; Amo, A.; Lauret, J.-S.; Deleporte, E.; Bouchoule, S.; Bloch, J.

2014-02-01

We report on the quantum confinement of zero-dimensional polaritons in perovskite-based microcavity at room temperature. Photoluminescence of discrete polaritonic states is observed for polaritons localized in symmetric sphere-like defects which are spontaneously nucleated on the top dielectric Bragg mirror. The linewidth of these confined states is found much sharper (almost one order of magnitude) than that of photonic modes in the perovskite planar microcavity. Our results show the possibility to study organic-inorganic cavity polaritons in confined microstructure and suggest a fabrication method to realize integrated polaritonic devices operating at room temperature.

Optical studies of quantum confined nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vamivakas, Anthony Nickolas

Recent advances in material growth techniques have led to the laboratory realization of quantum confined nanostructures. By engineering the geometry of these systems it is possible to tailor their optical, electrical and vibrational properties. We now envision integrated electronic and optical devices potentially harnessing quantum mechanical properties of photons, electrons or even phonons. The realization of these next generation devices requires parallel advances in both electrical and optical characterization techniques. In this dissertation we study the optical properties of both zero-dimensional (0D) InAs/GaAs semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and one-dimensional (1D) single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). We utilize high resolution optical microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to experimentally study both individual QDs and SWNTs. The effect of quantum confinement on light-matter interaction in SWNTs is theoretically investigated. InAs QDs grown by Stranski-Krastanow self-assembly are buried in a GaAs matrix. The planar barriers presented by the dielectric boundary between the GaAs and the host medium limits the optical access to the InAs QDs. Incorporating a numerical aperture increasing microlens (NAIL) into a fiber-based confocal microscope we demonstrate improved ability to couple photons to and from a single InAs QD. With such immersion lens techniques we measure a record 12% extinction of a far-field laser by a single InAs QD. Even typical QD extinction of 6% is visible using a dc power-meter without the need for phase sensitive lock-in detection. This experimental advance will make possible the study of single QDs interacting with engineered vector laser beams. In the optical characterization of SWNTs, one-phonon resonant Raman scattering is employed to measure a tube's electronic resonances and determine the physical diameter and chirality of the tube under study. Recent work has determined excitons dominate the optical response of semiconducting SWNTs. We develop a theory to model the exciton mediated resonant Raman scattering cross-section from a 1D system looking for excitonic signatures in the scattering line shape. Additionally, we theoretically study phonon confinement to a 1D SWNT and use these results to extract the electron-phonon coupling in SWNTs from our Raman measurements. Knowledge of the electron-phonon coupling is a crucial piece of information to characterize a SWNTs electrical transport properties.

High quality factor GaAs microcavity with buried bullseye defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winkler, K.; Gregersen, N.; Häyrynen, T.; Bradel, B.; Schade, A.; Emmerling, M.; Kamp, M.; Höfling, S.; Schneider, C.

2018-05-01

The development of high quality factor solid-state microcavities with low mode volumes has paved the way towards on-chip cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments and the development of high-performance nanophotonic devices. Here, we report on the implementation of a new kind of solid-state vertical microcavity, which allows for confinement of the electromagnetic field in the lateral direction without deep etching. The confinement originates from a local elongation of the cavity layer imprinted in a shallow etch and epitaxial overgrowth technique. We show that it is possible to improve the quality factor of such microcavities by a specific in-plane bullseye geometry consisting of a set of concentric rings with subwavelength dimensions. This design results in a smooth effective lateral photonic potential and therefore in a reduction of lateral scattering losses, which makes it highly appealing for experiments in the framework of exciton-polariton physics demanding tight spatial confinement.

Quantum confinement effects across two-dimensional planes in MoS{sub 2} quantum dots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gan, Z. X.; Liu, L. Z.; Wu, H. Y.

2015-06-08

The low quantum yield (∼10{sup −5}) has restricted practical use of photoluminescence (PL) from MoS{sub 2} composed of a few layers, but the quantum confinement effects across two-dimensional planes are believed to be able to boost the PL intensity. In this work, PL from 2 to 9 nm MoS{sub 2} quantum dots (QDs) is excluded from the solvent and the absorption and PL spectra are shown to be consistent with the size distribution. PL from MoS{sub 2} QDs is also found to be sensitive to aggregation due to the size effect.

Spin interactions in InAs quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doty, M. F.; Ware, M. E.; Stinaff, E. A.; Scheibner, M.; Bracker, A. S.; Gammon, D.; Ponomarev, I. V.; Reinecke, T. L.; Korenev, V. L.

2006-03-01

Fine structure splittings in optical spectra of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) generally arise from spin interactions between particles confined in the dots. We present experimental studies of the fine structure that arises from multiple charges confined in a single dot [1] or in molecular orbitals of coupled pairs of dots. To probe the underlying spin interactions we inject particles with a known spin orientation (by using polarized light to perform photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy experiments) or use a magnetic field to orient and/or mix the spin states. We develop a model of the spin interactions that aids in the development of quantum information processing applications based on controllable interactions between spins confined to QDs. [1] Polarized Fine Structure in the Photoluminescence Excitation Spectrum of a Negatively Charged Quantum Dot, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 177403 (2005)

Two-dimensional quantum ring in a graphene layer in the presence of a Aharonov–Bohm flux

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amaro Neto, José; Bueno, M.J.; Furtado, Claudio, E-mail: furtado@fisica.ufpb.br

2016-10-15

In this paper we study the relativistic quantum dynamics of a massless fermion confined in a quantum ring. We use a model of confining potential and introduce the interaction via Dirac oscillator coupling, which provides ring confinement for massless Dirac fermions. The energy levels and corresponding eigenfunctions for this model in graphene layer in the presence of Aharonov–Bohm flux in the centre of the ring and the expression for persistent current in this model are derived. We also investigate the model for quantum ring in graphene layer in the presence of a disclination and a magnetic flux. The energy spectrummore » and wave function are obtained exactly for this case. We see that the persistent current depends on parameters characterizing the topological defect.« less

Voltage-controlled quantum light from an atomically thin semiconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Chitraleema; Kinnischtzke, Laura; Goodfellow, Kenneth M.; Beams, Ryan; Vamivakas, A. Nick

2015-06-01

Although semiconductor defects can often be detrimental to device performance, they are also responsible for the breadth of functionality exhibited by modern optoelectronic devices. Artificially engineered defects (so-called quantum dots) or naturally occurring defects in solids are currently being investigated for applications ranging from quantum information science and optoelectronics to high-resolution metrology. In parallel, the quantum confinement exhibited by atomically thin materials (semi-metals, semiconductors and insulators) has ushered in an era of flatland optoelectronics whose full potential is still being articulated. In this Letter we demonstrate the possibility of leveraging the atomically thin semiconductor tungsten diselenide (WSe2) as a host for quantum dot-like defects. We report that this previously unexplored solid-state quantum emitter in WSe2 generates single photons with emission properties that can be controlled via the application of external d.c. electric and magnetic fields. These new optically active quantum dots exhibit excited-state lifetimes on the order of 1 ns and remarkably large excitonic g-factors of 10. It is anticipated that WSe2 quantum dots will provide a novel platform for integrated solid-state quantum photonics and quantum information processing, as well as a rich condensed-matter physics playground with which to explore the coupling of quantum dots and atomically thin semiconductors.

The Light-Front Schrödinger Equation and Determination of the Perturbative QCD Scale from Color Confinement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brodsky, Stanley J.; de Teramond, Guy F.; Deur, Alexandre P.

2015-09-01

The valence Fock-state wavefunctions of the light-front QCD Hamiltonian satisfy a relativistic equation of motion with an effective confining potential U which systematically incorporates the effects of higher quark and gluon Fock states. If one requires that the effective action which underlies the QCD Lagrangian remains conformally invariant and extends the formalism of de Alfaro, Fubini and Furlan to light front Hamiltonian theory, the potential U has a unique form of a harmonic oscillator potential, and a mass gap arises. The result is a nonperturbative relativistic light-front quantum mechanical wave equation which incorporates color confinement and other essential spectroscopic andmore » dynamical features of hadron physics, including a massless pion for zero quark mass and linear Regge trajectories with the same slope in the radial quantum number n and orbital angular momentum L. Only one mass parameter κ appears. Light-front holography thus provides a precise relation between the bound-state amplitudes in the fifth dimension of AdS space and the boost-invariant light-front wavefunctions describing the internal structure of hadrons in physical space-time. We also show how the mass scale κ underlying confinement and hadron masses determines the scale Λ {ovr MS} controlling the evolution of the perturbative QCD coupling. The relation between scales is obtained by matching the nonperturbative dynamics, as described by an effective conformal theory mapped to the light-front and its embedding in AdS space, to the perturbative QCD regime computed to four-loop order. The result is an effective coupling defined at all momenta. The predicted value Λ {ovr MS}=0.328±0.034 GeV is in agreement with the world average 0.339±0.010 GeV. The analysis applies to any renormalization scheme.« less

Analysis of single quantum-dot mobility inside 1D nanochannel devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoang, H. T.; Segers-Nolten, I. M.; Tas, N. R.; van Honschoten, J. W.; Subramaniam, V.; Elwenspoek, M. C.

2011-07-01

We visualized individual quantum dots using a combination of a confining nanochannel and an ultra-sensitive microscope system, equipped with a high numerical aperture lens and a highly sensitive camera. The diffusion coefficients of the confined quantum dots were determined from the experimentally recorded trajectories according to the classical diffusion theory for Brownian motion in two dimensions. The calculated diffusion coefficients were three times smaller than those in bulk solution. These observations confirm and extend the results of Eichmann et al (2008 Langmuir 24 714-21) to smaller particle diameters and more narrow confinement. A detailed analysis shows that the observed reduction in mobility cannot be explained by conventional hydrodynamic theory.

Vindication of Yb2Ti2O7 as a model exchange quantum spin ice.

PubMed

Applegate, R; Hayre, N R; Singh, R R P; Lin, T; Day, A G R; Gingras, M J P

2012-08-31

We use numerical linked-cluster expansions to compute the specific heat C(T) and entropy S(T) of a quantum spin ice Hamiltonian for Yb2Ti2O7 using anisotropic exchange interactions, recently determined from inelastic neutron scattering measurements, and find good agreement with experimental calorimetric data. This vindicates Yb2Ti2O7 as a model quantum spin ice. We find that in the perturbative weak quantum regime, such a system has a ferrimagnetic ordered ground state, with two peaks in C(T): a Schottky anomaly signaling the paramagnetic to spin ice crossover, followed at a lower temperature by a sharp peak accompanying a first-order phase transition to the ordered state. We suggest that the two C(T) features observed in Yb2Ti2O7 are associated with the same physics. Spin excitations in this regime consist of weakly confined spinon-antispinon pairs. We anticipate that the conventional ground state with exotic quantum dynamics will prove a prevalent characteristic of many real quantum spin ice materials.

Inelastic light and electron scattering in parabolic quantum dots in magnetic field: Implications of generalized Kohn's theorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushwaha, Manvir S.

2016-03-01

We investigate a one-component, quasi-zero-dimensional, quantum plasma exposed to a parabolic potential and an applied magnetic field in the symmetric gauge. If the size of such a system as can be realized in the semiconducting quantum dots is on the order of the de Broglie wavelength, the electronic and optical properties become highly tunable. Then the quantum size effects challenge the observation of many-particle phenomena such as the magneto-optical absorption, Raman intensity, and electron energy loss spectrum. An exact analytical solution of the problem leads us to infer that these many-particle phenomena are, in fact, dictated by the generalized Kohn's theorem in the long-wavelength limit. Maneuvering the confinement and/or the magnetic field furnishes the resonance energy capable of being explored with the FIR, Raman, or electron energy loss spectroscopy. This implies that either of these probes should be competent in observing the localized magnetoplasmons in the system. A deeper insight into the physics of quantum dots is paving the way for their implementation in diverse fields such as quantum computing and medical imaging.

Localized magnetoplasmons in quantum dots: Magneto-optical absorption, Raman scattering, and inelastic electron scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushwaha, M. S.

We investigate a one-component, quasi-zero dimensional, quantum plasma exposed to a parabolic potential and an applied magnetic field in the symmetric gauge. If the size of such a system as can be realized in the semiconducting quantum dots is on the order of the de-Broglie wavelength, the electronic and optical properties become highly tunable. Then the quantum size effects challenge the observation of many-particle phenomena such as the magneto-optical absorption, Raman intensity, and electron-energy-loss spectrum. An exact analytical solution of the problem leads us to infer that these many-particle phenomena are, in fact, dictated by the generalized Kohn's theorem in the long-wavelength limit. Maneuvering the confinement and/or the magnetic field furnishes the resonance energy capable of being explored with the FIR, Raman, or electron-energy-loss spectroscopy. This implies that either of these probes should be competent in observing the localized magnetoplasmons in the system. A deeper insight into the physics of quantum dots is paving the way for their implementation in such diverse fields as quantum computing and medical imaging.

Dielectric response properties of parabolically-confined nanostructures in a quantizing magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabeeh, Kashif

This thesis presents theoretical studies of dielectric response properties of parabolically-confined nanostructures in a magnetic field. We have determined the retarded Schrodinger Green's function for an electron in such a parabolically confined system in the presence of a time dependent electric field and an ambient magnetic field. Following an operator equation of motion approach developed by Schwinger, we calculate the result in closed form in terms of elementary functions in direct-time representation. From the retarded Schrodinger Green's function we construct the closed-form thermodynamic Green's function for a parabolically confined quantum-dot in a magnetic field to determine its plasmon spectrum. Due to confinement and Landau quantization this system is fully quantized, with an infinite number of collective modes. The RPA integral equation for the inverse dielectric function is solved using Fredholm theory in the nondegenerate and quantum limit to determine the frequencies with which the plasmons participate in response to excitation by an external potential. We exhibit results for the variation of plasmon frequency as a function of magnetic field strength and of confinement frequency. A calculation of the van der Waals interaction energy between two harmonically confined quantum dots is discussed in terms of the dipole-dipole correlation function. The results are presented as a function of confinement strength and distance between the dots. We also rederive a result of Fertig & Halperin [32] for the tunneling-scattering of an electron through a saddle potential which is also known as a quantum point contact (QPC), in the presence of a magnetic field. Using the retarded Green's function we confirm the result for the transmission coefficient and analyze it.

Two-dimensional lattice gauge theories with superconducting quantum circuits

PubMed Central

Marcos, D.; Widmer, P.; Rico, E.; Hafezi, M.; Rabl, P.; Wiese, U.-J.; Zoller, P.

2014-01-01

A quantum simulator of U(1) lattice gauge theories can be implemented with superconducting circuits. This allows the investigation of confined and deconfined phases in quantum link models, and of valence bond solid and spin liquid phases in quantum dimer models. Fractionalized confining strings and the real-time dynamics of quantum phase transitions are accessible as well. Here we show how state-of-the-art superconducting technology allows us to simulate these phenomena in relatively small circuit lattices. By exploiting the strong non-linear couplings between quantized excitations emerging when superconducting qubits are coupled, we show how to engineer gauge invariant Hamiltonians, including ring-exchange and four-body Ising interactions. We demonstrate that, despite decoherence and disorder effects, minimal circuit instances allow us to investigate properties such as the dynamics of electric flux strings, signaling confinement in gauge invariant field theories. The experimental realization of these models in larger superconducting circuits could address open questions beyond current computational capability. PMID:25512676

Role of confinements on the melting of Wigner molecules in quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Dyuti; Filinov, Alexei V.; Ghosal, Amit; Bonitz, Michael

2016-03-01

We explore the stability of a Wigner molecule (WM) formed in confinements with different geometries emulating the role of disorder and analyze the melting (or crossover) of such a system. Building on a recent calculation [D. Bhattacharya, A. Ghosal, Eur. Phys. J. B 86, 499 (2013)] that discussed the effects of irregularities on the thermal crossover in classical systems, we expand our studies in the untested territory by including both the effects of quantum fluctuations and of disorder. Our results, using classical and quantum (path integral) Monte Carlo techniques, unfold complementary mechanisms that drive the quantum and thermal crossovers in a WM and show that the symmetry of the confinement plays no significant role in determining the quantum crossover scale n X . This is because the zero-point motion screens the boundary effects within short distances. The phase diagram as a function of thermal and quantum fluctuations determined from independent criteria is unique, and shows "melting" from the WM to both the classical and quantum "liquids". An intriguing signature of weakening liquidity with increasing temperature, T, is found in the extreme quantum regime. The crossover is associated with production of defects. However, these defects appear to play distinct roles in driving the quantum and thermal "melting". Our analyses carry serious implications for a variety of experiments on many-particle systems - semiconductor heterostructure quantum dots, trapped ions, nanoclusters, colloids and complex plasma.

An environment-dependent semi-empirical tight binding model suitable for electron transport in bulk metals, metal alloys, metallic interfaces, and metallic nanostructures. II. Application—Effect of quantum confinement and homogeneous strain on Cu conductance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hegde, Ganesh; Povolotskyi, Michael; Kubis, Tillmann; Charles, James; Klimeck, Gerhard

2014-03-01

The Semi-Empirical tight binding model developed in Part I Hegde et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 115, 123703 (2014)] is applied to metal transport problems of current relevance in Part II. A systematic study of the effect of quantum confinement, transport orientation, and homogeneous strain on electronic transport properties of Cu is carried out. It is found that quantum confinement from bulk to nanowire boundary conditions leads to significant anisotropy in conductance of Cu along different transport orientations. Compressive homogeneous strain is found to reduce resistivity by increasing the density of conducting modes in Cu. The [110] transport orientation in Cu nanowires is found to be the most favorable for mitigating conductivity degradation since it shows least reduction in conductance with confinement and responds most favorably to compressive strain.

Lack of quantum confinement in Ga2O3 nanolayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peelaers, Hartwin; Van de Walle, Chris G.

2017-08-01

β -Ga2Ox3 is a wide-band-gap semiconductor with promising applications in transparent electronics and in power devices. β -Ga2O3 has monoclinic crystal symmetry and does not display a layered structured characteristic of 2D materials in the bulk; nevertheless, monolayer-thin Ga2O3 layers can be created. We used first-principles techniques to investigate the structural and electronic properties of these nanolayers. Surprisingly, freestanding films do not exhibit any signs of quantum confinement and exhibit the same electronic structure as bulk material. A detailed examination reveals that this can be attributed to the presence of states that are strongly confined near the surface. When the Ga2O3 layers are embedded in a wider band-gap material such as Al2O3 , the expected effects of quantum confinement can be observed. The effective mass of electrons in all the nanolayers is small, indicating promising device applications.

Baryon spectrum from superconformal quantum mechanics and its light-front holographic embedding

DOE PAGES

de Teramond, Guy F.; Dosch, Hans Gunter; Brodsky, Stanley J.

2015-02-27

We describe the observed light-baryon spectrum by extending superconformal quantum mechanics to the light front and its embedding in AdS space. This procedure uniquely determines the confinement potential for arbitrary half-integer spin. To this end, we show that fermionic wave equations in AdS space are dual to light-front supersymmetric quantum-mechanical bound-state equations in physical space-time. The specific breaking of conformal invariance explains hadronic properties common to light mesons and baryons, such as the observed mass pattern in the radial and orbital excitations, from the spectrum generating algebra. Lastly, the holographic embedding in AdS also explains distinctive and systematic features, suchmore » as the spin-J degeneracy for states with the same orbital angular momentum, observed in the light-baryon spectrum.« less

Role of quantum fluctuations in structural dynamics of liquids of light molecules

DOE PAGES

Agapov, A.; Novikov, V. N.; Kisliuk, A.; ...

2016-12-16

A possible role of quantum effects, such as tunneling and zero-point energy, in the structural dynamics of supercooled liquids is studied by dielectric spectroscopy. Our results demonstrate that the liquids, bulk 3-methyl pentane and confined normal and deuterated water, have low glass transition temperature and unusually low for their class of materials steepness of the temperature dependence of structural relaxation (fragility). Although we do not find any signs of tunneling in the structural relaxation of these liquids, their unusually low fragility can be well described by the influence of the quantum fluctuations. Confined water presents an especially interesting case inmore » comparison to the earlier data on bulk low-density amorphous and vapor deposited water. Confined water exhibits a much weaker isotope effect than bulk water, although the effect is still significant. Here, we show that it can be ascribed to the change of the energy barrier for relaxation due to a decrease in the zeropoint energy upon D/H substitution. We observed a difference in the behavior of confined and bulk water demonstrates high sensitivity of quantum effects to the barrier heights and structure of water. Moreover, these results demonstrate that extrapolation of confined water properties to the bulk water behavior is questionable.« less

Structural and physical properties of InAlAs quantum dots grown on GaAs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasile, B. S.; Daly, A. Ben; Craciun, D.; Alexandrou, I.; Lazar, S.; Lemaître, A.; Maaref, M. A.; Iacomi, F.; Craciun, V.

2018-04-01

Quantum dots (QDs), which have particular physical properties due to the three dimensions confinement effect, could be used in many advanced optoelectronic applications. We investigated the properties of InAlAs/AlGaAs QDs grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs/Al0.5Ga0.5As layers. The optical properties of QDs were studied by low-temperature photoluminescence (PL). Two bandgap transitions corresponding to the X-Sh and X-Ph energy structure were observed. The QDs structure was investigated using high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). HRXRD investigations showed that the layers grew epitaxially on the substrate, with no relaxation. HRTEM investigations confirmed the epitaxial nature of the grown structures. In addition, it was revealed that the In atoms aggregated in some prismatic regions, forming areas of high In concentration, that were still in perfect registry with the substrate.

Electron scattering times in ZnO based polar heterostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Falson, J., E-mail: j.falson@fkf.mpg.de; Department of Advanced Materials Science, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8561; Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, D-70569 Stuttgart

2015-08-24

The remarkable historic advances experienced in condensed matter physics have been enabled through the continued exploration and proliferation of increasingly richer and cleaner material systems. In this work, we report on the scattering times of charge carriers confined in state-of-the-art MgZnO/ZnO heterostructures displaying electron mobilities in excess of 10{sup 6} cm{sup 2}/V s. Through an examination of low field quantum oscillations, we obtain the effective mass of charge carriers, along with the transport and quantum scattering times. These times compare favorably with high mobility AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures, suggesting the quality of MgZnO/ZnO heterostructures now rivals that of traditional semiconductors.

Field tuning the g factor in InAs nanowire double quantum dots.

PubMed

Schroer, M D; Petersson, K D; Jung, M; Petta, J R

2011-10-21

We study the effects of magnetic and electric fields on the g factors of spins confined in a two-electron InAs nanowire double quantum dot. Spin sensitive measurements are performed by monitoring the leakage current in the Pauli blockade regime. Rotations of single spins are driven using electric-dipole spin resonance. The g factors are extracted from the spin resonance condition as a function of the magnetic field direction, allowing determination of the full g tensor. Electric and magnetic field tuning can be used to maximize the g-factor difference and in some cases altogether quench the electric-dipole spin resonance response, allowing selective single spin control. © 2011 American Physical Society

Interface and photoluminescence characteristics of graphene-(GaN/InGaN){sub n} multiple quantum wells hybrid structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Liancheng, E-mail: wanglc@semi.ac.cn, E-mail: lzq@semi.ac.cn, E-mail: zh.zhang@hebut.edu.cn; Semiconductor Lighting Technology Research and Development Center, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083; Mind Star

The effects of graphene on the optical properties of active system, e.g., the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells, are thoroughly investigated and clarified. Here, we have investigated the mechanisms accounting for the photoluminescence reduction for the graphene covered GaN/InGaN multiple quantum wells hybrid structure. Compared to the bare multiple quantum wells, the photoluminescence intensity of graphene covered multiple quantum wells showed a 39% decrease after excluding the graphene absorption losses. The responsible mechanisms have been identified with the following factors: (1) the graphene two dimensional hole gas intensifies the polarization field in multiple quantum wells, thus steepening the quantum well bandmore » profile and causing hole-electron pairs to further separate; (2) a lower affinity of graphene compared to air leading to a weaker capability to confine the excited hot electrons in multiple quantum wells; and (3) exciton transfer through non-radiative energy transfer process. These factors are theoretically analysed based on advanced physical models of semiconductor devices calculations and experimentally verified by varying structural parameters, such as the indium fraction in multiple quantum wells and the thickness of the last GaN quantum barrier spacer layer.« less

Quantum-mechanical engines working with an ideal gas with a finite number of particles confined in a power-law trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jianhui; Ma, Yongli; He, Jizhou

2015-07-01

Based on quantum thermodynamic processes, we make a quantum-mechanical (QM) extension of the typical heat engine cycles, such as the Carnot, Brayton, Otto, Diesel cycles, etc., with no introduction of the concept of temperature. When these QM engine cycles are implemented by an ideal gas confined in an arbitrary power-law trap, a relation between the quantum adiabatic exponent and trap exponent is found. The differences and similarities between the efficiency of a given QM engine cycle and its classical counterpart are revealed and discussed.

NATO Advanced Study Institute on Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DiBartolo, Baldassare; Barnes, James (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This booklet presents an account of the course 'Spectroscopy of Systems with Spatially Confined Structures' held in Erice-Sicily, Italy, from June 15 to June 30, 2001. This meeting was organized by the International School of Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy of the 'Ettore Majorana' Centre for Scientific Culture. The purpose of this course was to present and discuss nanometer-scale physics, a rapidly progressing field. The top-down approach of semiconductor technology will soon meet the scales of the bottom-up approaches of supramolecular chemistry and of spatially localized excitations in ionic crystals. This course dealt with the fabrication, measurement and understanding of the relevant structures and brought together the scientific communities responsible for these development. The advances in this area of physics have already let to applications in optoelectronics and will likely lead to many more. The subjects of the course included spatially resolved structures such as quantum wells, quantum wires and quantum dots, single atoms and molecules, clusters, fractal systems, and the development of related techniques like near-field spectroscopy and confocal microscopy to study such systems.

2D Quantum Transport Modeling in Nanoscale MOSFETs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Svizhenko, Alexei; Anantram, M. P.; Govindan, T. R.; Biegel, Bryan

2001-01-01

With the onset of quantum confinement in the inversion layer in nanoscale MOSFETs, behavior of the resonant level inevitably determines all device characteristics. While most classical device simulators take quantization into account in some simplified manner, the important details of electrostatics are missing. Our work addresses this shortcoming and provides: (a) a framework to quantitatively explore device physics issues such as the source-drain and gate leakage currents, DIBL, and threshold voltage shift due to quantization, and b) a means of benchmarking quantum corrections to semiclassical models (such as density- gradient and quantum-corrected MEDICI). We have developed physical approximations and computer code capable of realistically simulating 2-D nanoscale transistors, using the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method. This is the most accurate full quantum model yet applied to 2-D device simulation. Open boundary conditions, oxide tunneling and phase-breaking scattering are treated on equal footing. Electrons in the ellipsoids of the conduction band are treated within the anisotropic effective mass approximation. Quantum simulations are focused on MIT 25, 50 and 90 nm "well- tempered" MOSFETs and compared to classical and quantum corrected models. The important feature of quantum model is smaller slope of Id-Vg curve and consequently higher threshold voltage. These results are quantitatively consistent with I D Schroedinger-Poisson calculations. The effect of gate length on gate-oxide leakage and sub-threshold current has been studied. The shorter gate length device has an order of magnitude smaller current at zero gate bias than the longer gate length device without a significant trade-off in on-current. This should be a device design consideration.

Multimode Bose-Hubbard model for quantum dipolar gases in confined geometries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartarius, Florian; Minguzzi, Anna; Morigi, Giovanna

2017-06-01

We theoretically consider ultracold polar molecules in a wave guide. The particles are bosons: They experience a periodic potential due to an optical lattice oriented along the wave guide and are polarized by an electric field orthogonal to the guide axis. The array is mechanically unstable by opening the transverse confinement in the direction orthogonal to the polarizing electric field and can undergo a transition to a double-chain (zigzag) structure. For this geometry we derive a multimode generalized Bose-Hubbard model for determining the quantum phases of the gas at the mechanical instability, taking into account the quantum fluctuations in all directions of space. Our model limits the dimension of the numerically relevant Hilbert subspace by means of an appropriate decomposition of the field operator, which is obtained from a field theoretical model of the linear-zigzag instability. We determine the phase diagrams of small systems using exact diagonalization and find that, even for tight transverse confinement, the aspect ratio between the two transverse trap frequencies controls not only the classical but also the quantum properties of the ground state in a nontrivial way. Convergence tests at the linear-zigzag instability demonstrate that our multimode generalized Bose-Hubbard model can catch the essential features of the quantum phases of dipolar gases in confined geometries with a limited computational effort.

Quantum Electric Dipole Lattice - Water Molecules Confined to Nanocavities in Beryl

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dressel, Martin; Zhukova, Elena S.; Thomas, Victor G.; Gorshunov, Boris P.

2018-02-01

Water is subject to intense investigations due to its importance in biological matter but keeps many of its secrets. Here, we unveil an even other aspect by confining H2O molecules to nanosize cages. Our THz and infrared spectra of water in the gemstone beryl evidence quantum tunneling of H2O molecules in the crystal lattice. The water molecules are spread out when confined in a nanocage. In combination with low-frequency dielectric measurements, we were also able to show that dipolar coupling among the H2O molecules leads towards a ferroelectric state at low temperatures. Upon cooling, a ferroelectric soft mode shifts through the THz range. Only quantum fluctuations prevent perfect macroscopic order to be fully achieved. Beside the significance to life science and possible application, nanoconfined water may become the prime example of a quantum electric dipolar lattice.

From the S U (2 ) quantum link model on the honeycomb lattice to the quantum dimer model on the kagome lattice: Phase transition and fractionalized flux strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, D.; Jiang, F.-J.; Olesen, T. Z.; Orland, P.; Wiese, U.-J.

2018-05-01

We consider the (2 +1 ) -dimensional S U (2 ) quantum link model on the honeycomb lattice and show that it is equivalent to a quantum dimer model on the kagome lattice. The model has crystalline confined phases with spontaneously broken translation invariance associated with pinwheel order, which is investigated with either a Metropolis or an efficient cluster algorithm. External half-integer non-Abelian charges [which transform nontrivially under the Z (2 ) center of the S U (2 ) gauge group] are confined to each other by fractionalized strings with a delocalized Z (2 ) flux. The strands of the fractionalized flux strings are domain walls that separate distinct pinwheel phases. A second-order phase transition in the three-dimensional Ising universality class separates two confining phases: one with correlated pinwheel orientations, and the other with uncorrelated pinwheel orientations.

Design and Synthesis of Antiblinking and Antibleaching Quantum Dots in Multiple Colors via Wave Function Confinement.

PubMed

Cao, Hujia; Ma, Junliang; Huang, Lin; Qin, Haiyan; Meng, Renyang; Li, Yang; Peng, Xiaogang

2016-12-07

Single-molecular spectroscopy reveals that photoluminescence (PL) of a single quantum dot blinks, randomly switching between bright and dim/dark states under constant photoexcitation, and quantum dots photobleach readily. These facts cast great doubts on potential applications of these promising emitters. After ∼20 years of efforts, synthesis of nonblinking quantum dots is still challenging, with nonblinking quantum dots only available in red-emitting window. Here we report synthesis of nonblinking quantum dots covering most part of the visible window using a new synthetic strategy, i.e., confining the excited-state wave functions of the core/shell quantum dots within the core quantum dot and its inner shells (≤ ∼5 monolayers). For the red-emitting ones, the new synthetic strategy yields nonblinking quantum dots with small sizes (∼8 nm in diameter) and improved nonblinking properties. These new nonblinking quantum dots are found to be antibleaching. Results further imply that the PL blinking and photobleaching of quantum dots are likely related to each other.

Physics and Applications of Defects in Advanced Semiconductors. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings. Volume 325

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-01

MAGNETOOPTICAL STUDIES OF ACCEPTORS CONFINED IN GaAs/AMGaAs QUANTUM WELLS ............................................... 73 P.O. Holtz, Q.X. Zhao, B. Momar...PROBE-PROBE TRANSMISSION STUDIES OF LT-GROWN GaAs NEAR THE BAND EDGE ...................................... 389 H.B. Radousky, A.F. Bello, DJ. Erskine...SUBSTRATE ...................... 449 M. Shah, M.O. Manareh, R. Kaspi, M.Y. Yen, B.A. Philips, M. Skowronki, and J. Shi•rm A TEM STUDY OF DEFECT STRUCTURE IN

Quantum Confinement at Polar Oxide Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gariglio, Stefano; Li, Danfeng; Wu, Zhenping; Liu, Wei; Fete, Alexandre; Boselli, Margherita; Lemal, Sebastien; Bristowe, Nicholas; Ghosez, Philippe; Gabay, Marc; Triscone, Jean-Marc

The discovery of a two-dimensional electron liquid (2DEL), confined at the interface between the two band insulators LaAlO3 (LAO) and SrTiO3 (STO) has generated tremendous research interest. The 2DEL confinement lifts the degeneracy of Ti t2 g orbitals and promotes exotic physical properties. A previous study has demonstrated that a 2DEL is also observed when LAO is alloyed with STO (La,Al)1-x(Sr,Ti)xO3 (LASTO: x). The threshold thickness required for the onset of conductivity scales with x. We present here a study of superconductivity at the (LASTO:0.5)/STO interface. The thickness of the 2DEL, measured using perpendicular and parallel critical fields, is larger than the one at the LAO/STO interface. This change is due to a modification on the confining potential linked to a reduced charge transfer that is scaling as 1 / x . This scenario is also confirmed by a self-consistent Poisson-Schrödinger model and ab initio calculations. These compelling evidences support an intrinsic origin to the formation of the 2DEL in the LAO/STO system.

Manipulating Nonlinear Emission and Cooperative Effect of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots by Coupling to a Silver Nanorod Complex Cavity

PubMed Central

Nan, Fan; Cheng, Zi-Qiang; Wang, Ya-Lan; Zhang, Qing; Zhou, Li; Yang, Zhong-Jian; Zhong, Yu-Ting; Liang, Shan; Xiong, Qihua; Wang, Qu-Quan

2014-01-01

Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots have three-dimensional confined excitons with large optical oscillator strength and gain. The surface plasmons of metallic nanostructures offer an efficient tool to enhance exciton-exciton coupling and excitation energy transfer at appropriate geometric arrangement. Here, we report plasmon-mediated cooperative emissions of approximately one monolayer of ensemble CdSe/ZnS quantum dots coupled with silver nanorod complex cavities at room temperature. Power-dependent spectral shifting, narrowing, modulation, and amplification are demonstrated by adjusting longitudinal surface plasmon resonance of silver nanorods, reflectivity and phase shift of silver nanostructured film, and mode spacing of the complex cavity. The underlying physical mechanism of the nonlinear excitation energy transfer and nonlinear emissions are further investigated and discussed by using time-resolved photoluminescence and finite-difference time-domain numerical simulations. Our results suggest effective strategies to design active plasmonic complex cavities for cooperative emission nanodevices based on semiconductor quantum dots. PMID:24787617

Electronic quantum confinement in cylindrical potential well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baltenkov, Arkadiy S.; Msezane, Alfred Z.

2016-04-01

The effects of quantum confinement on the momentum distribution of electrons confined within a cylindrical potential well have been analyzed. The motivation is to understand specific features of the momentum distribution of electrons when the electron behavior is completely controlled by the parameters of a non-isotropic potential cavity. It is shown that studying the solutions of the wave equation for an electron confined in a cylindrical potential well offers the possibility to analyze the confinement behavior of an electron executing one- or two-dimensional motion in the three-dimensional space within the framework of the same mathematical model. Some low-lying electronic states with different symmetries have been considered and the corresponding wave functions have been calculated; the behavior of their nodes and their peak positions with respect to the parameters of the cylindrical well has been analyzed. Additionally, the momentum distributions of electrons in these states have been calculated. The limiting cases of the ratio of the cylinder length H and its radius R0 have been considered; when the cylinder length H significantly exceeds its radius R0 and when the cylinder radius is much greater than its length. The cylindrical quantum confinement effects on the momentum distribution of electrons in these potential wells have been analyzed. The possible application of the results obtained here for the description of the general features in the behavior of electrons in nanowires with metallic type of conductivity (or nanotubes) and ultrathin epitaxial films (or graphene sheets) are discussed. Possible experiments are suggested where the quantum confinement can be manifested. Contribution to the Topical Issue "Atomic Cluster Collisions (7th International Symposium)", edited by Gerardo Delgado Barrio, Andrey Solov'Yov, Pablo Villarreal, Rita Prosmiti.

Quantum cellular automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porod, Wolfgang; Lent, Craig S.; Bernstein, Gary H.

1994-06-01

The Notre Dame group has developed a new paradigm for ultra-dense and ultra-fast information processing in nanoelectronic systems. These Quantum Cellular Automata (QCA's) are the first concrete proposal for a technology based on arrays of coupled quantum dots. The basic building block of these cellular arrays is the Notre Dame Logic Cell, as it has been called in the literature. The phenomenon of Coulomb exclusion, which is a synergistic interplay of quantum confinement and Coulomb interaction, leads to a bistable behavior of each cell which makes possible their use in large-scale cellular arrays. The physical interaction between neighboring cells has been exploited to implement logic functions. New functionality may be achieved in this fashion, and the Notre Dame group invented a versatile majority logic gate. In a series of papers, the feasibility of QCA wires, wire crossing, inverters, and Boolean logic gates was demonstrated. A major finding is that all logic functions may be integrated in a hierarchial fashion which allows the design of complicated QCA structures. The most complicated system which was simulated to date is a one-bit full adder consisting of some 200 cells. In addition to exploring these new concepts, efforts are under way to physically realize such structures both in semiconductor and metal systems. Extensive modeling work of semiconductor quantum dot structures has helped identify optimum design parameters for QCA experimental implementations.

Quantum chromodynamics near the confinement limit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quigg, C.

1985-09-01

These nine lectures deal at an elementary level with the strong interaction between quarks and its implications for the structure of hadrons. Quarkonium systems are studied as a means for measuring the interquark interaction. This is presumably (part of) the answer a solution to QCD must yield, if it is indeed the correct theory of the strong interactions. Some elements of QCD are reviewed, and metaphors for QCD as a confining theory are introduced. The 1/N expansion is summarized as a way of guessing the consequences of QCD for hadron physics. Lattice gauge theory is developed as a means formore » going beyond perturbation theory in the solution of QCD. The correspondence between statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and field theory is made, and simple spin systems are formulated on the lattice. The lattice analog of local gauge invariance is developed, and analytic methods for solving lattice gauge theory are considered. The strong-coupling expansion indicates the existence of a confining phase, and the renormalization group provides a means for recovering the consequences of continuum field theory. Finally, Monte Carlo simulations of lattice theories give evidence for the phase structure of gauge theories, yield an estimate for the string tension characterizing the interquark force, and provide an approximate description of the quarkonium potential in encouraging good agreement with what is known from experiment.« less

Quantum Dot Photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinnischtzke, Laura A.

We report on several experiments using single excitons confined to single semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Electric and magnetic fields have previously been used as experimental knobs to understand and control individual excitons in single quantum dots. We realize new ways of electric field control by changing materials and device geometry in the first two experiments with strain-based InAs QDs. A standard Schottky diode heterostructure is demonstrated with graphene as the Schottky gate material, and its performance is bench-marked against a diode with a standard gate material, semi-transparent nickel-chromium (NiCr). This change of materials increases the photon collection rate by eliminating absorption in the metallic NiCr layer. A second set of experiments investigates the electric field response of QDs as a possible metrology source. A linear voltage potential drop in a plane near the QDs is used to describe how the spatially varying voltage profile is also imparted on the QDs. We demonstrate a procedure to map this voltage profile as a preliminary route towards a full quantum sensor array. Lastly, InAs QDs are explored as potential spin-photon interfaces. We describe how a magnetic field is used to realize a reversible exchange of information between light and matter, including a discussion of the polarization-dependence of the photoluminesence, and how that can be linked to the spin of a resident electron or hole. We present evidence of this in two wavelength regimes for InAs quantum dots, and discuss how an external magnetic field informs the spin physics of these 2-level systems. This thesis concludes with the discovery of a new class of quantum dots. As-yet unidentified defect states in single layer tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) are shown to host quantum light emission. We explore the spatial extent of electron confinement and tentatively identify a radiative lifetime of 1 ns for these single photon emitters.

Diamagnetic susceptibility of a hydrogenic donor in a group IV-VI quantum dot-quantum well heterostructure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saravanamoorthy, S. N.; Peter, A. John, E-mail: a.john.peter@gmail.com

2016-05-23

Electronic properties of a hydrogenic donor impurity in a CdSe/Pb{sub 0.8}Cd{sub 0.2}Se/CdSe quantum dot quantum well system are investigated for various radii of core with shell materials. Confined energies are obtained taking into account the geometrical size of the system and thereby the donor binding energies are found. The diamagnetic susceptibility is estimated for a confined shallow donor in the well system. The results show that the diamagnetic susceptibility strongly depends on core and shell radii and it is more sensitive to variations of the geometrical size of the well material.

Accidental degeneracies in nonlinear quantum deformed systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleixo, A. N. F.; Balantekin, A. B.

2011-09-01

We construct a multi-parameter nonlinear deformed algebra for quantum confined systems that includes many other deformed models as particular cases. We demonstrate that such systems exhibit the property of accidental pairwise energy level degeneracies. We also study, as a special case of our multi-parameter deformation formalism, the extension of the Tamm-Dancoff cutoff deformed oscillator and the occurrence of accidental pairwise degeneracy in the energy levels of the deformed system. As an application, we discuss the case of a trigonometric Rosen-Morse potential, which is successfully used in models for quantum confined systems, ranging from electrons in quantum dots to quarks in hadrons.

Quantum confined Stark effects of single dopant in polarized hemispherical quantum dot: Two-dimensional finite difference approach and Ritz-Hassé variation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Harouny, El Hassan; Nakra Mohajer, Soukaina; Ibral, Asmaa; El Khamkhami, Jamal; Assaid, El Mahdi

2018-05-01

Eigenvalues equation of hydrogen-like off-center single donor impurity confined in polarized homogeneous hemispherical quantum dot deposited on a wetting layer, capped by insulated matrix and submitted to external uniform electric field is solved in the framework of the effective mass approximation. An infinitely deep potential is used to describe effects of quantum confinement due to conduction band offsets at surfaces where quantum dot and surrounding materials meet. Single donor ground state total and binding energies in presence of electric field are determined via two-dimensional finite difference approach and Ritz-Hassé variation principle. For the latter method, attractive coulomb correlation between electron and ionized single donor is taken into account in the expression of trial wave function. It appears that off-center single dopant binding energy, spatial extension and radial probability density are strongly dependent on hemisphere radius and single dopant position inside quantum dot. Influence of a uniform electric field is also investigated. It shows that Stark effect appears even for very small size dots and that single dopant energy shift is more significant when the single donor is near hemispherical surface.

Quantum confinement and magnetic field effects on the electron Landé g factor in GaAs-(Ga,Al)As double quantum wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perea, J. Darío; Mejía-Salazar, J. R.; Porras-Montenegro, N.

2011-12-01

Nowadays the spin-related phenomena have attracted great attention for the possible spintronic and optoelectronic applications. The manipulation of the Landé g factor by means of the control of the electron confinement, applied magnetic field and hydrostatic pressure offers the possibility of having a wide range of ways to control single qubit operation and to have pure spin states to guarantee that no losses occur when the electron spins transport information. In this work we have performed a theoretical study of the quantum confinement (geometrical and barrier potential confinements) and growth direction applied magnetic field effects on the conduction-electron effective Landé g factor in GaAs-(Ga,Al)As double quantum wells. Our calculations of the Landé g factor are performed by using the Ogg-McCombe effective Hamiltonian, which includes non-parabolicity and anisotropy effects for the conduction-band electrons. Our theoretical results are given as function of the central barrier widths for different values of the applied magnetic fields. We have found that in this type of heterostructure the geometrical confinement commands the behavior of the electron effective Landé g factor as compared to the effect of the applied magnetic field. Present theoretical reports are in very good agreement with previous experimental and theoretical results.

Quantum Confined Semiconductors for High Efficiency Photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beard, Matthew

2014-03-01

Semiconductor nanostructures, where at least one dimension is small enough to produce quantum confinement effects, provide new pathways for controlling energy flow and therefore have the potential to increase the efficiency of the primary photon-to-free energy conversion step. In this discussion, I will present the current status of research efforts towards utilizing the unique properties of colloidal quantum dots (NCs confined in three dimensions) in prototype solar cells and demonstrate that these unique systems have the potential to bypass the Shockley-Queisser single-junction limit for solar photon conversion. The solar cells are constructed using a low temperature solution based deposition of PbS or PbSe QDs as the absorber layer. Different chemical treatments of the QD layer are employed in order to obtain good electrical communication while maintaining the quantum-confined properties of the QDs. We have characterized the transport and carrier dynamics using a transient absorption, time-resolved THz, and temperature-dependent photoluminescence. I will discuss the interplay between carrier generation, recombination, and mobility within the QD layers. A unique aspect of our devices is that the QDs exhibit multiple exciton generation with an efficiency that is ~ 2 to 3 times greater than the parental bulk semiconductor.

Interband emission energy in a dilute nitride quaternary semiconductor quantum dot for longer wavelength applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mageshwari, P. Uma; Peter, A. John; Lee, Chang Woo; Duque, C. A.

2016-07-01

Excitonic properties are studied in a strained Ga1-xInxNyAs1-y/GaAs cylindrical quantum dot. The optimum condition for the desired band alignment for emitting wavelength 1.55 μm is investigated using band anticrossing model and the model solid theory. The band gap and the band discontinuities of a Ga1-xInxNyAs1-y/GaAs quantum dot on GaAs are computed with the geometrical confinement effect. The binding energy of the exciton, the oscillator strength and its radiative life time for the optimum condition are found taking into account the spatial confinement effect. The effects of geometrical confinement and the nitrogen incorporation on the interband emission energy are brought out. The result shows that the desired band alignment for emitting wavelength 1.55 μm is achieved for the inclusion of alloy contents, y=0.0554% and x=0.339% in Ga1-xInxNyAs1-y/GaAs quantum dot. And the incorporation of nitrogen and indium shows the red-shift and the geometrical confinement shows the blue-shift. And it can be applied for fibre optical communication networks.

A programmable two-qubit quantum processor in silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, T. F.; Philips, S. G. J.; Kawakami, E.; Ward, D. R.; Scarlino, P.; Veldhorst, M.; Savage, D. E.; Lagally, M. G.; Friesen, Mark; Coppersmith, S. N.; Eriksson, M. A.; Vandersypen, L. M. K.

2018-03-01

Now that it is possible to achieve measurement and control fidelities for individual quantum bits (qubits) above the threshold for fault tolerance, attention is moving towards the difficult task of scaling up the number of physical qubits to the large numbers that are needed for fault-tolerant quantum computing. In this context, quantum-dot-based spin qubits could have substantial advantages over other types of qubit owing to their potential for all-electrical operation and ability to be integrated at high density onto an industrial platform. Initialization, readout and single- and two-qubit gates have been demonstrated in various quantum-dot-based qubit representations. However, as seen with small-scale demonstrations of quantum computers using other types of qubit, combining these elements leads to challenges related to qubit crosstalk, state leakage, calibration and control hardware. Here we overcome these challenges by using carefully designed control techniques to demonstrate a programmable two-qubit quantum processor in a silicon device that can perform the Deutsch–Josza algorithm and the Grover search algorithm—canonical examples of quantum algorithms that outperform their classical analogues. We characterize the entanglement in our processor by using quantum-state tomography of Bell states, measuring state fidelities of 85–89 per cent and concurrences of 73–82 per cent. These results pave the way for larger-scale quantum computers that use spins confined to quantum dots.

A programmable two-qubit quantum processor in silicon.

PubMed

Watson, T F; Philips, S G J; Kawakami, E; Ward, D R; Scarlino, P; Veldhorst, M; Savage, D E; Lagally, M G; Friesen, Mark; Coppersmith, S N; Eriksson, M A; Vandersypen, L M K

2018-03-29

Now that it is possible to achieve measurement and control fidelities for individual quantum bits (qubits) above the threshold for fault tolerance, attention is moving towards the difficult task of scaling up the number of physical qubits to the large numbers that are needed for fault-tolerant quantum computing. In this context, quantum-dot-based spin qubits could have substantial advantages over other types of qubit owing to their potential for all-electrical operation and ability to be integrated at high density onto an industrial platform. Initialization, readout and single- and two-qubit gates have been demonstrated in various quantum-dot-based qubit representations. However, as seen with small-scale demonstrations of quantum computers using other types of qubit, combining these elements leads to challenges related to qubit crosstalk, state leakage, calibration and control hardware. Here we overcome these challenges by using carefully designed control techniques to demonstrate a programmable two-qubit quantum processor in a silicon device that can perform the Deutsch-Josza algorithm and the Grover search algorithm-canonical examples of quantum algorithms that outperform their classical analogues. We characterize the entanglement in our processor by using quantum-state tomography of Bell states, measuring state fidelities of 85-89 per cent and concurrences of 73-82 per cent. These results pave the way for larger-scale quantum computers that use spins confined to quantum dots.

Electronic Phenomena in Two-Dimensional Topological Insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, Sean

In recent years, two-dimensional electron systems have played an integral role at the forefront of discoveries in condensed matter physics. These include the integer and fractional quantum Hall effects, massless electron physics in graphene, the quantum spin and quantum anomalous Hall effects, and many more. Investigation of these fascinating states of matter brings with it surprising new results, challenges us to understand new physical phenomena, and pushes us toward new technological capabilities. In this thesis, we describe a set of experiments aimed at elucidating the behavior of two such two-dimensional systems: the quantum Hall effect, and the quantum spin Hall effect. The first experiment examines electronic behavior at the edge of a two-dimensional electron system formed in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure, under the application of a strong perpendicular magnetic field. When the ratio between the number of electrons and flux quanta in the system is tuned near certain integer or fractional values, the electrons in the system can form states which are respectively known as the integer and fractional quantum Hall effects. These states are insulators in the bulk, but carry gapless excitations at the edge. Remarkably, in certain fractional quantum Hall states, it was predicted that even as charge is carried downstream along an edge, heat can be carried upstream in a neutral edge channel. By placing quantum dots along a quantum Hall edge, we are able to locally monitor the edge temperature. Using a quantum point contact, we can locally heat the edge and use the quantum dot thermometers to detect heat carried both downstream and upstream. We find that heat can be carried upstream when the edge contains structure related to the nu = 2/3 fractional quantum Hall state. We further find that this fractional edge physics can even be present when the bulk is tuned to the nu = 1integer quantum Hall state. Our experiments also demonstrate that the nature of this fractional reconstruction can be tuned by modifying the sharpness of the confining potential at the edge. In the second set of experiments, we focus on an exciting new two-dimensional system known as a quantum spin Hall insulator. Realized in quantum well heterostructures formed by layers of HgTe and HgCdTe, this material belongs to a set of recently discovered topological insulators. Like the quantum Hall effect, the quantum spin Hall effect is characterized by an insulating bulk and conducting edge states. However, the quantum spin Hall effect occurs in the absence of an external magnetic field, and contains a pair of counter propagating edge states which are the time-reversed partners of one another. It was recently predicted that a Josephson junction based around one of these edge states could host a new variety of excitation called a Majorana fermion. Majorana fermions are predicted to have non-Abelian braiding statistics, a property which holds promise as a robust basis for quantum information processing. In our experiments, we place a section of quantum spin Hall insulator between two superconducting leads, to form a Josephson junction. By measuring Fraunhofer interference, we are able to study the spatial distribution of supercurrent in the junction. In the quantum spin Hall regime, this supercurrent becomes confined to the topological edge states. In addition to providing a microscopic picture of these states, our measurement scheme generally provides a way to investigate the edge structure of any topological insulator. In further experiments, we tune the chemical potential into the conduction band of the HgTe system, and investigate the behavior of Fraunhofer interference as a magnetic field is applied parallel to the plane of the quantum well. By theoretically analyzing the interference in a parallel field, we find that Cooper pairs in the material acquire a tunable momentum that grows with the magnetic field strength. This finite pairing momentum leads to the appearance of triplet pair correlations at certain locations within the junction, which we are able to control with the external magnetic field. Our measurements and analysis also provide a method to obtain information about the Fermi surface properties and spin-orbit coupling in two-dimensional materials.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dehesa, J.S.; Martinez-Finkelshtein, A.; Sorokin, V.N.

The asymptotics of the Boltzmann-Shannon information entropy as well as the Renyi entropy for the quantum probability density of a single-particle system with a confining (i.e., bounded below) power-type potential V(x)=x{sup 2k} with k is a member of N and x is a member of R, is investigated in the position and momentum spaces within the semiclassical (WKB) approximation. It is found that for highly excited states both physical entropies, as well as their sum, have a logarithmic dependence on its quantum number not only when k=1 (harmonic oscillator), but also for any fixed k. As a by-product, the extremalmore » case k{yields}{infinity} (the infinite well potential) is also rigorously analyzed. It is shown that not only the position-space entropy has the same constant value for all quantum states, which is a known result, but also that the momentum-space entropy is constant for highly excited states.« less

Control of the conformations of ion Coulomb crystals in a Penning trap

PubMed Central

Mavadia, Sandeep; Goodwin, Joseph F.; Stutter, Graham; Bharadia, Shailen; Crick, Daniel R.; Segal, Daniel M.; Thompson, Richard C.

2013-01-01

Laser-cooled atomic ions form ordered structures in radiofrequency ion traps and in Penning traps. Here we demonstrate in a Penning trap the creation and manipulation of a wide variety of ion Coulomb crystals formed from small numbers of ions. The configuration can be changed from a linear string, through intermediate geometries, to a planar structure. The transition from a linear string to a zigzag geometry is observed for the first time in a Penning trap. The conformations of the crystals are set by the applied trap potential and the laser parameters, and agree with simulations. These simulations indicate that the rotation frequency of a small crystal is mainly determined by the laser parameters, independent of the number of ions and the axial confinement strength. This system has potential applications for quantum simulation, quantum information processing and tests of fundamental physics models from quantum field theory to cosmology. PMID:24096901

Robust tunable excitonic features in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fouladi-Oskouei, J.; Shojaei, S.; Liu, Z.

2018-04-01

The effects of quantum confinement on excitons in parabolic quantum dots of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC QDs) are investigated within a massive Dirac fermion model. A giant spin-valley coupling of the TMDC QDs is obtained, larger than that of monolayer TMDC sheets and consistent with recent experimental measurements. The exciton transition energy and the binding energy are calculated, and it is found that the strong quantum confinement results in extremely high exciton binding energies. The enormously large exciton binding energy in TMDC QDs (({{E}{{B2D}}}∼ 500 meV)<{{E}{{BQD}}}~≲ 1800 meV for different kinds of TMDC QDs) ensures that the many body interactions play a significant role in the investigation of the optical properties of these novel nanostructures. The estimated oscillator strength and radiative lifetime of excitons are strongly size-dependent and indicate a giant oscillator strength enhancement and ultrafast radiative annihilation of excitons, varying from a few tens of femtoseconds to a few picoseconds. We found that the spin-dependent band gap, spin-valley coupling, binding energy and excitonic effects can be tuned by quantum confinements, leading to tunable quantum dots in monolayer TMDCs. This finding offers new functionality in engineering the interaction of a 2D material with light and creates promise for the quantum manipulation of spin and valley degrees of freedom in TMDC nanostructures, enabling versatile novel 2D quantum photonic and optoelectronic nanodevices.

Melting of Boltzmann particles in different 2D trapping potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Dyuti; Filinov, Alexei; Ghosal, Amit; Bonitz, Michael

2015-03-01

We analyze the quantum melting of two dimensional Wigner solid in several confined geometries and compare them with corresponding thermal melting in a purely classical system. Our results show that the geometry play little role in deciding the crossover quantum parameter nX, as the effects from boundary is well screened by the quantum zero point motion. The unique phase diagram in the plane of thermal and quantum fluctuations determined from independent melting criteria separates out the Wigner molecule ``phase'' from the classical and quantum ``liquids''. An intriguing signature of weakening liquidity with increasing temperature T have been found in the extreme quantum regime (n). This crossover is associated with production of defects, just like in case of thermal melting, though the role of them in determining the mechanism of the crossover appears different. Our study will help comprehending melting in a variety of experimental realization of confined system - from quantum dots to complex plasma.

Graphene quantum blisters: A tunable system to confine charge carriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, H. M.; Van der Donck, M.; Bahlouli, H.; Peeters, F. M.; Van Duppen, B.

2018-05-01

Due to Klein tunneling, electrostatic confinement of electrons in graphene is not possible. This hinders the use of graphene for quantum dot applications. Only through quasi-bound states with finite lifetime has one achieved to confine charge carriers. Here, we propose that bilayer graphene with a local region of decoupled graphene layers is able to generate bound states under the application of an electrostatic gate. The discrete energy levels in such a quantum blister correspond to localized electron and hole states in the top and bottom layers. We find that this layer localization and the energy spectrum itself are tunable by a global electrostatic gate and that the latter also coincides with the electronic modes in a graphene disk. Curiously, states with energy close to the continuum exist primarily in the classically forbidden region outside the domain defining the blister. The results are robust against variations in size and shape of the blister which shows that it is a versatile system to achieve tunable electrostatic confinement in graphene.

Confined states of individual type-II GaSb/GaAs quantum rings studied by cross-sectional scanning tunneling spectroscopy.

PubMed

Timm, Rainer; Eisele, Holger; Lenz, Andrea; Ivanova, Lena; Vossebürger, Vivien; Warming, Till; Bimberg, Dieter; Farrer, Ian; Ritchie, David A; Dähne, Mario

2010-10-13

Combined cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy results reveal the interplay between the atomic structure of ring-shaped GaSb quantum dots in GaAs and the corresponding electronic properties. Hole confinement energies between 0.2 and 0.3 eV and a type-II conduction band offset of 0.1 eV are directly obtained from the data. Additionally, the hole occupancy of quantum dot states and spatially separated Coulomb-bound electron states are observed in the tunneling spectra.

Decoherence of spin states induced by Rashba coupling for an electron confined to a semiconductor quantum dot in the presence of a magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poszwa, A.

2018-05-01

We investigate quantum decoherence of spin states caused by Rashba spin-orbit (SO) coupling for an electron confined to a planar quantum dot (QD) in the presence of a magnetic field (B). The Schrödinger equation has been solved in a frame of second-order perturbation theory. The relationship between the von Neumann (vN) entropy and the spin polarization is obtained. The relation is explicitly demonstrated for the InSb semiconductor QD.

Single-particle and collective excitations in quantum wires made up of vertically stacked quantum dots: zero magnetic field.

PubMed

Kushwaha, Manvir S

2011-09-28

We report on the theoretical investigation of the elementary electronic excitations in a quantum wire made up of vertically stacked self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots. The length scales (of a few nanometers) involved in the experimental setups prompt us to consider an infinitely periodic system of two-dimensionally confined (InAs) quantum dot layers separated by GaAs spacers. The resultant quantum wire is characterized by a two-dimensional harmonic confining potential in the x-y plane and a periodic (Kronig-Penney) potential along the z (or the growth) direction within the tight-binding approximation. Since the wells and barriers are formed from two different materials, we employ the Bastard's boundary conditions in order to determine the eigenfunctions along the z direction. These wave functions are then used to generate the Wannier functions, which, in turn, constitute the legitimate Bloch functions that govern the electron dynamics along the direction of periodicity. Thus, the Bloch functions and the Hermite functions together characterize the whole system. We then make use of the Bohm-Pines' (full) random-phase approximation in order to derive a general nonlocal, dynamic dielectric function. Thus, developed theoretical framework is then specified to work within a (lowest miniband and) two-subband model that enables us to scrutinize the single-particle as well as collective responses of the system. We compute and discuss the behavior of the eigenfunctions, band-widths, density of states, Fermi energy, single-particle and collective excitations, and finally size up the importance of studying the inverse dielectric function in relation with the quantum transport phenomena. It is remarkable to notice how the variation in the barrier- and well-widths can allow us to tailor the excitation spectrum in the desired energy range. Given the advantage of the vertically stacked quantum dots over the planar ones and the foreseen applications in the single-electron devices and in the quantum computation, it is quite interesting and important to explore the electronic, optical, and transport phenomena in such systems. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Effects of hydrostatic pressure on the donor impurity in a cylindrical quantum dot with Morse confining potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayrapetyan, David B.; Kotanjyan, Tigran V.; Tevosyan, Hovhannes Kh.; Kazaryan, Eduard M.

2016-12-01

The effects of hydrostatic pressure and size quantization on the binding energies of a hydrogen-like donor impurity in cylindrical GaAs quantum dot (QD) with Morse confining potential are studied using the variational method and effective-mass approximation. In the cylindrical QD, the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the binding energy of electron has been investigated and it has been found that the application of the hydrostatic pressure leads to the blue shift. The dependence of the absorption edge on geometrical parameters of cylindrical QD is obtained. Selection rules are revealed for transitions between levels with different quantum numbers. It is shown that for the radial quantum number, transitions are allowed between the levels with the same quantum numbers, and any transitions between different levels are allowed for the principal quantum number.

Thermodynamic limit for coherence-limited solar power conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashaal, Heylal; Gordon, Jeffrey M.

2014-09-01

The spatial coherence of solar beam radiation is a key constraint in solar rectenna conversion. Here, we present a derivation of the thermodynamic limit for coherence-limited solar power conversion - an expansion of Landsberg's elegant basic bound, originally limited to incoherent converters at maximum flux concentration. First, we generalize Landsberg's work to arbitrary concentration and angular confinement. Then we derive how the values are further lowered for coherence-limited converters. The results do not depend on a particular conversion strategy. As such, they pertain to systems that span geometric to physical optics, as well as classical to quantum physics. Our findings indicate promising potential for solar rectenna conversion.

Localized magnetoplasmons in quantum dots: Scrutinizing the eligibility of FIR, Raman, and electron energy-loss spectroscopies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushwaha, M.

We report on a one-component, quasi-zero dimensional, quantum plasma exposed to a parabolic potential and an applied magnetic field in the symmetric gauge. If the size of such a system as can be realized in the semiconducting quantum dots is on the order of the de-Broglie wavelength, the electronic and optical properties become highly tunable. Then the quantum size effects challenge the observation of many-particle phenomena such as the magneto-optical absorption, Raman intensity, and electron-energy-loss spectrum. An exact analytical solution of the problem leads us to infer that these many-particle phenomena are, in fact, dictated by the generalized Kohn's theorem in the long-wavelength limit. Maneuvering the confinement and/or the magnetic field furnishes the resonance energy capable of being explored with the FIR, Raman, or electron-energy-loss spectroscopy. This implies that either of these probes should be competent in observing the localized magnetoplasmons in the system. A deeper insight into the physics of quantum dots is paving the way for their implementation in such diverse fields as quantum computing and medical imaging1. 1. M.S. Kushwaha, Unpublished.

2D Quantum Mechanical Study of Nanoscale MOSFETs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Svizhenko, Alexei; Anantram, M. P.; Govindan, T. R.; Biegel, B.; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

With the onset of quantum confinement in the inversion layer in nanoscale MOSFETs, behavior of the resonant level inevitably determines all device characteristics. While most classical device simulators take quantization into account in some simplified manner, the important details of electrostatics are missing. Our work addresses this shortcoming and provides: (a) a framework to quantitatively explore device physics issues such as the source-drain and gate leakage currents, DIBL, and threshold voltage shift due to quantization, and b) a means of benchmarking quantum corrections to semiclassical models (such as density-gradient and quantum-corrected MEDICI). We have developed physical approximations and computer code capable of realistically simulating 2-D nanoscale transistors, using the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method. This is the most accurate full quantum model yet applied to 2-D device simulation. Open boundary conditions and oxide tunneling are treated on an equal footing. Electrons in the ellipsoids of the conduction band are treated within the anisotropic effective mass approximation. We present the results of our simulations of MIT 25, 50 and 90 nm "well-tempered" MOSFETs and compare them to those of classical and quantum corrected models. The important feature of quantum model is smaller slope of Id-Vg curve and consequently higher threshold voltage. Surprisingly, the self-consistent potential profile shows lower injection barrier in the channel in quantum case. These results are qualitatively consistent with ID Schroedinger-Poisson calculations. The effect of gate length on gate-oxide leakage and subthreshold current has been studied. The shorter gate length device has an order of magnitude smaller current at zero gate bias than the longer gate length device without a significant trade-off in on-current. This should be a device design consideration.

Photoinduced Single- and Multiple-Electron Dynamics Processes Enhanced by Quantum Confinement in Lead Halide Perovskite Quantum Dots

DOE PAGES

Vogel, Dayton J.; Kryjevski, Andrei; Inerbaev, Talgat; ...

2017-03-21

Methylammonium lead iodide perovskite (MAPbI 3) is a promising material for photovoltaic devices. A modification of MAPbI 3 into confined nanostructures is expected to further increase efficiency of solar energy conversion. Photoexcited dynamic processes in a MAPbI3 quantum dot (QD) have been modeled by many-body perturbation theory and nonadiabatic dynamics. A photoexcitation is followed by either exciton cooling (EC), its radiative (RR) or nonradiative recombination (NRR), or multiexciton generation (MEG) processes. Computed times of these processes fall in the order of MEG < EC < RR < NRR, where MEG is on the order of a few femtoseconds, EC ismore » in the picosecond range, while RR and NRR are on the order of nanoseconds. Computed time scales indicate which electronic transition pathways can contribute to increase in charge collection efficiency. Simulated mechanisms of relaxation and their rates show that quantum confinement promotes MEG in MAPbI 3 QDs.« less

Hidden symmetry in the confined hydrogen atom problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pupyshev, Vladimir I.; Scherbinin, Andrei V.

2002-07-01

The classical counterpart of the well-known quantum mechanical model of a spherically confined hydrogen atom is examined in terms of the Lenz vector, a dynamic variable featuring the conventional Kepler problem. It is shown that a conditional conservation law associated with the Lenz vector is true, in fair agreement with the corresponding quantum problem previously found to exhibit a hidden symmetry as well.

Thermalization and confinement in strongly coupled gauge theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, Takaaki; Kiritsis, Elias; Rosen, Christopher

2016-11-01

Quantum field theories of strongly interacting matter sometimes have a useful holographic description in terms of the variables of a gravitational theory in higher dimensions. This duality maps time dependent physics in the gauge theory to time dependent solutions of the Einstein equations in the gravity theory. In order to better understand the process by which "real world" theories such as QCD behave out of thermodynamic equilibrium, we study time dependent perturbations to states in a model of a confining, strongly coupled gauge theory via holography. Operationally, this involves solving a set of non-linear Einstein equations supplemented with specific time dependent boundary conditions. The resulting solutions allow one to comment on the timescale by which the perturbed states thermalize, as well as to quantify the properties of the final state as a function of the perturbation parameters. We comment on the influence of the dual gauge theory's confinement scale on these results, as well as the appearance of a previously anticipated universal scaling regime in the "abrupt quench" limit.

Maser Emission from Gravitational States on Isolated Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tepliakov, Nikita V.; Vovk, Tatiana A.; Rukhlenko, Ivan D.; Rozhdestvensky, Yuri V.

2018-04-01

Despite years of research on neutron stars, the source of their radio emission is still under debate. Here we propose a new coherent mechanism of pulsar radio emission based on transitions between gravitational states of electrons confined above the pulsar atmosphere. Our mechanism assumes that the coherent radiation is generated upon the electric and magnetic dipole transitions of electrons falling onto the polar caps of the pulsar, and predicts that this radiation occurs at radio frequencies—in full agreement with the observed emission spectra. We show that while the linearly polarized electric dipole radiation propagates parallel to the neutron star surface and has a fan-shape angular spectrum, the magnetic dipole emission comes from the magnetic poles of the pulsar in the form of two narrow beams and is elliptically polarized due to the spin–orbit coupling of electrons confined by the magnetic field. By explaining the main observables of the pulsar radio emission, the proposed mechanism indicates that gravitational quantum confinement plays an essential role in the physics of neutron stars.

Statistical thermodynamics of quantum Brownian motion: Construction of perpetuum mobile of the second kind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieuwenhuizen, Th. M.; Allahverdyan, A. E.

2002-09-01

The Brownian motion of a quantum particle in a harmonic confining potential and coupled to harmonic quantum thermal bath is exactly solvable. Though this system presents at high temperatures a pedagogic example to explain the laws of thermodynamics, it is shown that at low enough temperatures the stationary state is non-Gibbsian due to an entanglement with the bath. In physical terms, this happens when the cloud of bath modes around the particle starts to play a nontrivial role, namely, when the bath temperature T is smaller than the coupling energy. Indeed, equilibrium thermodynamics of the total system, particle plus bath, does not imply standard equilibrium thermodynamics for the particle itself at low T. Various formulations of the second law are found to be invalid at low T. First, the Clausius inequality can be violated, because heat can be extracted from the zero point energy of the cloud of bath modes. Second, when the width of the confining potential is suddenly changed, there occurs a relaxation to equilibrium during which the entropy production is partly negative. In this process the energy put on the particle does not relax monotonically, but oscillates between particle and bath, even in the limit of strong damping. Third, for nonadiabatic changes of system parameters the rate of energy dissipation can be negative, and, out of equilibrium, cyclic processes are possible which extract work from the bath. Conditions are put forward under which perpetuum mobility of the second kind, having one or several work extraction cycles, enter the realm of condensed matter physics. Fourth, it follows that the equivalence between different formulations of the second law (e.g., those by Clausius and Thomson) can be violated at low temperatures. These effects are the consequence of quantum entanglement in the presence of the slightly off-equilibrium nature of the thermal bath, and become important when the characteristic quantum time scale ħ/kBT is larger than or comparable to other time scales of the system. They show that there is no general consensus between standard thermodynamics and quantum mechanics. The known agreements occur only due to the weak coupling limit, which does not pertain to low temperatures. Experimental setups for testing the effects are discussed.

Statistical thermodynamics of quantum Brownian motion: construction of perpetuum mobile of the second kind.

PubMed

Nieuwenhuizen, Th M; Allahverdyan, A E

2002-09-01

The Brownian motion of a quantum particle in a harmonic confining potential and coupled to harmonic quantum thermal bath is exactly solvable. Though this system presents at high temperatures a pedagogic example to explain the laws of thermodynamics, it is shown that at low enough temperatures the stationary state is non-Gibbsian due to an entanglement with the bath. In physical terms, this happens when the cloud of bath modes around the particle starts to play a nontrivial role, namely, when the bath temperature T is smaller than the coupling energy. Indeed, equilibrium thermodynamics of the total system, particle plus bath, does not imply standard equilibrium thermodynamics for the particle itself at low T. Various formulations of the second law are found to be invalid at low T. First, the Clausius inequality can be violated, because heat can be extracted from the zero point energy of the cloud of bath modes. Second, when the width of the confining potential is suddenly changed, there occurs a relaxation to equilibrium during which the entropy production is partly negative. In this process the energy put on the particle does not relax monotonically, but oscillates between particle and bath, even in the limit of strong damping. Third, for nonadiabatic changes of system parameters the rate of energy dissipation can be negative, and, out of equilibrium, cyclic processes are possible which extract work from the bath. Conditions are put forward under which perpetuum mobility of the second kind, having one or several work extraction cycles, enter the realm of condensed matter physics. Fourth, it follows that the equivalence between different formulations of the second law (e.g., those by Clausius and Thomson) can be violated at low temperatures. These effects are the consequence of quantum entanglement in the presence of the slightly off-equilibrium nature of the thermal bath, and become important when the characteristic quantum time scale variant Planck's over 2pi /k(B)T is larger than or comparable to other time scales of the system. They show that there is no general consensus between standard thermodynamics and quantum mechanics. The known agreements occur only due to the weak coupling limit, which does not pertain to low temperatures. Experimental setups for testing the effects are discussed.

Influence of the nanoparticles agglomeration state in the quantum-confinement effects: Experimental evidences

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lorite, I., E-mail: lorite@physik.uni-leipzig.de; Division of Superconductivity and Magnetism, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Linnestrasse 5, D-04103 Leipzig; Romero, J. J.

2015-03-15

The agglomeration state facilitates particle-particle interaction which produces important effects in the phonon confinement effects at the nanoscale. A partial phonon transmission between close nanoparticles yields a lower momentum conservation relaxation than in a single isolated nanoparticle. It means a larger red shift and broadening of the Raman modes than the expected ones for Raman quantum confinement effects. This particle-particle interaction can drive to error when Raman responses are used to estimate the size of the nanoscaled materials. In this work different corrections are suggested to overtake this source of error.

Critical quench dynamics in confined systems.

PubMed

Collura, Mario; Karevski, Dragi

2010-05-21

We analyze the coherent quantum evolution of a many-particle system after slowly sweeping a power-law confining potential. The amplitude of the confining potential is varied in time along a power-law ramp such that the many-particle system finally reaches or crosses a critical point. Under this protocol we derive general scaling laws for the density of excitations created during the nonadiabatic sweep of the confining potential. It is found that the mean excitation density follows an algebraic law as a function of the sweeping rate with an exponent that depends on the space-time properties of the potential. We confirm our scaling laws by first order adiabatic calculation and exact results on the Ising quantum chain with a varying transverse field.

Plasmon confinement in fractal quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westerhout, Tom; van Veen, Edo; Katsnelson, Mikhail I.; Yuan, Shengjun

2018-05-01

Recent progress in the fabrication of materials has made it possible to create arbitrary nonperiodic two-dimensional structures in the quantum plasmon regime. This paves the way for exploring the quantum plasmonic properties of electron gases in complex geometries. In this work we study systems with a fractal dimension. We calculate the full dielectric functions of two prototypical fractals with different ramification numbers, namely the Sierpinski carpet and gasket. We show that the Sierpinski carpet has a dispersion comparable to a square lattice, but the Sierpinski gasket features highly localized plasmon modes with a flat dispersion. This strong plasmon confinement in finitely ramified fractals can provide a novel setting for manipulating light at the quantum level.

Characteristics of level-spacing statistics in chaotic graphene billiards.

PubMed

Huang, Liang; Lai, Ying-Cheng; Grebogi, Celso

2011-03-01

A fundamental result in nonrelativistic quantum nonlinear dynamics is that the spectral statistics of quantum systems that possess no geometric symmetry, but whose classical dynamics are chaotic, are described by those of the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (GOE) or the Gaussian unitary ensemble (GUE), in the presence or absence of time-reversal symmetry, respectively. For massless spin-half particles such as neutrinos in relativistic quantum mechanics in a chaotic billiard, the seminal work of Berry and Mondragon established the GUE nature of the level-spacing statistics, due to the combination of the chirality of Dirac particles and the confinement, which breaks the time-reversal symmetry. A question is whether the GOE or the GUE statistics can be observed in experimentally accessible, relativistic quantum systems. We demonstrate, using graphene confinements in which the quasiparticle motions are governed by the Dirac equation in the low-energy regime, that the level-spacing statistics are persistently those of GOE random matrices. We present extensive numerical evidence obtained from the tight-binding approach and a physical explanation for the GOE statistics. We also find that the presence of a weak magnetic field switches the statistics to those of GUE. For a strong magnetic field, Landau levels become influential, causing the level-spacing distribution to deviate markedly from the random-matrix predictions. Issues addressed also include the effects of a number of realistic factors on level-spacing statistics such as next nearest-neighbor interactions, different lattice orientations, enhanced hopping energy for atoms on the boundary, and staggered potential due to graphene-substrate interactions.

Quantum Hall signatures of dipolar Mahan excitons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schinner, G. J.; Repp, J.; Kowalik-Seidl, K.; Schubert, E.; Stallhofer, M. P.; Rai, A. K.; Reuter, D.; Wieck, A. D.; Govorov, A. O.; Holleitner, A. W.; Kotthaus, J. P.

2013-01-01

We explore the photoluminescence of spatially indirect, dipolar Mahan excitons in a gated double quantum well diode containing a mesoscopic electrostatic trap for neutral dipolar excitons at low temperatures down to 250 mK and in quantizing magnetic fields. Mahan excitons in the surrounding of the trap, consisting of individual holes interacting with a degenerate two-dimensional electron system confined in one of the quantum wells, exhibit strong quantum Hall signatures at integer filling factors and related anomalies around filling factor ν=(2)/(3),(3)/(5), and (1)/(2), reflecting the formation of composite fermions. Interactions across the trap perimeter are found to influence the energy of the confined neutral dipolar excitons by the presence of the quantum Hall effects in the two-dimensional electron system surrounding the trap.

Changes in luminescence emission induced by proton irradiation: InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells and quantum dots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leon, R.; Swift, G. M.; Magness, B.; Taylor, W. A.; Tang, Y. S.; Wang, K. L.; Dowd, P.; Zhang, Y. H.

2000-01-01

The photoluminescence emission from InGaAs/GaAs quantum-well and quantum-dot (QD) structures are compared after controlled irradiation with 1.5 MeV proton fluxes. Results presented here show a significant enhancement in radiation tolerance with three-dimensional quantum confinement.

Electron-phonon interactions in semiconductor nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Segi

In this dissertation, electron-phonon interactions are studied theoretically in semiconductor nanoscale heterostructures. Interactions of electrons with interface optical phonons dominate over other electron-phonon interactions in narrow width heterostructures. Hence, a transfer matrix method is used to establish a formalism for determining the dispersion relations and electrostatic potentials of the interface phonons for multiple-interface heterostructure within the macroscopic dielectric continuum model. This method facilitates systematic calculations for complex structures where the conventional method is difficult to implement. Several specific cases are treated to illustrate advantages of the formalism. Electrophonon resonance (EPR) is studied in cylindrical quantum wires using the confined/interface optical phonons representation and bulk phonon representation. It has been found that interface phonon contribution to EPR is small compared with confined phonon. Different selection rules for bulk phonons and confined phonons result in different EPR behaviors as the radius of cylindrical wire changes. Experiment is suggested to test which phonon representation is appropriate for EPR. The effects of phonon confinement on elect ron-acoustic-phonon scattering is studied in cylindrical and rectangular quantum wires. In the macroscopic elastic continuum model, the confined-phonon dispersion relations are obtained for several crystallographic directions with free-surface and clamped-surface boundary conditions in cylindrical wires. The scattering rates due to the deformation potential are obtained for these confined phonons and are compared with those of bulk-like phonons. The results show that the inclusion of acoustic phonon confinement may be crucial for calculating accurate low-energy electron scattering rates. Furthermore, it has been found that there is a scaling rule governing the directional dependence of the scattering rates. The Hamiltonian describing the deformation-potential of confined acoustic phonons is derived by quantizing the appropriate, experimentally verified approximate compressional acoustic-phonon modes in a free-standing rectangular quantum wire. The scattering rate is obtained for GaAs quantum wires with a range of cross-sectional dimensions. The results demonstrate that a proper treatment of confined acoustic phonons may be essential to correctly model electron scattering rates at low energies in nanoscale structures.

Quantum confinement-induced tunable exciton states in graphene oxide.

PubMed

Lee, Dongwook; Seo, Jiwon; Zhu, Xi; Lee, Jiyoul; Shin, Hyeon-Jin; Cole, Jacqueline M; Shin, Taeho; Lee, Jaichan; Lee, Hangil; Su, Haibin

2013-01-01

Graphene oxide has recently been considered to be a potential replacement for cadmium-based quantum dots due to its expected high fluorescence. Although previously reported, the origin of the luminescence in graphene oxide is still controversial. Here, we report the presence of core/valence excitons in graphene-based materials, a basic ingredient for optical devices, induced by quantum confinement. Electron confinement in the unreacted graphitic regions of graphene oxide was probed by high resolution X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. Using experiments and simulations, we were able to tune the core/valence exciton energy by manipulating the size of graphitic regions through the degree of oxidation. The binding energy of an exciton in highly oxidized graphene oxide is similar to that in organic electroluminescent materials. These results open the possibility of graphene oxide-based optoelectronic device technology.

Observation of quantum entanglement between a photon and a single electron spin confined to an InAs quantum dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaibley, John; Burgers, Alex; McCracken, Greg; Duan, Luming; Berman, Paul; Steel, Duncan; Bracker, Allan; Gammon, Daniel; Sham, Lu

2013-03-01

A single electron spin confined to a single InAs quantum dot (QD) can serve as a qubit for quantum information processing. By utilizing the QD's optically excited trion states in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field, the QD spin can be rapidly initialized, manipulated and read out. A key resource for quantum information is the ability to entangle distinct QD spins. One approach relies on intermediate spin-photon entanglement to mediate the entanglement between distant QD spin qubits. We report a demonstration of quantum entanglement between a photon's polarization state and the spin state of a single electron confined to a single QD. Here, the photon is spontaneously emitted from one of the QD's trion states. The emitted photon's polarization along the detection axis is entangled with the resulting spin state of the QD. By performing projective measurements on the photon's polarization state and correlating these measurements with the state of the QD spin in two different bases, we obtain a lower bound on the entanglement fidelity of 0.59 (after background correction). The fidelity bound is limited almost entirely by the timing resolution of our single photon detector. The spin-photon entanglement generation rate is 3 ×103 s-1. Supported by: NSF, MURI, AFOSR, DARPA, ARO.

Longitudinal wave function control in single quantum dots with an applied magnetic field

PubMed Central

Cao, Shuo; Tang, Jing; Gao, Yunan; Sun, Yue; Qiu, Kangsheng; Zhao, Yanhui; He, Min; Shi, Jin-An; Gu, Lin; Williams, David A.; Sheng, Weidong; Jin, Kuijuan; Xu, Xiulai

2015-01-01

Controlling single-particle wave functions in single semiconductor quantum dots is in demand to implement solid-state quantum information processing and spintronics. Normally, particle wave functions can be tuned transversely by an perpendicular magnetic field. We report a longitudinal wave function control in single quantum dots with a magnetic field. For a pure InAs quantum dot with a shape of pyramid or truncated pyramid, the hole wave function always occupies the base because of the less confinement at base, which induces a permanent dipole oriented from base to apex. With applying magnetic field along the base-apex direction, the hole wave function shrinks in the base plane. Because of the linear changing of the confinement for hole wave function from base to apex, the center of effective mass moves up during shrinking process. Due to the uniform confine potential for electrons, the center of effective mass of electrons does not move much, which results in a permanent dipole moment change and an inverted electron-hole alignment along the magnetic field direction. Manipulating the wave function longitudinally not only provides an alternative way to control the charge distribution with magnetic field but also a new method to tune electron-hole interaction in single quantum dots. PMID:25624018

Longitudinal wave function control in single quantum dots with an applied magnetic field.

PubMed

Cao, Shuo; Tang, Jing; Gao, Yunan; Sun, Yue; Qiu, Kangsheng; Zhao, Yanhui; He, Min; Shi, Jin-An; Gu, Lin; Williams, David A; Sheng, Weidong; Jin, Kuijuan; Xu, Xiulai

2015-01-27

Controlling single-particle wave functions in single semiconductor quantum dots is in demand to implement solid-state quantum information processing and spintronics. Normally, particle wave functions can be tuned transversely by an perpendicular magnetic field. We report a longitudinal wave function control in single quantum dots with a magnetic field. For a pure InAs quantum dot with a shape of pyramid or truncated pyramid, the hole wave function always occupies the base because of the less confinement at base, which induces a permanent dipole oriented from base to apex. With applying magnetic field along the base-apex direction, the hole wave function shrinks in the base plane. Because of the linear changing of the confinement for hole wave function from base to apex, the center of effective mass moves up during shrinking process. Due to the uniform confine potential for electrons, the center of effective mass of electrons does not move much, which results in a permanent dipole moment change and an inverted electron-hole alignment along the magnetic field direction. Manipulating the wave function longitudinally not only provides an alternative way to control the charge distribution with magnetic field but also a new method to tune electron-hole interaction in single quantum dots.

The Origin of Inertia and Matter as a Superradiant Phase Transition of Quantum Vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maxmilian Caligiuri, Luigi

Mass is one of the most important concepts in physics and its real understanding represents the key for the formulation of any consistent physical theory. During the past years, a very interesting model of inertial and gravitational mass as the result of the reaction interaction between the charged particles (electrons and quarks) contained in a given body and a suitable "fraction" of QED Zero Point Fields confined within an ideal resonant cavity, associated to the same body, has been proposed by Haish, Rueda and Puthoff. More recently, the author showed that this interpretation is consistent with a picture of mass (both inertial and gravitational) as the seat of ZPF standing waves whose presence reduces quantum vacuum energy density inside the resonant cavity ideally associated to the body volume. Nevertheless so far, the ultimate physical origin of such resonant cavity as well as the mechanism able to "select" the fraction of ZPF electromagnetic modes interacting within it, remained unrevealed. In this paper, basing on the framework of QED coherence in condensed matter, we'll show mass can be viewed as the result of a spontaneous superradiant phase transition of quantum vacuum giving rise to a more stable, energetically favored, oscopic quantum state characterized by an ensemble of coherence domains, "trapping" the coherent ZPF fluctuations inside a given volume just acting as a resonant cavity. Our model is then able to explain the "natural" emergence of the ideal resonant cavity speculated by Haish, Rueda and Puthoff and its defining parameters as well as the physical mechanism selecting the fraction of ZPF interacting with the body particles. Finally, a generalization of the model to explain the origin of mass of elementary particles is proposed also suggesting a new understanding of Compton's frequency and De Broglie's wavelength. Our results indicates both inertia and matter could truly originate from coherent interaction between quantum matter-wave and radiation fields condensed from quantum vacuum and also give novel and interesting insights into fundamental physical questions as, for example, the structure of elementary particles and matter stability.

Electrotunable artificial molecules based on van der Waals heterostructures

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhuo-Zhi; Song, Xiang-Xiang; Luo, Gang; Deng, Guang-Wei; Mosallanejad, Vahid; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Li, Hai-Ou; Cao, Gang; Guo, Guang-Can; Nori, Franco; Guo, Guo-Ping

2017-01-01

Quantum confinement has made it possible to detect and manipulate single-electron charge and spin states. The recent focus on two-dimensional (2D) materials has attracted significant interests on possible applications to quantum devices, including detecting and manipulating either single-electron charging behavior or spin and valley degrees of freedom. However, the most popular model systems, consisting of tunable double-quantum-dot molecules, are still extremely difficult to realize in these materials. We show that an artificial molecule can be reversibly formed in atomically thin MoS2 sandwiched in hexagonal boron nitride, with each artificial atom controlled separately by electrostatic gating. The extracted values for coupling energies at different regimes indicate a single-electron transport behavior, with the coupling strength between the quantum dots tuned monotonically. Moreover, in the low-density regime, we observe a decrease of the conductance with magnetic field, suggesting the observation of Coulomb blockade weak anti-localization. Our experiments demonstrate for the first time the realization of an artificial quantum-dot molecule in a gated MoS2 van der Waals heterostructure, which could be used to investigate spin-valley physics. The compatibility with large-scale production, gate controllability, electron-hole bipolarity, and new quantum degrees of freedom in the family of 2D materials opens new possibilities for quantum electronics and its applications. PMID:29062893

Effect of non-parabolicity and confinement potential on exciton binding energy in a quantum well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vignesh, G.; Nithiananthi, P.

2018-04-01

The effect of non-parabolicity(NP) (both conduction and valance band) on the binding energy(EB) of a ground state exciton in GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs single Quantum Well(QW) has been calculated using variational method. Confinement of a light hole(LH-CB1-X) and heavy hole(HH-CB1-X) exciton have been numerically evaluated as a function of well width and barrier heights by imposing three different confinement potentials such as square(SQW), parabolic(PQW) and triangular(TQW). Due to NP effects, EB of exciton is increasedin the narrow well region irrespective of the type of exciton, barrier height and nature of the confinement potentials applied. Non-parabolicity effect is prominent in abrupt(SQW) and linearlyvarying(TQW) confinement potentials. All these effects are attributed to be an inter-play between the Coulombic interaction and NP effects among the subband structures.

Quantum Dots Based Rad-Hard Computing and Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fijany, A.; Klimeck, G.; Leon, R.; Qiu, Y.; Toomarian, N.

2001-01-01

Quantum Dots (QDs) are solid-state structures made of semiconductors or metals that confine a small number of electrons into a small space. The confinement of electrons is achieved by the placement of some insulating material(s) around a central, well-conducting region. Thus, they can be viewed as artificial atoms. They therefore represent the ultimate limit of the semiconductor device scaling. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

International Workshop on Light Emission and Electronic Properties of Nanoscale Silicon

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-04-01

matrix elements, quantum confinement, surface effects ? CHARLOTFE STANDARD R. Tsu Comparison of Luminescence Efficiency ROLE OF NANOSCALE Si-DEVICES...confinement effects in microcrystalline silicon [2,3] may lead to revolutionary advances in speed and dramatically reduced energy consumption of silicon...Formation: A Quantum Wire Effect ," Avpl. Phys. Lett., 58, 856 (1991). 5. R. Tsu, H. Shen, and M. Dutta, "Correlation of Raman and Photoluminescence

Optical Studies of the Quantum Confined Stark Effect in ALUMINUM(0.3) GALLIUM(0.7) Arsenide/gallium Arsenide Coupled Double Quantum Wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuroda, Roger Tokuichi

1992-01-01

The development of advanced epitaxical growth techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy has led to growth of high quality III-V layers with monolayer control in thickness. This permits design of new and novel heterointerface based electronic, optical and opto-electronic devices which exploit the new and tailorable electronic states in quantum wells. One such property is the Quantum Confined Stark Effect (QCSE) which, in uncoupled multiple quantum wells (MQW), has been used for the self-electro-optic effect device(SEED). Guided by a phenomenological model of the complex dielectric function for the Coupled Double Quantum Well (CDQW), we show results for the QCSE in CDQW show underlying physics differs from the uncoupled MQW in that symmetry forbidden transitions under flat band conditions become allowed under non-flat band conditions. The transfer of oscillator strength from symmetry allowed to the symmetry forbidden transitions offers potential for application as spatial light modulator (SLM). We show the CDQW lowest exciton peak Stark shifts twice as fast as the SQW with equivalent well width, which offers the SLM device a lower operating voltage than SQW. In addition we show the CDQW absorption band edge can blue shift with increasing electric field, which offers other potential for SLM. From transmission measurements, we verify these predictions and compare them with the phenomenological model. The optical device figure of merit Deltaalpha/alpha of the CDQW is comparable with the "best" SQW, but at lower electric field. From photocurrent measurements, we find that the calculated and measured Stark shifts agree. In addition, we extract a Deltaalpha/ alpha from photocurrent which agree with transmission measurements. From electroreflectance measurements, we calculated the aluminum concentration, and the built in electric field from the Franz-Keldysh oscillations due to the Al_{0.3}Ga _{0.7}As barrier regions in the CDQW. (Copies available exclusively from Micrographics Department, Doheny Library, USC, Los Angeles, CA 90089 -0182.).

Far-infrared response of spherical quantum dots: Dielectric effects and the generalized Kohn's theorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Movilla, J. L.; Planelles, J.

2007-05-01

The influence of the dielectric environment on the far-infrared (FIR) absorption spectra of two-electron spherical quantum dots is theoretically studied. Effective mass and envelope function approaches with realistic steplike confining potentials are used. Special attention is paid to absorptions that are induced by the electron-electron interaction. High confining barriers make the FIR absorption coefficients almost independent of the quantum dot dielectric environment. Low barrier heights and strong dielectric mismatches preserve the strong fundamental (Kohn) mode but yield the cancellation of excited absorptions, thus monitoring dielectrically induced phase transitions from volume to surface states.

Quantum bright solitons in a quasi-one-dimensional optical lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbiero, Luca; Salasnich, Luca

2014-06-01

We study a quasi-one-dimensional attractive Bose gas confined in an optical lattice with a superimposed harmonic potential by analyzing the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian of the system. Starting from the three-dimensional many-body quantum Hamiltonian, we derive strong inequalities involving the transverse degrees of freedom under which the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian can be safely used. To have a reliable description of the one-dimensional ground state, which we call a quantum bright soliton, we use the density-matrix-renormalization-group (DMRG) technique. By comparing DMRG results with mean-field (MF) ones, we find that beyond-mean-field effects become relevant by increasing the attraction between bosons or by decreasing the frequency of the harmonic confinement. In particular, we find that, contrary to the MF predictions based on the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation, average density profiles of quantum bright solitons are not shape-invariant. We also use the time-evolving-block-decimation method to investigate the dynamical properties of bright solitons when the frequency of the harmonic potential is suddenly increased. This quantum quench induces a breathing mode whose period crucially depends on the final strength of the superimposed harmonic confinement.

High-Energy-Density-Physics Studies for Inertial Confinement Fusion Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, S. X.

2017-10-01

Accurate knowledge of the static, transport, and optical properties of high-energy-density (HED) plasmas is essential for reliably designing and understanding inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. In the warm-dense-matter regime routinely accessed by low-adiabat ICF implosions, many-body strong-coupling and quantum electron degeneracy effects play an important role in determining plasma properties. The past several years have witnessed intense efforts to assess the importance of the microphysics of ICF targets, both theoretically and experimentally. On the theory side, first-principles methods based on quantum mechanics have been applied to investigate the properties of warm, dense plasmas. Specifically, self-consistent investigations have recently been performed on the equation of state, thermal conductivity, and opacity of a variety of ICF ablators such as polystyrene (CH), beryllium, carbon, and silicon over a wide range of densities and temperatures. In this talk, we will focus on the most-recent progress on these ab initio HED physics studies, which generally result in favorable comparisons with experiments. Upon incorporation into hydrocodes for ICF simulations, these first-principles ablator-plasma properties have produced significant differences over traditional models in predicting 1-D target performance of ICF implosions on OMEGA and direct-drive-ignition designs for the National Ignition Facility. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0001944. *In collaboration with L. A. Collins, T. R. Boehly, G. W. Collins, J. D. Kress, and V. N. Goncharov.

Confinement properties of 2D porous molecular networks on metal surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, Kathrin; Enache, Mihaela; Stöhr, Meike

2016-04-01

Quantum effects that arise from confinement of electronic states have been extensively studied for the surface states of noble metals. Utilizing small artificial structures for confinement allows tailoring of the surface properties and offers unique opportunities for applications. So far, examples of surface state confinement include thin films, artificial nanoscale structures, vacancy and adatom islands, self-assembled 1D chains, vicinal surfaces, quantum dots and quantum corrals. In this review we summarize recent achievements in changing the electronic structure of surfaces by adsorption of nanoporous networks whose design principles are based on the concepts of supramolecular chemistry. Already in 1993, it was shown that quantum corrals made from Fe atoms on a Cu(1 1 1) surface using single atom manipulation with a scanning tunnelling microscope confine the Shockley surface state. However, since the atom manipulation technique for the construction of corral structures is a relatively time consuming process, the fabrication of periodic two-dimensional (2D) corral structures is practically impossible. On the other side, by using molecular self-assembly extended 2D porous structures can be achieved in a parallel process, i.e. all pores are formed at the same time. The molecular building blocks are usually held together by non-covalent interactions like hydrogen bonding, metal coordination or dipolar coupling. Due to the reversibility of the bond formation defect-free and long-range ordered networks can be achieved. However, recently also examples of porous networks formed by covalent coupling on the surface have been reported. By the choice of the molecular building blocks, the dimensions of the network (pore size and pore to pore distance) can be controlled. In this way, the confinement properties of the individual pores can be tuned. In addition, the effect of the confined state on the hosting properties of the pores will be discussed in this review article.

Confinement properties of 2D porous molecular networks on metal surfaces.

PubMed

Müller, Kathrin; Enache, Mihaela; Stöhr, Meike

2016-04-20

Quantum effects that arise from confinement of electronic states have been extensively studied for the surface states of noble metals. Utilizing small artificial structures for confinement allows tailoring of the surface properties and offers unique opportunities for applications. So far, examples of surface state confinement include thin films, artificial nanoscale structures, vacancy and adatom islands, self-assembled 1D chains, vicinal surfaces, quantum dots and quantum corrals. In this review we summarize recent achievements in changing the electronic structure of surfaces by adsorption of nanoporous networks whose design principles are based on the concepts of supramolecular chemistry. Already in 1993, it was shown that quantum corrals made from Fe atoms on a Cu(1 1 1) surface using single atom manipulation with a scanning tunnelling microscope confine the Shockley surface state. However, since the atom manipulation technique for the construction of corral structures is a relatively time consuming process, the fabrication of periodic two-dimensional (2D) corral structures is practically impossible. On the other side, by using molecular self-assembly extended 2D porous structures can be achieved in a parallel process, i.e. all pores are formed at the same time. The molecular building blocks are usually held together by non-covalent interactions like hydrogen bonding, metal coordination or dipolar coupling. Due to the reversibility of the bond formation defect-free and long-range ordered networks can be achieved. However, recently also examples of porous networks formed by covalent coupling on the surface have been reported. By the choice of the molecular building blocks, the dimensions of the network (pore size and pore to pore distance) can be controlled. In this way, the confinement properties of the individual pores can be tuned. In addition, the effect of the confined state on the hosting properties of the pores will be discussed in this review article.

Basic Facts about the Pion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Craig

2015-04-01

With discovery of the Higgs boson, the Standard Model of Particle Physics became complete. Its formulation and verification are a remarkable story. However, the most important chapter is the least understood. Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is that part of the Standard Model which is supposed to describe all of nuclear physics and yet, almost fifty years after the discovery of quarks, we are only just beginning to understand how QCD builds the basic bricks for nuclei: pions, neutrons, protons. QCD is characterised by two emergent phenomena: confinement and dynamical chiral symmetry breaking (DCSB), whose implications are truly extraordinary. This presentation will reveal how DCSB, not the Higgs boson, generates more than 98% of the visible mass in the Universe, explain why confinement guarantees that condensates, those quantities that were commonly viewed as constant mass-scales that fill all spacetime, are instead wholly contained within hadrons; and, with particular focus on the pion, elucidate a range of observable consequences of these phenomena whose measurement is the focus of a vast international experimental programme. This research was supported by U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Effects of multiple organic ligands on size uniformity and optical properties of ZnSe quantum dots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Archana, J., E-mail: archana.jayaram@yahoo.com; Navaneethan, M.; Hayakawa, Y.

2012-08-15

Highlights: ► Highly monodispersed ZnSe quantum dots have been synthesized by wet chemical route. ► Strong quantum confinement effect have been observed in ∼ 4 nm ZnSe quantum dots. ► Enhanced ultraviolet near band emission have been obtained using long chain polymer. -- Abstract: The effects of multi-ligands on the formation and optical transitions of ZnSe quantum dots have been investigated. The dots are synthesized using 3-mercapto-1,2-propanediol and polyvinylpyrrolidone ligands, and have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. TEM reveals high monodispersion with an average size ofmore » 4 nm. Polymer-stabilized, organic ligand-passivated ZnSe quantum dots exhibit strong UV emission at 326 nm and strong quantum confinement in the UV–visible absorption spectrum. Uniform size and suppressed surface trap emission are observed when the polymer ligand is used. The possible growth mechanism is discussed.« less

XANES: observation of quantum confinement in the conduction band of colloidal PbS quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demchenko, I. N.; Chernyshova, M.; He, X.; Minikayev, R.; Syryanyy, Y.; Derkachova, A.; Derkachov, G.; Stolte, W. C.; Piskorska-Hommel, E.; Reszka, A.; Liang, H.

2013-04-01

The presented investigations aimed at development of inexpensive method for synthesized materials suitable for utilization of solar energy. This important issue was addressed by focusing, mainly, on electronic local structure studies with supporting x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of colloidal galena nano-particles (NPs) and quantum dots (QDs) synthesized using wet chemistry under microwave irradiation. Performed x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis revealed an evidence of quantum confinement for the sample with QDs, where the bottom of the conduction band was shifted to higher energy. The QDs were found to be passivated with oxides at the surface. Existence of sulfate/sulfite and thiosulfate species in pure PbS and QDs, respectively, was identified.

20007: Quantum particle displacement by a moving localized potential trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granot, E.; Marchewka, A.

2009-04-01

We describe the dynamics of a bound state of an attractive δ-well under displacement of the potential. Exact analytical results are presented for the suddenly moved potential. Since this is a quantum system, only a fraction of the initially confined wave function remains confined to the moving potential. However, it is shown that besides the probability to remain confined to the moving barrier and the probability to remain in the initial position, there is also a certain probability for the particle to move at double speed. A quasi-classical interpretation for this effect is suggested. The temporal and spectral dynamics of each one of the scenarios is investigated.

Absorption and emission spectroscopy of individual semiconductor nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, Matthew P.

The advent of controllable synthetic methods for the production of semiconductor nanostructures has led to their use in a host of applications, including light-emitting diodes, field effect transistors, sensors, and even television displays. This is, in part, due to the size, shape, and morphologically dependent optical and electrical properties that make this class of materials extremely customizable; wire-, rod- and sphere-shaped nanocrystals are readily synthesized through common wet chemical methods. Most notably, confining the physical dimension of the nanostructure to a size below its Bohr radius (aB) results in quantum confinement effects that increase its optical energy gap. Not only the size, but the shape of a particle can be exploited to tailor its optical and electrical properties. For example, confined CdSe quantum dots (QDs) and nanowires (NWs) of equivalent diameter possess significantly different optical gaps. This phenomenon has been ascribed to electrostatic contributions arising from dielectric screening effects that are more pronounced in an elongated (wire-like) morphology. Semiconducting nanostructures have thus received significant attention over the past two decades. However, surprisingly little work has been done to elucidate their basic photophysics on a single particle basis. What has been done has generally been accomplished through emission-based measurements, and thus does not fully capture the full breadth of these intriguing systems. What is therefore needed then are absorption-based studies that probe the size and shape dependent evolution of nanostructure photophysics. This thesis summarizes the single particle absorption spectroscopy that we have carried out to fill this knowledge gap. Specifically, the diameter-dependent progression of one-dimensional (1D) excitonic states in CdSe NWs has been revealed. This is followed by a study that focuses on the polarization selection rules of 1D excitons within single CdSe NWs. Finally, shape effects are explored by probing the absorption spectra of CdSe nanowires and nanorods of varying length. All experimental studies are complemented by theoretical predictions from an effective mass model that takes electrostatic interactions into account. Thus, this thesis seeks to show the delicate interplay between quantum confinement and dielectric screening effects in single CdSe nanostructures.

Heterostructure Quantum Confined Stark Effect Electrooptic Modulators Operating at 938 nm

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

type of modulator, suitable for use in optical interconnects, is an asymmetric Fabry-Perot reflection modulator (ARM). This type of an intensity ...calibrated spectrometer/diode array (Princeton Instruments Model ST-100) used in conjunction with an optical multichannel analyzer (OMA). The transmission...AD-A279 342 -" RL-TR-93-259 In -House Report December 1993N~I HETEROSTRUCTURE QUANTUM CONFINED STARK EFFECT ELECTRO- OPTIC MODULATORS OPERATING AT 938

Quantum confinement-induced tunable exciton states in graphene oxide

PubMed Central

Lee, Dongwook; Seo, Jiwon; Zhu, Xi; Lee, Jiyoul; Shin, Hyeon-Jin; Cole, Jacqueline M.; Shin, Taeho; Lee, Jaichan; Lee, Hangil; Su, Haibin

2013-01-01

Graphene oxide has recently been considered to be a potential replacement for cadmium-based quantum dots due to its expected high fluorescence. Although previously reported, the origin of the luminescence in graphene oxide is still controversial. Here, we report the presence of core/valence excitons in graphene-based materials, a basic ingredient for optical devices, induced by quantum confinement. Electron confinement in the unreacted graphitic regions of graphene oxide was probed by high resolution X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. Using experiments and simulations, we were able to tune the core/valence exciton energy by manipulating the size of graphitic regions through the degree of oxidation. The binding energy of an exciton in highly oxidized graphene oxide is similar to that in organic electroluminescent materials. These results open the possibility of graphene oxide-based optoelectronic device technology. PMID:23872608

Quantum quench of Kondo correlations in optical absorption.

PubMed

Latta, C; Haupt, F; Hanl, M; Weichselbaum, A; Claassen, M; Wuester, W; Fallahi, P; Faelt, S; Glazman, L; von Delft, J; Türeci, H E; Imamoglu, A

2011-06-29

The interaction between a single confined spin and the spins of an electron reservoir leads to one of the most remarkable phenomena of many-body physics--the Kondo effect. Electronic transport measurements on single artificial atoms, or quantum dots, have made it possible to study the effect in great detail. Here we report optical measurements on a single semiconductor quantum dot tunnel-coupled to a degenerate electron gas which show that absorption of a single photon leads to an abrupt change in the system Hamiltonian and a quantum quench of Kondo correlations. By inferring the characteristic power-law exponents from the experimental absorption line shapes, we find a unique signature of the quench in the form of an Anderson orthogonality catastrophe, induced by a vanishing overlap between the initial and final many-body wavefunctions. We show that the power-law exponent that determines the degree of orthogonality can be tuned using an external magnetic field, which unequivocally demonstrates that the observed absorption line shape originates from Kondo correlations. Our experiments demonstrate that optical measurements on single artificial atoms offer new perspectives on many-body phenomena previously studied using transport spectroscopy only.

Novel Principles and the Charge-Symmetric Design of Dirac's Quantum Mechanics: I. Enhanced Eriksen's Theorem and the Universal Charge-Index Formalism for Dirac's Equation in (Strong) External Static Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kononets, Yu. V.

2016-12-01

The presented enhanced version of Eriksen's theorem defines an universal transform of the Foldy-Wouthuysen type and in any external static electromagnetic field (ESEMF) reveals a discrete symmetry of Dirac's equation (DE), responsible for existence of a highly influential conserved quantum number—the charge index distinguishing two branches of DE spectrum. It launches the charge-index formalism (CIF) obeying the charge-index conservation law (CICL). Via its unique ability to manipulate each spectrum branch independently, the CIF creates a perfect charge-symmetric architecture of Dirac's quantum mechanics (DQM), which resolves all the riddles of the standard DE theory (SDET). Besides the abstract CIF algebra, the paper discusses: (1) the novel accurate charge-symmetric definition of the electric-current density; (2) DE in the true-particle representation, where electrons and positrons coexist on equal footing; (3) flawless "natural" scheme of second quantization; and (4) new physical grounds for the Fermi-Dirac statistics. As a fundamental quantum law, the CICL originates from the kinetic-energy sign conservation and leads to a novel single-particle physics in strong-field situations. Prohibiting Klein's tunneling (KT) in Klein's zone via the CICL, the precise CIF algebra defines a new class of weakly singular DE solutions, strictly confined in the coordinate space and experiencing the total reflection from the potential barrier.

Nuclear quantum dynamics in dense hydrogen

PubMed Central

Kang, Dongdong; Sun, Huayang; Dai, Jiayu; Chen, Wenbo; Zhao, Zengxiu; Hou, Yong; Zeng, Jiaolong; Yuan, Jianmin

2014-01-01

Nuclear dynamics in dense hydrogen, which is determined by the key physics of large-angle scattering or many-body collisions between particles, is crucial for the dynamics of planet's evolution and hydrodynamical processes in inertial confinement confusion. Here, using improved ab initio path-integral molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated the nuclear quantum dynamics regarding transport behaviors of dense hydrogen up to the temperatures of 1 eV. With the inclusion of nuclear quantum effects (NQEs), the ionic diffusions are largely higher than the classical treatment by the magnitude from 20% to 146% as the temperature is decreased from 1 eV to 0.3 eV at 10 g/cm3, meanwhile, electrical and thermal conductivities are significantly lowered. In particular, the ionic diffusion is found much larger than that without NQEs even when both the ionic distributions are the same at 1 eV. The significant quantum delocalization of ions introduces remarkably different scattering cross section between protons compared with classical particle treatments, which explains the large difference of transport properties induced by NQEs. The Stokes-Einstein relation, Wiedemann-Franz law, and isotope effects are re-examined, showing different behaviors in nuclear quantum dynamics. PMID:24968754

Single photon sources with single semiconductor quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Guang-Cun; Yin, Zhang-Qi; Shek, Chan Hung; Huang, Wei

2014-04-01

In this contribution, we briefly recall the basic concepts of quantum optics and properties of semiconductor quantum dot (QD) which are necessary to the understanding of the physics of single-photon generation with single QDs. Firstly, we address the theory of quantum emitter-cavity system, the fluorescence and optical properties of semiconductor QDs, and the photon statistics as well as optical properties of the QDs. We then review the localization of single semiconductor QDs in quantum confined optical microcavity systems to achieve their overall optical properties and performances in terms of strong coupling regime, efficiency, directionality, and polarization control. Furthermore, we will discuss the recent progress on the fabrication of single photon sources, and various approaches for embedding single QDs into microcavities or photonic crystal nanocavities and show how to extend the wavelength range. We focus in particular on new generations of electrically driven QD single photon source leading to high repetition rates, strong coupling regime, and high collection efficiencies at elevated temperature operation. Besides, new developments of room temperature single photon emission in the strong coupling regime are reviewed. The generation of indistinguishable photons and remaining challenges for practical single-photon sources are also discussed.

Physics. Creating and probing electron whispering-gallery modes in graphene.

PubMed

Zhao, Yue; Wyrick, Jonathan; Natterer, Fabian D; Rodriguez-Nieva, Joaquin F; Lewandowski, Cyprian; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Levitov, Leonid S; Zhitenev, Nikolai B; Stroscio, Joseph A

2015-05-08

The design of high-finesse resonant cavities for electronic waves faces challenges due to short electron coherence lengths in solids. Complementing previous approaches to confine electronic waves by carefully positioned adatoms at clean metallic surfaces, we demonstrate an approach inspired by the peculiar acoustic phenomena in whispering galleries. Taking advantage of graphene's gate-tunable light-like carriers, we create whispering-gallery mode (WGM) resonators defined by circular pn junctions, induced by a scanning tunneling probe. We can tune the resonator size and the carrier concentration under the probe in a back-gated graphene device over a wide range. The WGM-type confinement and associated resonances are a new addition to the quantum electron-optics toolbox, paving the way to develop electronic lenses and resonators. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Efficient Blue Electroluminescence Using Quantum-Confined Two-Dimensional Perovskites.

PubMed

Kumar, Sudhir; Jagielski, Jakub; Yakunin, Sergii; Rice, Peter; Chiu, Yu-Cheng; Wang, Mingchao; Nedelcu, Georgian; Kim, Yeongin; Lin, Shangchao; Santos, Elton J G; Kovalenko, Maksym V; Shih, Chih-Jen

2016-10-03

Solution-processed hybrid organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites are emerging as one of the most promising candidates for low-cost light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, due to a small exciton binding energy, it is not yet possible to achieve an efficient electroluminescence within the blue wavelength region at room temperature, as is necessary for full-spectrum light sources. Here, we demonstrate efficient blue LEDs based on the colloidal, quantum-confined 2D perovskites, with precisely controlled stacking down to one-unit-cell thickness (n = 1). A variety of low-k organic host compounds are used to disperse the 2D perovskites, effectively creating a matrix of the dielectric quantum wells, which significantly boosts the exciton binding energy by the dielectric confinement effect. Through the Förster resonance energy transfer, the excitons down-convert and recombine radiatively in the 2D perovskites. We report room-temperature pure green (n = 7-10), sky blue (n = 5), pure blue (n = 3), and deep blue (n = 1) electroluminescence, with record-high external quantum efficiencies in the green-to-blue wavelength region.

Quantum interference in plasmonic circuits.

PubMed

Heeres, Reinier W; Kouwenhoven, Leo P; Zwiller, Valery

2013-10-01

Surface plasmon polaritons (plasmons) are a combination of light and a collective oscillation of the free electron plasma at metal/dielectric interfaces. This interaction allows subwavelength confinement of light beyond the diffraction limit inherent to dielectric structures. As a result, the intensity of the electromagnetic field is enhanced, with the possibility to increase the strength of the optical interactions between waveguides, light sources and detectors. Plasmons maintain non-classical photon statistics and preserve entanglement upon transmission through thin, patterned metallic films or weakly confining waveguides. For quantum applications, it is essential that plasmons behave as indistinguishable quantum particles. Here we report on a quantum interference experiment in a nanoscale plasmonic circuit consisting of an on-chip plasmon beamsplitter with integrated superconducting single-photon detectors to allow efficient single plasmon detection. We demonstrate a quantum-mechanical interaction between pairs of indistinguishable surface plasmons by observing Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference, a hallmark non-classical interference effect that is the basis of linear optics-based quantum computation. Our work shows that it is feasible to shrink quantum optical experiments to the nanoscale and offers a promising route towards subwavelength quantum optical networks.

Aharonov–Anandan quantum phases and Landau quantization associated with a magnetic quadrupole moment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fonseca, I.C.; Bakke, K., E-mail: kbakke@fisica.ufpb.br

The arising of geometric quantum phases in the wave function of a moving particle possessing a magnetic quadrupole moment is investigated. It is shown that an Aharonov–Anandan quantum phase (Aharonov and Anandan, 1987) can be obtained in the quantum dynamics of a moving particle with a magnetic quadrupole moment. In particular, it is obtained as an analogue of the scalar Aharonov–Bohm effect for a neutral particle (Anandan, 1989). Besides, by confining the quantum particle to a hard-wall confining potential, the dependence of the energy levels on the geometric quantum phase is discussed and, as a consequence, persistent currents can arisemore » from this dependence. Finally, an analogue of the Landau quantization is discussed. -- Highlights: •Scalar Aharonov–Bohm effect for a particle possessing a magnetic quadrupole moment. •Aharonov–Anandan quantum phase for a particle with a magnetic quadrupole moment. •Dependence of the energy levels on the Aharonov–Anandan quantum phase. •Landau quantization associated with a particle possessing a magnetic quadrupole moment.« less

Deep-UV emission at 219 nm from ultrathin MBE GaN/AlN quantum heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, S. M.; Protasenko, Vladimir; Lee, Kevin; Rouvimov, Sergei; Verma, Jai; Xing, Huili Grace; Jena, Debdeep

2017-08-01

Deep ultraviolet (UV) optical emission below 250 nm (˜5 eV) in semiconductors is traditionally obtained from high aluminum containing AlGaN alloy quantum wells. It is shown here that high-quality epitaxial ultrathin binary GaN quantum disks embedded in an AlN matrix can produce efficient optical emission in the 219-235 nm (˜5.7-5.3 eV) spectral range, far above the bulk bandgap (3.4 eV) of GaN. The quantum confinement energy in these heterostructures is larger than the bandgaps of traditional semiconductors, made possible by the large band offsets. These molecular beam epitaxy-grown extreme quantum-confinement GaN/AlN heterostructures exhibit an internal quantum efficiency of 40% at wavelengths as short as 219 nm. These observations together with the ability to engineer the interband optical matrix elements to control the direction of photon emission in such binary quantum disk active regions offer unique advantages over alloy AlGaN quantum well counterparts for the realization of deep-UV light-emitting diodes and lasers.

Light-front holography and superconformal quantum mechanics: A new approach to hadron structure and color confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brodsky, Stanley J.; Deur, Alexandre; de Téramond, Guy F.; Dosch, Hans Günter

2015-11-01

A primary question in hadron physics is how the mass scale for hadrons consisting of light quarks, such as the proton, emerges from the QCD Lagrangian even in the limit of zero quark mass. If one requires the effective action which underlies the QCD Lagrangian to remain conformally invariant and extends the formalism of de Alfaro, Fubini and Furlan to light-front Hamiltonian theory, then a unique, color-confining potential with a mass parameter κ emerges. The actual value of the parameter κ is not set by the model - only ratios of hadron masses and other hadronic mass scales are predicted. The result is a nonperturbative, relativistic light-front quantum mechanical wave equation, the Light-Front Schrödinger Equation which incorporates color confinement and other essential spectroscopic and dynamical features of hadron physics, including a massless pion for zero quark mass and linear Regge trajectories with the identical slope in the radial quantum number n and orbital angular momentum L. The same light-front equations for mesons with spin J also can be derived from the holographic mapping to QCD (3+1) at fixed light-front time from the soft-wall model modification of AdS5 space with a specific dilaton profile. Light-front holography thus provides a precise relation between the bound-state amplitudes in the fifth dimension of AdS space and the boost-invariant light-front wavefunctions describing the internal structure of hadrons in physical space-time. One can also extend the analysis to baryons using superconformal algebra - 2 × 2 supersymmetric representations of the conformal group. The resulting fermionic LF bound-state equations predict striking similarities between the meson and baryon spectra. In fact, the holographic QCD light-front Hamiltonians for the states on the meson and baryon trajectories are identical if one shifts the internal angular momenta of the meson (LM) and baryon (LB) by one unit: LM = LB + 1. We also show how the mass scale κ underlying confinement and the masses of light-quark hadrons determines the scale ΛMS¯ controlling the evolution of the perturbative QCD coupling. The relation between scales is obtained by matching the nonperturbative dynamics, as described by an effective conformal theory mapped to the light-front and its embedding in AdS space, to the perturbative QCD regime. The data for the effective coupling defined from the Bjorken sum rule αg1(Q2) are remarkably consistent with the Gaussian form predicted by LF holographic QCD. The result is an effective coupling defined at all momenta. The predicted value ΛMS¯(NF=3)=0.440mρ=0.341±0.024GeV is in agreement with the world average 0.339±0.010GeV. We thus can connect ΛMS¯ to hadron masses. The analysis applies to any renormalization scheme.

Tuning direct bandgap GeSn/Ge quantum dots' interband and intraband useful emission wavelength: Towards CMOS compatible infrared optical devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baira, Mourad; Salem, Bassem; Madhar, Niyaz Ahamad; Ilahi, Bouraoui

2018-05-01

In this work, interband and intraband optical transitions from direct bandgap strained GeSn/Ge quantum dots are numerically tuned by evaluating the confined energies for heavy holes and electrons in D- and L-valley. The practically exploitable emission wavelength ranges for efficient use in light emission and sensing should fulfill specific criteria imposing the electrons confined states in D-valley to be sufficiently below those in L-valley. This study shows that GeSn quantum dots offer promising opportunity towards high efficient group IV based infrared optical devices operating in the mid-IR and far-IR wavelength regions.

Demonstration of Quantum Entanglement between a Single Electron Spin Confined to an InAs Quantum Dot and a Photon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaibley, J. R.; Burgers, A. P.; McCracken, G. A.; Duan, L.-M.; Berman, P. R.; Steel, D. G.; Bracker, A. S.; Gammon, D.; Sham, L. J.

2013-04-01

The electron spin state of a singly charged semiconductor quantum dot has been shown to form a suitable single qubit for quantum computing architectures with fast gate times. A key challenge in realizing a useful quantum dot quantum computing architecture lies in demonstrating the ability to scale the system to many qubits. In this Letter, we report an all optical experimental demonstration of quantum entanglement between a single electron spin confined to a single charged semiconductor quantum dot and the polarization state of a photon spontaneously emitted from the quantum dot’s excited state. We obtain a lower bound on the fidelity of entanglement of 0.59±0.04, which is 84% of the maximum achievable given the timing resolution of available single photon detectors. In future applications, such as measurement-based spin-spin entanglement which does not require sub-nanosecond timing resolution, we estimate that this system would enable near ideal performance. The inferred (usable) entanglement generation rate is 3×103s-1. This spin-photon entanglement is the first step to a scalable quantum dot quantum computing architecture relying on photon (flying) qubits to mediate entanglement between distant nodes of a quantum dot network.

Demonstration of quantum entanglement between a single electron spin confined to an InAs quantum dot and a photon.

PubMed

Schaibley, J R; Burgers, A P; McCracken, G A; Duan, L-M; Berman, P R; Steel, D G; Bracker, A S; Gammon, D; Sham, L J

2013-04-19

The electron spin state of a singly charged semiconductor quantum dot has been shown to form a suitable single qubit for quantum computing architectures with fast gate times. A key challenge in realizing a useful quantum dot quantum computing architecture lies in demonstrating the ability to scale the system to many qubits. In this Letter, we report an all optical experimental demonstration of quantum entanglement between a single electron spin confined to a single charged semiconductor quantum dot and the polarization state of a photon spontaneously emitted from the quantum dot's excited state. We obtain a lower bound on the fidelity of entanglement of 0.59±0.04, which is 84% of the maximum achievable given the timing resolution of available single photon detectors. In future applications, such as measurement-based spin-spin entanglement which does not require sub-nanosecond timing resolution, we estimate that this system would enable near ideal performance. The inferred (usable) entanglement generation rate is 3×10(3) s(-1). This spin-photon entanglement is the first step to a scalable quantum dot quantum computing architecture relying on photon (flying) qubits to mediate entanglement between distant nodes of a quantum dot network.

Quantum mechanical reality according to Copenhagen 2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Din, Allan M.

2016-05-01

The long-standing conceptual controversies concerning the interpretation of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics are argued, on one hand, to be due to its incompleteness, as affirmed by Einstein. But on the other hand, it appears to be possible to complete it at least partially, as Bohr might have appreciated it, in the framework of its standard mathematical formalism with observables as appropriately defined self-adjoint operators. This completion of quantum mechanics is based on the requirement on laboratory physics to be effectively confined to a bounded space region and on the application of the von Neumann deficiency theorem to properly define a set of self-adjoint extensions of standard observables, e.g. the momenta and the Hamiltonian, in terms of certain isometries on the region boundary. This is formalized mathematically in the setting of a boundary ontology for the so-called Qbox in which the wave function acquires a supplementary dependence on a set of Additional Boundary Variables (ABV). It is argued that a certain geometric subset of the ABV parametrizing Quasi-Periodic Translational Isometries (QPTI) has a particular physical importance by allowing for the definition of an ontic wave function, which has the property of epitomizing the spatial wave function “collapse.” Concomitantly the standard wave function in an unbounded geometry is interpreted as an epistemic wave function, which together with the ontic QPTI wave function gives rise to the notion of two-wave duality, replacing the standard concept of wave-particle duality. More generally, this approach to quantum physics in a bounded geometry provides a novel analytical basis for a better understanding of several conceptual notions of quantum mechanics, including reality, nonlocality, entanglement and Heisenberg’s uncertainty relation. The scope of this analysis may be seen as a foundational update of the multiple versions 1.x of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, which is sufficiently incremental so as to be appropriately characterized as Copenhagen 2.0.

Electric Field Controlled Spin Interference in a System with Rashba Spin-Orbit Coupling

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-29

conducting semi-circular channels. The strength of the confinement energy on the quantum dots is tuned by gate potentials that allow “ leakage ” of electrons...interesting applications. A detectable SO effect requires a strong electric field (as well as a semiconductor host for the electrons that satisfies a...quantum dots (which may be considered identical) are confined by an electrostatically created potential that can be tuned to allow “ leakage ” of

Engineering 1D Quantum Stripes from Superlattices of 2D Layered Materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gruenewald, John H.; Kim, Jungho; Kim, Heung Sik

Dimensional tunability from two dimensions to one dimension is demonstrated for the first time using an artificial superlattice method in synthesizing 1D stripes from 2D layered materials. The 1D confinement of layered Sr2IrO4 induces distinct 1D quantum-confined electronic states, as observed from optical spectroscopy and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. This 1D superlattice approach is generalizable to a wide range of layered materials.

Strong-field plasmonic photoemission in the mid-IR at <1 GW/cm² intensity.

PubMed

Teichmann, S M; Rácz, P; Ciappina, M F; Pérez-Hernández, J A; Thai, A; Fekete, J; Elezzabi, A Y; Veisz, L; Biegert, J; Dombi, P

2015-01-12

We investigated nonlinear photoemission from plasmonic films with femtosecond, mid-infrared pulses at 3.1 μm wavelength. Transition between regimes of multi-photon-induced and tunneling emission is demonstrated at an unprecedentedly low intensity of <1 GW/cm(2). Thereby, strong-field nanophysics can be accessed at extremely low intensities by exploiting nanoscale plasmonic field confinement, enhancement and ponderomotive wavelength scaling at the same time. Results agree well with quantum mechanical modelling. Our scheme demonstrates an alternative paradigm and regime in strong-field physics.

Graphene: Nanostructure engineering and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tingting; Wu, Shuang; Yang, Rong; Zhang, Guangyu

2017-02-01

Graphene has attracted extensive research interest in recent years because of its fascinating physical properties and its potential for various applications. The band structure or electronic properties of graphene are very sensitive to its geometry, size, and edge structures, especially when the size of graphene is below the quantum confinement limit. Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) can be used as a model system to investigate such structure-sensitive parameters. In this review, we examine the fabrication of GNRs via both top-down and bottom-up approaches. The edge-related electronic and transport properties of GNRs are also discussed.

Effect of quantum-well thickness on the optical polarization of AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Cheng; Zhang, Jing

2018-02-01

Optical polarization from AlGaN quantum well (QW) is crucial for realizing high-efficiency deep-ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) because it determines the light emission patterns and light extraction mechanism of the devices. As the Al-content of AlGaN QW increases, the valence bands order changes and consequently the light polarization switches from transverse-electric (TE) to transverse-magnetic (TM) owing to the different sign and the value of the crystal field splitting energy between AlN (-169meV) and GaN (10meV). Several groups have reported that the ordering of the bands and the TE/TM crossover Al-content could be influenced by the strain state and the quantum confinement from the AlGaN QW system. In this work, we investigate the influence of QW thickness on the optical polarization switching point from AlGaN QW with AlN barriers by using 6-band k•p model. The result presents a decreasing trend of the critical Al-content where the topmost valence band switches from heave hole (HH) to crystal field spilt-off (CH) with increasing QW thicknesses due to the internal electric field and the strain state from the AlGaN QW. Instead, the TE- and TM-polarized spontaneous emission rates switching Al-content rises first and falls later because of joint consequence of the band mixing effect and the Quantum Confined Stark Effect. The reported optical polarization from AlGaN QW emitters in the UV spectral range is assessed in this work and the tendency of the polarization switching point shows great consistency with the theoretical results, which deepens the understanding of the physics from AlGaN QW UV LEDs.

The role of the interface in germanium quantum dots: when not only size matters for quantum confinement effects.

PubMed

Cosentino, S; Mio, A M; Barbagiovanni, E G; Raciti, R; Bahariqushchi, R; Miritello, M; Nicotra, G; Aydinli, A; Spinella, C; Terrasi, A; Mirabella, S

2015-07-14

Quantum confinement (QC) typically assumes a sharp interface between a nanostructure and its environment, leading to an abrupt change in the potential for confined electrons and holes. When the interface is not ideally sharp and clean, significant deviations from the QC rule appear and other parameters beyond the nanostructure size play a considerable role. In this work we elucidate the role of the interface on QC in Ge quantum dots (QDs) synthesized by rf-magnetron sputtering or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Through a detailed electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analysis we investigated the structural and chemical properties of QD interfaces. PECVD QDs exhibit a sharper interface compared to sputter ones, which also evidences a larger contribution of mixed Ge-oxide states. Such a difference strongly modifies the QC strength, as experimentally verified by light absorption spectroscopy. A large size-tuning of the optical bandgap and an increase in the oscillator strength occur when the interface is sharp. A spatially dependent effective mass (SPDEM) model is employed to account for the interface difference between Ge QDs, pointing out a larger reduction in the exciton effective mass in the sharper interface case. These results add new insights into the role of interfaces on confined systems, and open the route for reliable exploitation of QC effects.

Ultra-broadband photodetectors based on epitaxial graphene quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Fatimy, Abdel; Nath, Anindya; Kong, Byoung Don; Boyd, Anthony K.; Myers-Ward, Rachael L.; Daniels, Kevin M.; Jadidi, M. Mehdi; Murphy, Thomas E.; Gaskill, D. Kurt; Barbara, Paola

2018-03-01

Graphene is an ideal material for hot-electron bolometers due to its low heat capacity and weak electron-phonon coupling. Nanostructuring graphene with quantum-dot constrictions yields detectors of electromagnetic radiation with extraordinarily high intrinsic responsivity, higher than 1×109 V W-1 at 3 K. The sensing mechanism is bolometric in nature: the quantum confinement gap causes a strong dependence of the electrical resistance on the electron temperature. Here, we show that this quantum confinement gap does not impose a limitation on the photon energy for light detection and these quantum-dot bolometers work in a very broad spectral range, from terahertz through telecom to ultraviolet radiation, with responsivity independent of wavelength. We also measure the power dependence of the response. Although the responsivity decreases with increasing power, it stays higher than 1×108 V W-1 in a wide range of absorbed power, from 1 pW to 0.4 nW.

Persistent Spin Current in a Hard-Wall Confining Quantum Wire with Weak Dresselhaus Spin-Orbit Coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Xi; Zhou, Guang-Hui

2009-02-01

We investigate theoretically the spin current in a quantum wire with weak Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling connected to two normal conductors. Both the quantum wire and conductors are described by a hard-wall confining potential. Using the electron wave-functions in the quantum wire and a new definition of spin current, we have calculated the elements of linear spin current density js,xiT and js,yiT (i = x, y, z). We find that the elements jTs,xx and jTs,yy have a antisymmetrical relation and the element jTs,yz has the same amount level as js,xxT and js,yyT. We also find a net linear spin current density, which has peaks at the center of quantum wire. The net linear spin current can induce a linear electric field, which may imply a way of spin current detection.

Electron Spin Coherence Times in Si/SiGe Quantum Dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jock, R. M.; He, Jianhua; Tyryshkin, A. M.; Lyon, S. A.; Lee, C.-H.; Huang, S.-H.; Liu, C. W.

2014-03-01

Single electron spin states in silicon have shown a great deal of promise as qubits due to their long spin relaxation (T1) and coherence (T2) times. Recent results exhibit a T2 of 250 us for electrons confined in Si/SiGe quantum dots at 350 mK. These experiments used conventional X-band (10 GHz) pulsed Electron Spin Resonance on a large area (3.5 mm x 20 mm), dual-gated, undoped Si/SiGe heterostructure quantum dots. These dots are induced in a natural Si quantum well by e-beam defined gates having a lithographic radius of 150 nm and pitch of 700 nm. The relatively large size of these dots led to closely spaced energy levels and long T2's could only be measured at sub-Kelvin temperatures. At 2K confined electrons displayed a 3 us T2, which is comparable to that of 2D electrons at that temperature. Decreasing the quantum dot size increases the electron confinement and reduces the effects of valley-splitting and spin-orbit coupling on the electron spin coherence times. We will report results on dots with 80 nm lithographic radii and a 375 nm pitch. This device displays an extended electron coherence time of 30 us at 2K, suggesting tighter confinement of electrons. Further measurements at lower temperatures are in progress. This work was supported in part by NSF through the Materials World Network program (DMR-1107606) and the Princeton MRSEC (DMR-0819860), and in part by the U.S. Army Research Office (W911NF-13-1-0179).

Resonant inelastic light scattering and photoluminescence in isolated nc-Si/SiO{sub 2} quantum dots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bairamov, F. B., E-mail: Bairamov@mail.ioffe.ru; Toporov, V. V.; Poloskin, E. D.

2013-05-15

Observation at the room temperature the spectra of the resonant inelastic light scattering by the spatially confined optical phonons as well as the excitonic luminescence caused by confinement effects in the ensemble of isolated quantum dots (QDs) nc-Si/SiO{sub 2} is reported. It is shown that the samples investigated are high purity and high crystalline perfection quality nc-Si/SiO{sub 2} QDs without amorphous phase {alpha}-Si and contaminants. Comparison between the experimental data obtained and phenomenological model of the strong space confinement of optical phonons revealed the need of the more accurate form of the weighted function for the confinement of optical phonons.more » It is shown that simultaneous detection of the inelastic light scattering by the confinement of phonons and the excitonic luminescence spectra by the confined electron-hole pairs in the nc-Si/SiO{sub 2} QDs allows selfconsistently to determine more accurate values of the diameter of the nc-Si/SiO{sub 2} QDs.« less

Nanophysics in graphene: neutrino physics in quantum rings and superlattices.

PubMed

Fertig, H A; Brey, Luis

2010-12-13

Electrons in graphene at low energy obey a two-dimensional Dirac equation, closely analogous to that of neutrinos. As a result, quantum mechanical effects when the system is confined or subjected to potentials at the nanoscale may be quite different from what happens in conventional electronic systems. In this article, we review recent progress on two systems where this is indeed the case: quantum rings and graphene electrons in a superlattice potential. In the former case, we demonstrate that the spectrum reveals signatures of 'effective time-reversal symmetry breaking', in which the spectra are most naturally interpreted in terms of effective magnetic flux contained in the ring, even when no real flux is present. A one-dimensional superlattice potential is shown to induce strong band-structure changes, allowing the number of Dirac points at zero energy to be manipulated by the strength and/or period of the potential. The emergence of new Dirac points is shown to be accompanied by strong signatures in the conduction properties of the system.

Quantum Brownian motion and its conflict with the second law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieuwenhuizen, Theo M.; Allahverdyan, Armen E.

2002-11-01

The Brownian motion of a harmonically bound quantum particle and coupled to a harmonic quantum bath is exactly solvable. At low enough temperatures the stationary state is non-Gibbsian due to an entanglement with the bath. This happens when a cloud of bath modes around the particle is formed. Equilibrium thermodynamics for particle plus bath together, does not imply standard thermodynamics for the particle itself at low T. Various formulations of the second law are then invalid. First, the Clausius inequality can be violated. Second, when the width of the confining potential is suddenly changed, there occurs a relaxation to equilibrium during which the rate of entropy production is partly negative. Third, for non-adiabatic changes of system parameters the rate of energy dissipation can be negative, and, out of equilibrium, cyclic processes are possible which extract work from the bath. Conditions are put forward under which perpetuum mobile of the second kind, having several work extraction cycles, enter the realm of condensed matter physics.

Spontaneous time reversal symmetry breaking in atomically confined two-dimensional impurity bands in silicon and germanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Arindam

Three-dimensional bulk-doped semiconductors, in particular phosphorus (P)-doped silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge), are among the best studied systems for many fundamental concepts in solid state physics, ranging from the Anderson metal-insulator transition to the many-body Coulomb interaction effects on quantum transport. Recent advances in material engineering have led to vertically confined doping of phosphorus (P) atoms inside bulk crystalline silicon and germanium, where the electron transport occurs through one or very few atomic layers, constituting a new and unique platform to investigate many of these phenomena at reduced dimensions. In this talk I shall present results of extensive quantum transport experiments in delta-doped silicon and germanium epilayers, over a wide range of doping density that allow independent tuning of the on-site Coulomb interaction and hopping energy scales. We find that low-frequency flicker noise, or the 1 / f noise, in the electrical conductance of these systems is exceptionally low, and in fact among the lowest when compared with other low-dimensional materials. This is attributed to the physical separation of the conduction electrons, embedded inside the crystalline semiconductor matrix, from the charged fluctuators at the surface. Most importantly, we find a remarkable suppression of weak localization effects, including the quantum correction to conductivity and universal conductance fluctuations, with decreasing doping density or, equivalently, increasing effective on-site Coulomb interaction. In-plane magneto-transport measurements indicate the presence of intrinsic local spin fluctuations at low doping although no signatures of long range magnetic order could be identified. We argue that these results indicate a spontaneous breakdown of time reversal symmetry, which is one of the most fundamental and robust symmetries of nonmagnetic quantum systems. While the microscopic origin of this spontaneous time reversal symmetry breaking remains unknown, we believe this indicates a new many-body electronic phase in two-dimensionally doped silicon and germanium with a half-filled impurity band. We acknowledge financial support from Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF).

Generalized description of few-electron quantum dots at zero and nonzero magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciftja, Orion

2007-01-01

We introduce a generalized ground state variational wavefunction for parabolically confined two-dimensional quantum dots that equally applies to both cases of weak (or zero) and strong magnetic field. The wavefunction has a Laughlin-like form in the limit of infinite magnetic field, but transforms into a Jastrow-Slater wavefunction at zero magnetic field. At intermediate magnetic fields (where a fraction of electrons is spin-reversed) it resembles Halperin's spin-reversed wavefunction for the fractional quantum Hall effect. The properties of this variational wavefunction are illustrated for the case of two-dimensional quantum dot helium (a system of two interacting electrons in a parabolic confinement potential) where we find the description to be an excellent representation of the true ground state for the whole range of magnetic fields.

Electronic Structure of Helium Atom in a Quantum Dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Jayanta K.; Bhattacharyya, S.; Mukherjee, T. K.

2016-03-01

Bound and resonance states of helium atom have been investigated inside a quantum dot by using explicitly correlated Hylleraas type basis set within the framework of stabilization method. To be specific, precise energy eigenvalues of bound 1sns (1Se) (n = 1-6) states and the resonance parameters i.e. positions and widths of 1Se states due to 2sns (n = 2-5) and 2pnp (n = 2-5) configurations of confined helium below N = 2 ionization threshold of He+ have been estimated. The two-parameter (Depth and Width) finite oscillator potential is used to represent the confining potential due to the quantum dot. It has been explicitly demonstrated that the electronic structural properties become sensitive functions of the dot size. It is observed from the calculations of ionization potential that the stability of an impurity ion within a quantum dot may be manipulated by varying the confinement parameters. A possibility of controlling the autoionization lifetime of doubly excited states of two-electron ions by tuning the width of the quantum cavity is also discussed here. TKM Gratefully Acknowledges Financial Support under Grant No. 37(3)/14/27/2014-BRNS from the Department of Atomic Energy, BRNS, Government of India. SB Acknowledges Financial Support under Grant No. PSW-160/14-15(ERO) from University Grants Commission, Government of India

Evaluation of quantum confinement effect in nanocrystal Si dot layer by Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Mizukami, Y; Kosemura, D; Numasawa, Y; Ohshita, Y; Ogura, A

2012-11-01

Quantum confinement effect in the nanocrystal-Si (nc-Si) was evaluated by Raman spectroscopy. The nc-Si dot layers were fabricated by the H2 plasma treatment for the nucleation site formation followed by the SiH4 irradiation for the nc-Si growth. Post-oxidation annealing was also performed to improve the crystalline quality. After post-oxidation annealing for 5 or 10 min, the asymmetric broadening on the lower frequency sides in Raman spectra were obtained, which can be attributed to the phonon confinement effect in nc-Si. Furthermore we confirmed that hydrostatic stress of approximately 500 MPa was induced in nc-Si after post-oxidation annealing.

Preparation of nanocrystals and nanocomposites of nanocrystal-conjugated polymer, and their photophysical properties in confined geometries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Jun

2007-01-01

Semiconductors nanocrystals (NCs), also called quantum dots (QDs), have attracted tremendous interest over the past decade in the fields of physics, chemistry, and engineering. Due to the quantum-confined nature of QDs, the variation of particle size provides continuous and predictable changes in fluorescence emission. On the other hand, conjugated polymers (CPs) have been extensively studied for two decades due to their semiconductor-like optical and electronic properties. The electron and energy transfer between NCs and CPs occur in solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs), respectively. Placing CPs in direct contact with a NC (i.e., preparing NC-CP nanocomposites) carries advantage overmore » cases where NC aggregation dominates. Such NC-CP nanocomposites possess a well-defined interface that significantly promotes the charge or energy transfer between these two components. However, very few studies have centered on such direct integration. We prepared NCs and NC-CP nanocomposites based on heck coupling and investigated the energy and charge transfer between semiconductor NCs (i.e., CdSe QDs), CPs (i.e., poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT)) in the nanocomposites in confined geometries. Two novel strategies were used to confine NC and/or NC-CP nanocomposites: (a) directly immobilizing nanohybrids, QDs and nanorods in nanoscopic porous alumina membrane (PAM) , and (b) confining the QDs and CPs in sphere-on-flat geometry to induce self-assembly. While investigating the confinement effect, gradient concentric ring patterns of high regularity form spontaneously simply by allowing a droplet of solution containing either conjugated polymer or semiconductor nanocrystal in a consecutive stick-slip mothion in a confined geometry. Such constrained evaporation can be utilized as a simple, cheap, and robust strategy for self-assembling various materials with easily tailored optical and electronic properties into spatially ordered, two-dimensional patterns. These self-organized patterns of functional nanoscale materials over large areas offer a tremendous potential for applications in optoelectronic devices, LEDs, solar cells, and biosensors. Meanwhile, spherical nanocrystals (i.e. CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs) were placed in a hexagonal array of highly ordered cylindrical nanopores of PAMs by a simple dip-coating method and vacuum suction process, respectively. The fluorescence of CdSe/ZnS QD was retained after being filled inside PAMs and the filling contents were obtained via transmission UV-vis measurements.« less

Exploration of dynamic dipole polarizability of impurity doped quantum dots in presence of noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Anuja; Bera, Aindrila; Saha, Surajit; Arif, Sk. Md.; Ghosh, Manas

2018-02-01

Present study strives to perform a rigorous exploration of dynamic dipole polarizability (DDP) of GaAs quantum dot (QD) containing dopant with special reference to influence of Gaussian white noise. Several physical quantities have been varied over a range to observe the modulations of the DDP profiles. Aforesaid physical quantities include magnetic field, confinement potential, dopant location, dopant potential, noise strength, aluminium concentration (only for Alx Ga1 - x As alloy QD), position-dependent effective mass (PDEM), position-dependent dielectric screening function (PDDSF), anisotropy, hydrostatic pressure (HP) and temperature. The DDP profiles reveal noticeable characteristics governed by the particular physical quantity involved, presence/absence of noise, the manner (additive/multiplicative) noise is applied to the system and the incoming photon frequency. As a general observation we have found that additive noise causing greater deviation of the DDP profile from noise-free state than its multiplicative neighbor. The study highlights viable means of harnessing DDP of doped QD under the governance of noise by appropriate adjustment of several relevant factors. The study merits importance in the light of technological applications of QD-based devices where noise appears as an integral component.

Exploring DC-Kerr effect of impurity doped quantum dots under the aegis of noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arif, Sk. Md.; Bera, Aindrila; Ghosh, Anuja; Ghosh, Manas

2018-02-01

Present study performs an extensive exploration of the profiles of DC-Kerr effect (DCKE) of doped GaAs quantum dot (QD) under the control of Gaussian white noise. A large number of important physical parameters have been varied over a range and the resultant changes in the DCKE profiles have been thoroughly analyzed. The said physical parameters comprise of electric field, magnetic field, confinement potential, dopant location, dopant potential, noise strength, aluminium concentration (only for Alx Ga1 - x As alloy QD), carrier density, relaxation time, position-dependent effective mass (PDEM), position-dependent dielectric screening function (PDDSF), anisotropy, hydrostatic pressure (HP) and temperature. The particular physical quantity being varied, presence of noise and its pathway of application, in combination, lead to emergence of diverse features in the DCKE profiles. As a technologically significant aspect we often find maximization of DCKE for some typical combinations as mentioned above. Presence of multiplicative noise, in general, causes greater shift and greater augmentation of DCKE profiles from a noise-free condition than its additive counterpart. The outcomes of the study indicate ample scope of tailoring DCKE of doped QD systems in presence of noise by minute adjustment of several control parameters.

FINAL REPORT: Scalable Methods for Electronic Excitations and Optical Responses of Nanostructures: Mathematics to Algorithms to Observables

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chelikowsky, James R.

2013-04-01

Work in nanoscience has increased substantially in recent years owing to its potential technological applications and to fundamental scientific interest. A driving force for this activity is to capitalize on new phenomena that occurs at the nanoscale. For example, the physical confinement of electronic states, i.e., quantum confinement, can dramatically alter the electronic and optical properties of matter. A prime example of this occurs for the optical properties of nanoscale crystals such as those composed of elemental silicon. Silicon in the bulk state is optically inactive due to the small size of the optical gap, which can only be accessedmore » by indirect transitions. However, at the nanoscale, this material becomes optically active. The size of the optical gap is increased by confinement and the conservation of crystal momentum ceases to hold, resulting in the viability of indirect transitions. Our work associated with this grant has focused on developing new scalable algorithms for describing the electronic and optical properties of matter at the nanoscale such as nano structures of silicon and related semiconductor properties.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fromm, Andrea; Bonitz, Michael; Dufty, James

The idea of treating quantum systems by semiclassical representations using effective quantum potentials (forces) has been successfully applied in equilibrium by many authors, see e.g. [D. Bohm, Phys. Rev. 85 (1986) 166 and 180; D.K. Ferry, J.R. Zhou, Phys. Rev. B 48 (1993) 7944; A.V. Filinov, M. Bonitz, W. Ebeling, J. Phys. A 36 (2003) 5957 and references cited therein]. Here, this idea is extended to nonequilibrium quantum systems in an external field. A gauge-invariant quantum kinetic theory for weakly inhomogeneous charged particle systems in a strong electromagnetic field is developed within the framework of nonequilibrium Green's functions. The equationmore » for the spectral density is simplified by introducing a classical (local) form for the kinetics. Nonlocal quantum effects are accounted for in this way by replacing the bare external confinement potential with an effective quantum potential. The equation for this effective potential is identified and solved for weak inhomogeneity in the collisionless limit. The resulting nonequilibrium spectral function is used to determine the density of states and the modification of the Born collision operator in the kinetic equation for the Wigner function due to quantum confinement effects.« less

A Semimetal Nanowire Rectifier: Balancing Quantum Confinement and Surface Electronegativity.

PubMed

Sanchez-Soares, Alfonso; Greer, James C

2016-12-14

For semimetal nanowires with diameters on the order of 10 nm, a semimetal-to-semiconductor transition is observed due to quantum confinement effects. Quantum confinement in a semimetal lifts the degeneracy of the conduction and valence bands in a "zero" gap semimetal or shifts energy levels with a "negative" overlap to form conduction and valence bands. For semimetal nanowires with diameters less than 10 nm, the band gap energy can be significantly larger than the thermal energy at room temperature resulting in a new class of semiconductors suitable for nanoelectronics. As a nanowire's diameter is reduced, its surface-to-volume ratio increases rapidly leading to an increased impact of surface chemistry on its electronic structure. Energy level shifts to states in the vicinity of the Fermi energy with varying surface electronegativity are shown to be comparable in magnitude to quantum confinement effects arising in nanowires with diameters of a few nanometer; these two effects can counteract one another leading to semimetallic behavior at nanowire cross sections at which confinement effects would otherwise dominate. Abruptly changing the surface terminating species along the length of a nanowire can lead to an abrupt change in the surface electronegativity. This can result in the formation of a semimetal-semiconductor junction within a monomaterial nanowire without impurity doping nor requiring the formation of a heterojunction. Using density functional theory in tandem with a Green's function approach to determine electronic structure and charge transport, respectively, current rectification is calculated for such a junction. Current rectification ratios of the order of 10 3 -10 5 are predicted at applied biases as low as 300 mV. It is concluded that rectification can be achieved at essentially molecular length scales with conventional biasing, while rivaling the performance of macroscopic semiconductor diodes.

Soft x-ray generation by a tabletop Nd:YAG/glass laser system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martellucci, S.; Bellecci, C.; Francucci, M.; Gaudio, P.; Richetta, M.; Toscano, D.; Rydzy, A.; Gelfusa, M.; Ciuffa, P.

2006-08-01

The advent and development of ultra-intense tabletop laser systems has played a significant role in recent decades thanks to the wide number of applications and studies in which these systems were demonstrated to be appropriate. Among these, one of the main applications of ultra-intense radiation is generation of plasma by solid, liquid or gaseous targets. The by-product of x-radiation found many different applications such as spectroscopy, imaging, microlithography, microscopy, radiographies (in particular of biological samples), radiation-matter interaction, fundamental plasma parameter determination, astrophysics, inertial confinement fusion, high energy physics, quantum electrodynamics, and many others. In the following a brief description of our tabletop Nd:YAG/glass apparatus (facility of the Quantum Electronic and Plasma Laboratory of the University of Rome 'Tor Vergata'), together with x-ray conversion efficiency studies for different targets, are reported.

Gate-Defined Quantum Confinement in InSe-based van der Waals Heterostructures.

PubMed

Hamer, Matthew J; Tóvári, Endre; Zhu, Mengjian; Thompson, Michael Dermot; Mayorov, Alexander S; Prance, Jonathan; Lee, Yongjin; Haley, Richard; Kudrynskyi, Zakhar R; Patanè, Amalia; Terry, Daniel; Kovalyuk, Zakhar D; Ensslin, Klaus; Kretinin, Andrey V; Geim, Andre K; Gorbachev, Roman Vladislavovich

2018-05-15

Indium selenide, a post-transition metal chalcogenide, is a novel two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor with interesting electronic properties. Its tunable band gap and high electron mobility have already attracted considerable research interest. Here we demonstrate strong quantum confinement and manipulation of single electrons in devices made from few-layer crystals of InSe using electrostatic gating. We report on gate-controlled quantum dots in the Coulomb blockade regime as well as one-dimensional quantization in point contacts, revealing multiple plateaus. The work represents an important milestone in the development of quality devices based on 2D materials and makes InSe a prime candidate for relevant electronic and optoelectronic applications.

Interplay between quantum confinement and surface effects in thickness selective stability of thin Ag and Eu films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Xiaojie; Wang, Cai -Zhuang

Using first-principles calculations, we show that both face-centered cubic (fcc) Ag (1 1 0) ultrathin films and body-centered cubic (bcc) Eu(1 1 0) ultrathin films exhibit thickness selective stability. Furthermore, the origin of such thickness selection is different. While the thickness selective stability in fcc Ag(1 1 0) films is mainly due to the well-known quantum well states ascribed to the quantum confinement effects in free-electron-like metal films, the thickness selection in bcc Eu(1 1 0) films is more complex and also strongly correlated with the occupation of the surface and surface resonance states.

Strain-induced fundamental optical transition in (In,Ga)As/GaP quantum dots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robert, C., E-mail: cedric.robert@insa-rennes.fr, E-mail: cedric.robert@tyndall.ie; Pedesseau, L.; Cornet, C.

The nature of the ground optical transition in an (In,Ga)As/GaP quantum dot is thoroughly investigated through a million atoms supercell tight-binding simulation. Precise quantum dot morphology is deduced from previously reported scanning-tunneling-microscopy images. The strain field is calculated with the valence force field method and has a strong influence on the confinement potentials, principally, for the conduction band states. Indeed, the wavefunction of the ground electron state is spatially confined in the GaP matrix, close to the dot apex, in a large tensile strain region, having mainly Xz character. Photoluminescence experiments under hydrostatic pressure strongly support the theoretical conclusions.

Intraband Raman laser gain in a boron nitride coupled quantum well

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moorthy, N. Narayana; Peter, A. John, E-mail: a.john.peter@gmail.com

2016-05-23

On-centre impurity related electronic and optical properties are studied in a Boron nitride coupled quantum well. Confined energies for the intraband transition are investigated by studying differential cross section of electron Raman scattering taking into consideration of spatial confinement in a B{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}N/BN coupled quantum well. Raman gain as a function of incident optical pump intensity is computed for constant well width. The enhancement of Raman gain is observed with the application of pump power. The results can be applied for the potential applications for fabricating some optical devices such as optical switches, infrared photo-detectors and electro-optical modulator.

Interplay between quantum confinement and surface effects in thickness selective stability of thin Ag and Eu films

DOE PAGES

Liu, Xiaojie; Wang, Cai -Zhuang

2017-04-03

Using first-principles calculations, we show that both face-centered cubic (fcc) Ag (1 1 0) ultrathin films and body-centered cubic (bcc) Eu(1 1 0) ultrathin films exhibit thickness selective stability. Furthermore, the origin of such thickness selection is different. While the thickness selective stability in fcc Ag(1 1 0) films is mainly due to the well-known quantum well states ascribed to the quantum confinement effects in free-electron-like metal films, the thickness selection in bcc Eu(1 1 0) films is more complex and also strongly correlated with the occupation of the surface and surface resonance states.

Optical phonons in nanostructured thin films composed by zincblende zinc selenide quantum dots in strong size-quantization regime: Competition between phonon confinement and strain-related effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pejova, Biljana

2014-05-01

Raman scattering in combination with optical spectroscopy and structural studies by X-ray diffraction was employed to investigate the phonon confinement and strain-induced effects in 3D assemblies of variable-size zincblende ZnSe quantum dots close packed in thin film form. Nanostructured thin films were synthesized by colloidal chemical approach, while tuning of the nanocrystal size was enabled by post-deposition thermal annealing treatment. In-depth insights into the factors governing the observed trends of the position and half-width of the 1LO band as a function of the average QD size were gained. The overall shifts in the position of 1LO band were found to result from an intricate compromise between the influence of phonon confinement and lattice strain-induced effects. Both contributions were quantitatively and exactly modeled. Accurate assignments of the bands due to surface optical (SO) modes as well as of the theoretically forbidden transverse optical (TO) modes were provided, on the basis of reliable physical models (such as the dielectric continuum model of Ruppin and Englman). The size-dependence of the ratio of intensities of the TO and LO modes was studied and discussed as well. Relaxation time characterizing the phonon decay processes in as-deposited samples was found to be approximately 0.38 ps, while upon post-deposition annealing already at 200 °C it increases to about 0.50 ps. Both of these values are, however, significantly smaller than those characteristic for a macrocrystalline ZnSe sample.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bagraev, N. T., E-mail: bagraev@mail.ioffe.ru; Grigoryev, V. Yu.; Klyachkin, L. E.

The negative-U impurity stripes confining the edge channels of semiconductor quantum wells are shown to allow the effective cooling inside in the process of the spin-dependent transport. The aforesaid also promotes the creation of composite bosons and fermions by the capture of single magnetic flux quanta at the edge channels under the conditions of low sheet density of carriers, thus opening new opportunities for the registration of quantum kinetic phenomena in weak magnetic fields at high temperatures up to the room temperature. As a certain version noted above, we present the first findings of the high temperature de Haas–van Alphenmore » (300 K) and quantum Hall (77 K) effects in the silicon sandwich structure that represents the ultranarrow, 2 nm, p-type quantum well (Si-QW) confined by the delta barriers heavily doped with boron on the n-type Si (100) surface. These data appear to result from the low density of single holes that are of small effective mass in the edge channels of p-type Si-QW because of the impurity confinement by the stripes consisting of the negative-U dipole boron centers which seems to give rise to the efficiency reduction of the electron–electron interaction.« less

Engineered long-range interactions on a 2D array of trapped ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Britton, Joseph W.; Sawyer, Brian C.; Bollinger, John J.; Freericks, James K.

2014-03-01

Ising interactions are one paradigm used to model quantum magnetism in condensed matter systems. At NIST Boulder we confine and Doppler laser cool hundreds of 9Be+ ions in a Penning trap. The valence electron of each ion behaves as an ideal spin-1/2 particle and, in the limit of weak radial confinement relative to axial confinement, the ions naturally form a two-dimensional triangular lattice. A variable-range anti-ferromagnetic Ising interaction is engineered with a spin-dependent optical dipole force (ODF) through spin-dependent excitation of collective modes of ion motion. We have also exploited this spin-dependent force to perform spectroscopy and thermometry of the normal modes of the trapped ion crystal. The high spin-count and long-range spin-spin couplings achievable in the NIST Penning trap brings within reach simulation of computationally intractable problems in quantum magnetism. Examples include modeling quantum magnetic phase transitions and propagation of spin correlations resulting from a quantum quench. The Penning system may also be amenable to observation of spin-liquid behavior thought to arise in systems where the underlying lattice structure can frustrate long-range ordering. Supported by DARPA OLE and NIST.

Real-Time Reciprocal Space Mapping of Nano-Islands Induced by Quantum Confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Hawoong; Gray, Aaron; Chiang, T.-C.

2011-01-01

The effects of quantum confinement have been observed pronouncedly in the island morphology of Pb thin films. The evolution of these nano-islands on Si (111)-(7 × 7) and sapphire (001) surfaces has been studied with a new X-ray diffraction method. A charge-coupled device (CCD) camera was used to collect two- and three-dimensional (2-D and 3-D, respectively) maps of the surface X-ray diffraction in real time. Large ranges of the reflectivity curves, with rocking curves at every point on the reflectivity curves, could be measured continuously in a relatively short amount of time. The abundance of information from 2-D k-space maps reveals clear changes in the growth modes of these thin Pb films. With the 3-D extension of this method, it was possible to observe the ordering of the islands. The islands maintain a nearly uniform interisland distance but lack any angular correlation. The interisland ordering is correlated well with the development of "magic" island heights caused by quantum confinement.

Tuning and Switching a Plasmonic Quantum Dot "Sandwich" in a Nematic Line Defect.

PubMed

Mundoor, Haridas; Sheetah, Ghadah H; Park, Sungoh; Ackerman, Paul J; Smalyukh, Ivan I; van de Lagemaat, Jao

2018-03-27

We study the quantum-mechanical effects arising in a single semiconductor core/shell quantum dot (QD) controllably sandwiched between two plasmonic nanorods. Control over the position and the "sandwich" confinement structure is achieved by the use of a linear-trap liquid crystal (LC) line defect and laser tweezers that "push" the sandwich together. This arrangement allows for the study of exciton-plasmon interactions in a single structure, unaltered by ensemble effects or the complexity of dielectric interfaces. We demonstrate the effect of plasmonic confinement on the photon antibunching behavior of the QD and its luminescence lifetime. The QD behaves as a single emitter when nanorods are far away from the QD but shows possible multiexciton emission and a significantly decreased lifetime when tightly confined in a plasmonic "sandwich". These findings demonstrate that LC defects, combined with laser tweezers, enable a versatile platform to study plasmonic coupling phenomena in a nanoscale laboratory, where all elements can be arranged almost at will.

Tuning and Switching a Plasmonic Quantum Dot “Sandwich” in a Nematic Line Defect

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mundoor, Haridas; Sheetah, Ghadah H.; Park, Sungoh

We study the quantum-mechanical effects arising in a single semiconductor core/shell quantum dot (QD) controllably sandwiched between two plasmonic nanorods. Control over the position and the 'sandwich' confinement structure is achieved by the use of a linear-trap liquid crystal (LC) line defect and laser tweezers that 'push' the sandwich together. This arrangement allows for the study of exciton-plasmon interactions in a single structure, unaltered by ensemble effects or the complexity of dielectric interfaces. We demonstrate the effect of plasmonic confinement on the photon antibunching behavior of the QD and its luminescence lifetime. The QD behaves as a single emitter whenmore » nanorods are far away from the QD but shows possible multiexciton emission and a significantly decreased lifetime when tightly confined in a plasmonic 'sandwich'. These findings demonstrate that LC defects, combined with laser tweezers, enable a versatile platform to study plasmonic coupling phenomena in a nanoscale laboratory, where all elements can be arranged almost at will.« less

Tuning and Switching a Plasmonic Quantum Dot “Sandwich” in a Nematic Line Defect

DOE PAGES

Mundoor, Haridas; Sheetah, Ghadah H.; Park, Sungoh; ...

2018-02-28

We study the quantum-mechanical effects arising in a single semiconductor core/shell quantum dot (QD) controllably sandwiched between two plasmonic nanorods. Control over the position and the 'sandwich' confinement structure is achieved by the use of a linear-trap liquid crystal (LC) line defect and laser tweezers that 'push' the sandwich together. This arrangement allows for the study of exciton-plasmon interactions in a single structure, unaltered by ensemble effects or the complexity of dielectric interfaces. We demonstrate the effect of plasmonic confinement on the photon antibunching behavior of the QD and its luminescence lifetime. The QD behaves as a single emitter whenmore » nanorods are far away from the QD but shows possible multiexciton emission and a significantly decreased lifetime when tightly confined in a plasmonic 'sandwich'. These findings demonstrate that LC defects, combined with laser tweezers, enable a versatile platform to study plasmonic coupling phenomena in a nanoscale laboratory, where all elements can be arranged almost at will.« less

Decoupling the effects of confinement and passivation on semiconductor quantum dots.

PubMed

Rudd, Roya; Hall, Colin; Murphy, Peter J; Reece, Peter J; Charrault, Eric; Evans, Drew

2016-07-20

Semiconductor (SC) quantum dots (QDs) have recently been fabricated by both chemical and plasma techniques for specific absorption and emission of light. Their optical properties are governed by the size of the QD and the chemistry of any passivation at their surface. Here, we decouple the effects of confinement and passivation by utilising DC magnetron sputtering to fabricate SC QDs in a perfluorinated polyether oil. Very high band gaps are observed for fluorinated QDs with increasing levels of quantum confinement (from 4.2 to 4.6 eV for Si, and 2.5 to 3 eV for Ge), with a shift down to 3.4 eV for Si when oxygen is introduced to the passivation layer. In contrast, the fluorinated Si QDs display a constant UV photoluminescence (3.8 eV) irrespective of size. This ability to tune the size and passivation independently opens a new opportunity to extending the use of simple semiconductor QDs.

Quantum size effect in the photoluminescence properties of p-type semiconducting transparent CuAlO2 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayan Banerjee, Arghya; Woo Joo, Sang; Min, Bong-Ki

2012-12-01

Photoluminescence properties of CuAlO2 nanoparticles, deposited by a cost-effective direct current sputtering technique, have been studied. The nanoparticles show room-temperature photoluminescence peaks of near-band-edge emission due to recombination of free excitons. A blue-shift in the emission peaks as a decreasing function of the nanoparticle sizes is observed, which is attributed to the quantum confinement effect within the CuAlO2 nanoparticles. Theoretical calculations of bandgap enhancement values are found to be matching fairly well with that of the experimentally obtained values, confirming the existence of the quantum size effect within the nanomaterial. Approximate calculations show that the confinement effect falls within moderate-to-weak confinement regime. X-ray diffraction and electron microscopic measurements confirm the proper phase formation and nanocrystalline structure of the as-deposited nanoparticles. The room-temperature and size-dependent photoluminescence properties of this nanomaterial will be very useful for light emitting diode and similar optoelectronic applications.

Highlights in light-baryon spectroscopy and searches for gluonic excitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crede, Volker

2016-01-01

The spectrum of excited hadrons - mesons and baryons - serves as an excellent probe of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the fundamental theory of the strong interaction. The strong coupling however makes QCD challenging. It confines quarks and breaks chiral symmetry, thus providing us with the world of light hadrons. Highly-excited hadronic states are sensitive to the details of quark confinement, which is only poorly understood within QCD. This is the regime of non-perturbative QCD and it is one of the key issues in hadronic physics to identify the corresponding internal degrees of freedom and how they relate to strong coupling QCD. The quark model suggests mesons are made of a constituent quark and an antiquark and baryons consist of three such quarks. QCD predicts other forms of matter. What is the role of glue? Resonances with large gluonic components are predicted as bound states by QCD. The lightest hybrid mesons with exotic quantum numbers are estimated to have masses in the range from 1 to 2 GeV/c2 and are well in reach of current experimental programs. At Jefferson Laboratory (JLab) and other facilities worldwide, the high-energy electron and photon beams present a remarkably clean probe of hadronic matter, providing an excellent microscope for examining atomic nuclei and the strong nuclear force.

Aharonov-Bohm effect in graphene Möbius strips: an analytical treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira de Souza, Jose Fernando; de Lima Ribeiro, Carlos Alberto; Furtado, Claudio

2017-05-01

In this work, the influence of an Aharonov-Bohm flux on the low energy physical properties of graphene nanorings exhibiting Möbius topology is examined. Our approach lies in the continuum description of graphene, providing an analytical treatment for Aharonov-Bohm problem in the context of general relativistic confined systems, whose main goal is to understand the role of boundary conditions and their effects in such a background. We study a class of quantum rings described by a particular set of boundary conditions which combines infinite mass confinement along the transverse direction with a Möbius-type periodicity longitudinally, in order to sketch out insights into the electronic behavior of typical hard wall nanoribbons within a relativistic domain in response to the interplay between non-trivial topology and quantum interference effects. Boundary conditions are found to be only partially compatible, leading to spatial constraints on the solution, which also manifests itself in the nature of energy spectrum and persistent currents. Expressions for flux-dependent energy eigenvalues and persistent currents are explicitly calculated, as well as comparative graphs are plotted and analyzed. Both quantities are shown to alternate their expressions not only in dependence on the transverse modes, but also showing sensitivity to the allowed positions of the domain.

Modeling techniques for quantum cascade lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jirauschek, Christian; Kubis, Tillmann

2014-03-01

Quantum cascade lasers are unipolar semiconductor lasers covering a wide range of the infrared and terahertz spectrum. Lasing action is achieved by using optical intersubband transitions between quantized states in specifically designed multiple-quantum-well heterostructures. A systematic improvement of quantum cascade lasers with respect to operating temperature, efficiency, and spectral range requires detailed modeling of the underlying physical processes in these structures. Moreover, the quantum cascade laser constitutes a versatile model device for the development and improvement of simulation techniques in nano- and optoelectronics. This review provides a comprehensive survey and discussion of the modeling techniques used for the simulation of quantum cascade lasers. The main focus is on the modeling of carrier transport in the nanostructured gain medium, while the simulation of the optical cavity is covered at a more basic level. Specifically, the transfer matrix and finite difference methods for solving the one-dimensional Schrödinger equation and Schrödinger-Poisson system are discussed, providing the quantized states in the multiple-quantum-well active region. The modeling of the optical cavity is covered with a focus on basic waveguide resonator structures. Furthermore, various carrier transport simulation methods are discussed, ranging from basic empirical approaches to advanced self-consistent techniques. The methods include empirical rate equation and related Maxwell-Bloch equation approaches, self-consistent rate equation and ensemble Monte Carlo methods, as well as quantum transport approaches, in particular the density matrix and non-equilibrium Green's function formalism. The derived scattering rates and self-energies are generally valid for n-type devices based on one-dimensional quantum confinement, such as quantum well structures.

Modeling techniques for quantum cascade lasers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jirauschek, Christian; Kubis, Tillmann

2014-03-15

Quantum cascade lasers are unipolar semiconductor lasers covering a wide range of the infrared and terahertz spectrum. Lasing action is achieved by using optical intersubband transitions between quantized states in specifically designed multiple-quantum-well heterostructures. A systematic improvement of quantum cascade lasers with respect to operating temperature, efficiency, and spectral range requires detailed modeling of the underlying physical processes in these structures. Moreover, the quantum cascade laser constitutes a versatile model device for the development and improvement of simulation techniques in nano- and optoelectronics. This review provides a comprehensive survey and discussion of the modeling techniques used for the simulation ofmore » quantum cascade lasers. The main focus is on the modeling of carrier transport in the nanostructured gain medium, while the simulation of the optical cavity is covered at a more basic level. Specifically, the transfer matrix and finite difference methods for solving the one-dimensional Schrödinger equation and Schrödinger-Poisson system are discussed, providing the quantized states in the multiple-quantum-well active region. The modeling of the optical cavity is covered with a focus on basic waveguide resonator structures. Furthermore, various carrier transport simulation methods are discussed, ranging from basic empirical approaches to advanced self-consistent techniques. The methods include empirical rate equation and related Maxwell-Bloch equation approaches, self-consistent rate equation and ensemble Monte Carlo methods, as well as quantum transport approaches, in particular the density matrix and non-equilibrium Green's function formalism. The derived scattering rates and self-energies are generally valid for n-type devices based on one-dimensional quantum confinement, such as quantum well structures.« less

Improved photoluminescence characteristics of order-disorder AlGaInP quantum wells at room and elevated temperatures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukherjee, Kunal; Fitzgerald, Eugene A.; Deotare, Parag B.

2015-04-06

A set of nominally undoped CuPt-B type ordered (Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}){sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}P quantum-wells with disordered (Al{sub 0.7}Ga{sub 0.3}){sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}P barriers were grown and characterized using transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Such structures are potentially beneficial for light emitting devices due to the possibility of greater carrier confinement, reduced scattering into the indirect valleys, and band-offset adjustment beyond what is possible with strain and composition. Furthermore, the possibility of independently tuning the composition and the order-parameter of the quantum-well allows for the decoupling of the carrier confinement and the aluminum content and aids in the identification of carriermore » loss mechanisms. In this study, sharp order-disorder interfaces were achieved via the control of growth temperature between 650 °C and 750 °C using growth pauses. Improved high-temperature (400 K) photoluminescence intensity was obtained from quantum-wells with ordered Ga{sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}P as compared to disordered Ga{sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}P due to greater confinement. Additionally, in the ordered samples with a higher Al/Ga ratio to counter the band-gap reduction, the photoluminescence intensity at high temperature was as bright as that from conventional disordered heterostructures and had slightly improved wavelength stability. Room-temperature time-resolved luminescence measurements indicated a longer radiative lifetime in the ordered quantum-well with reduced scattering into the barrier. These results show that in samples of good material quality, the property controlling the luminescence intensity is the carrier confinement and not the presence of ordering or the aluminum content.« less

Full Stark control of polariton states on a spin-orbit hypersphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Feng; Cancellieri, E.; Buonaiuto, G.; Skolnick, M. S.; Krizhanovskii, D. N.; Whittaker, D. M.

2016-11-01

The orbital angular momentum and the polarization of light are physical quantities widely investigated for classical and quantum information processing. In this work we propose to take advantage of strong light-matter coupling, circular-symmetric confinement, and transverse-electric transverse-magnetic splitting to exploit states where these two degrees of freedom are combined. To this end we develop a model based on a spin-orbit Poincaré hypersphere. Then we consider the example of semiconductor polariton systems and demonstrate full ultrafast Stark control of spin-orbit states. Moreover, by controlling states on three different spin-orbit spheres and switching from one sphere to another we demonstrate the control of different logic bits within one single physical system.

Observation of Quantum Confinement in Monodisperse Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals Embedded in Mesoporous Silica.

PubMed

Malgras, Victor; Tominaka, Satoshi; Ryan, James W; Henzie, Joel; Takei, Toshiaki; Ohara, Koji; Yamauchi, Yusuke

2016-10-13

Hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites have fascinating electronic properties and have already been implemented in various devices. Although the behavior of bulk metal halide perovskites has been widely studied, the properties of perovskite nanocrystals are less well-understood because synthesizing them is still very challenging, in part because of stability. Here we demonstrate a simple and versatile method to grow monodisperse CH 3 NH 3 PbBr x I x-3 perovskite nanocrystals inside mesoporous silica templates. The size of the nanocrystal is governed by the pore size of the templates (3.3, 3.7, 4.2, 6.2, and 7.1 nm). In-depth structural analysis shows that the nanocrystals maintain the perovskite crystal structure, but it is slightly distorted. Quantum confinement was observed by tuning the size of the particles via the template. This approach provides an additional route to tune the optical bandgap of the nanocrystal. The level of quantum confinement was modeled taking into account the dimensions of the rod-shaped nanocrystals and their close packing inside the channels of the template. Photoluminescence measurements on CH 3 NH 3 PbBr clearly show a shift from green to blue as the pore size is decreased. Synthesizing perovskite nanostructures in templates improves their stability and enables tunable electronic properties via quantum confinement. These structures may be useful as reference materials for comparison with other perovskites, or as functional materials in all solid-state light-emitting diodes.

INTERDISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Polar Mixing Optical Phonon Spectra in Wurtzite GaN Cylindrical Quantum Dots: Quantum Size and Dielectric Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li; Liao, Jian-Shang

2010-05-01

The interface-optical-propagating (IO-PR) mixing phonon modes of a quasi-zero-dimensional (QoD) wurtzite cylindrical quantum dot (QD) structure are derived and studied by employing the macroscopic dielectric continuum model. The analytical phonon states of IO-PR mixing modes are given. It is found that there are two types of IO-PR mixing phonon modes, i.e. ρ-IO/z-PR mixing modes and the z-IO/ρ-PR mixing modes existing in QoD wurtzite QDs. And each IO-PR mixing modes also have symmetrical and antisymmetrical forms. Via a standard procedure of field quantization, the Fröhlich Hamiltonians of electron-(IO-PR) mixing phonons interaction are obtained. Numerical calculations on a wurtzite GaN cylindrical QD are performed. The results reveal that both the radial-direction size and the axial-direction size as well as the dielectric matrix have great influence on the dispersive frequencies of the IO-PR mixing phonon modes. The limiting features of dispersive curves of these phonon modes are discussed in depth. The phonon modes “reducing" behavior of wurtzite quantum confined systems has been observed obviously in the structures. Moreover, the degenerating behaviors of the IO-PR mixing phonon modes in wurtzite QoD QDs to the IO modes and PR modes in wurtzite Q2D QW and Q1D QWR systems are analyzed deeply from both of the viewpoints of physics and mathematics.

Quantum Effects of Magnons Confined in Multilayered CoPd Ferromagnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nwokoye, Chidubem; Siddique, Abid; Bennett, Lawrence; Della Torre, Edward; IMR Team

Quantum entanglement is a unique quantum mechanical effect that arises from the correlation between two or more quantum systems. The fundamental aspects of magnon entanglement has been theoretical studied and the interest in developing technologies that exploits quantum entanglement is growing. We discuss the results of an experimental study of magnon entanglement in multilayered CoPd ferromagnets. Our findings are interesting and will aid in developing novel magnonic devices. Office of Naval Research.

Theory of a peristaltic pump for fermionic quantum fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romeo, F.; Citro, R.

2018-05-01

Motivated by the recent developments in fermionic cold atoms and in nanostructured systems, we propose the model of a peristaltic quantum pump. Differently from the Thouless paradigm, a peristaltic pump is a quantum device that generates a particle flux as the effect of a sliding finite-size microlattice. A one-dimensional tight-binding Hamiltonian model of this quantum machine is formulated and analyzed within a lattice Green's function formalism on the Keldysh contour. The pump observables, as, e.g., the pumped particles per cycle, are studied as a function of the pumping frequency, the width of the pumping potential, the particles mean free path, and system temperature. The proposed analysis applies to arbitrary peristaltic potentials acting on fermionic quantum fluids confined to one dimension. These confinement conditions can be realized in nanostructured systems or, in a more controllable way, in cold atoms experiments. In view of the validation of the theoretical results, we describe the outcomes of the model considering a fermionic cold atoms system as a paradigmatic example.

Linearly polarized emission from an embedded quantum dot using nanowire morphology control.

PubMed

Foster, Andrew P; Bradley, John P; Gardner, Kirsty; Krysa, Andrey B; Royall, Ben; Skolnick, Maurice S; Wilson, Luke R

2015-03-11

GaAs nanowires with elongated cross sections are formed using a catalyst-free growth technique. This is achieved by patterning elongated nanoscale openings within a silicon dioxide growth mask on a (111)B GaAs substrate. It is observed that MOVPE-grown vertical nanowires with cross section elongated in the [21̅1̅] and [1̅12] directions remain faithful to the geometry of the openings. An InGaAs quantum dot with weak radial confinement is realized within each nanowire by briefly introducing indium into the reactor during nanowire growth. Photoluminescence emission from an embedded nanowire quantum dot is strongly linearly polarized (typically >90%) with the polarization direction coincident with the axis of elongation. Linearly polarized PL emission is a result of embedding the quantum dot in an anisotropic nanowire structure that supports a single strongly confined, linearly polarized optical mode. This research provides a route to the bottom-up growth of linearly polarized single photon sources of interest for quantum information applications.

Coulomb Oscillations in a Gate-Controlled Few-Layer Graphene Quantum Dot.

PubMed

Song, Yipu; Xiong, Haonan; Jiang, Wentao; Zhang, Hongyi; Xue, Xiao; Ma, Cheng; Ma, Yulin; Sun, Luyan; Wang, Haiyan; Duan, Luming

2016-10-12

Graphene quantum dots could be an ideal host for spin qubits and thus have been extensively investigated based on graphene nanoribbons and etched nanostructures; however, edge and substrate-induced disorders severely limit device functionality. Here, we report the confinement of quantum dots in few-layer graphene with tunable barriers, defined by local strain and electrostatic gating. Transport measurements unambiguously reveal that confinement barriers are formed by inducing a band gap via the electrostatic gating together with local strain induced constriction. Numerical simulations according to the local top-gate geometry confirm the band gap opening by a perpendicular electric field. We investigate the magnetic field dependence of the energy-level spectra in these graphene quantum dots. Experimental results reveal a complex evolution of Coulomb oscillations with the magnetic field, featuring kinks at level crossings. The simulation of energy spectrum shows that the kink features and the magnetic field dependence are consistent with experimental observations, implying the hybridized nature of energy-level spectrum of these graphene quantum dots.

Structural Investigation of Cesium Lead Halide Perovskites for High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

PubMed

Le, Quyet Van; Kim, Jong Beom; Kim, Soo Young; Lee, Byeongdu; Lee, Dong Ryeol

2017-09-07

We have investigated the effect of reaction temperature of hot-injection method on the structural properties of CsPbX 3 (X: Br, I, Cl) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) using small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering. It is confirmed that the size of the NCs decreased as the reaction temperature decreased, resulting in stronger quantum confinement. The cubic-phase perovskite NCs formed despite the fact that the reaction temperatures increased from 140 to 180 °C; however, monodispersive NC cubes that are required for densely packing self-assembly film were formed only at lower temperatures. From the X-ray scattering measurements, the spin-coated film from more monodispersive perovskite nanocubes synthesized at lower temperatures resulted in more preferred orientation. This dense-packing perovskite film with preferred orientation yielded efficient light-emitting diode (LED) performance. Thus the dense-packing structure of NC assemblies formed after spin-coating should be considered for high-efficient LEDs based on perovskite quantum dots in addition to quantum confinement effect of the quantum dots.

Quantum steering of Gaussian states via non-Gaussian measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Se-Wan; Lee, Jaehak; Park, Jiyong; Nha, Hyunchul

2016-07-01

Quantum steering—a strong correlation to be verified even when one party or its measuring device is fully untrusted—not only provides a profound insight into quantum physics but also offers a crucial basis for practical applications. For continuous-variable (CV) systems, Gaussian states among others have been extensively studied, however, mostly confined to Gaussian measurements. While the fulfilment of Gaussian criterion is sufficient to detect CV steering, whether it is also necessary for Gaussian states is a question of fundamental importance in many contexts. This critically questions the validity of characterizations established only under Gaussian measurements like the quantification of steering and the monogamy relations. Here, we introduce a formalism based on local uncertainty relations of non-Gaussian measurements, which is shown to manifest quantum steering of some Gaussian states that Gaussian criterion fails to detect. To this aim, we look into Gaussian states of practical relevance, i.e. two-mode squeezed states under a lossy and an amplifying Gaussian channel. Our finding significantly modifies the characteristics of Gaussian-state steering so far established such as monogamy relations and one-way steering under Gaussian measurements, thus opening a new direction for critical studies beyond Gaussian regime.

Power loss of a single electron charge distribution confined in a quantum plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mehramiz, A.; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, I. K. Int'l University, Qazvin 34149-16818; Mahmoodi, J.

2011-05-15

The dielectric tensor for a quantum plasma is derived by using a linearized quantum hydrodynamic theory. The wave functions for a nanostructure bound system have been investigated. Finally, the power loss for an oscillating charge distribution of a mixed state will be calculated, using the dielectric function formalism.

Musical Example to Visualize Abstract Quantum Mechanical Ideas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eagle, Forrest W.; Seaney, Kyser D.; Grubb, Michael P.

2017-01-01

Quantum mechanics is a notoriously difficult subject to learn, due to a lack of real-world analogies that might help provide an intuitive grasp of the underlying ideas. Discrete energy levels and absorption and emission wavelengths in atoms are sometimes described as uniquely quantum phenomena, but are actually general to spatially confined waves…

Confinement control mechanism for two-electron Hulthen quantum dots in plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahar, M. K.; Soylu, A.

2018-05-01

In this study, for the first time, the energies of two-electron Hulthen quantum dots (TEHQdots) embedded in Debye and quantum plasmas modeled by the more general exponential cosine screened Coulomb (MGECSC) potential under the combined influence of electric and magnetic fields are investigated by numerically solving the Schrödinger equation using the asymptotic iteration method. To do this, the four different forms of the MGECSC potential, which set through the different cases of the potential parameters, are taken into consideration. We propose that plasma environments form considerable quantum mechanical effects for quantum dots and other atomic systems and that plasmas are important experimental arguments. In this study, by considering the quantum dot parameters, the external field parameters, and the plasma screening parameters, a control mechanism of the confinement on energies of TEHQdots and the frequency of the radiation emitted by TEHQdots as a result of any excitation is discussed. In this mechanism, the behaviors, similarities, the functionalities of the control parameters, and the influences of plasmas on these quantities are explored.

New Methods in Non-Perturbative QCD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Unsal, Mithat

2017-01-31

In this work, we investigate the properties of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), by using newly developing mathematics and physics formalisms. Almost all of the mass in the visible universe emerges from a quantum chromodynamics (QCD), which has a completely negligible microscopic mass content. An intimately related issue in QCD is the quark confinement problem. Answers to non-perturbative questions in QCD remained largely elusive despite much effort over the years. It is also believed that the usual perturbation theory is inadequate to address these kinds of problems. Perturbation theory gives a divergent asymptotic series (even when the theory is properly renormalized), andmore » there are non-perturbative phenomena which never appear at any order in perturbation theory. Recently, a fascinating bridge between perturbation theory and non-perturbative effects has been found: a formalism called resurgence theory in mathematics tells us that perturbative data and non-perturbative data are intimately related. Translating this to the language of quantum field theory, it turns out that non-perturbative information is present in a coded form in perturbation theory and it can be decoded. We take advantage of this feature, which is particularly useful to understand some unresolved mysteries of QCD from first principles. In particular, we use: a) Circle compactifications which provide a semi-classical window to study confinement and mass gap problems, and calculable prototypes of the deconfinement phase transition; b) Resurgence theory and transseries which provide a unified framework for perturbative and non-perturbative expansion; c) Analytic continuation of path integrals and Lefschetz thimbles which may be useful to address sign problem in QCD at finite density.« less

Renormalization of optical transition strengths in semiconductor nanoparticles due to band mixing

DOE PAGES

Velizhanin, Kirill A.

2016-05-25

We report that unique optical properties of semiconductor nanoparticles (SN) make them very promising in the multitude of applications including lasing, light emission and photovoltaics. In many of these applications it is imperative to understand the physics of interaction of electrons in a SN with external electromagnetic fields on the quantitative level. In particular, the strength of electron–photon coupling determines such important SN parameters as the radiative lifetime and absorption cross section. This strength is often assumed to be fully encoded by the so called Kane momentum matrix element. This parameter, however, pertains to a bulk semiconductor material and, asmore » such, is not sensitive to the quantum confinement effects in SNs. In this work we demonstrate that the quantum confinement, via the so called band mixing, can result in a significant suppression of the strength of electron interaction with electromagnetic field. Within the envelope function formalism we show how this suppression can be described by introducing an effective energy-dependent Kane momentum. Then, the effect of band mixing on the efficiencies of various photoinduced processes can be fully captured by the conventional formulae (e.g., spontaneous emission rate), once the conventional Kane momentum is substituted with the renormalized energy-dependent Kane momentum introduced in here. Lastly, as an example, we evaluate the energy-dependent Kane momentum for spherical PbSe and PbS SNs (i.e., quantum dots) and show that neglecting band mixing in these systems can result in the overestimation of absorption cross sections and emission rates by a factor of ~2.« less

Control of exciton confinement in quantum dot-organic complexes through energetic alignment of interfacial orbitals.

PubMed

Frederick, Matthew T; Amin, Victor A; Swenson, Nathaniel K; Ho, Andrew Y; Weiss, Emily A

2013-01-09

This paper describes a method to control the quantum confinement, and therefore the energy, of excitonic holes in CdSe QDs through adsorption of the hole-delocalizing ligand phenyldithiocarbamate, PTC, and para substitutions of the phenyl ring of this ligand with electron-donating or -withdrawing groups. These substitutions control hole delocalization in the QDs through the energetic alignment of the highest occupied orbitals of PTC with the highest density-of-states region of the CdSe valence band, to which PTC couples selectively.

Engineering 1D Quantum Stripes from Superlattices of 2D Layered Materials.

PubMed

Gruenewald, John H; Kim, Jungho; Kim, Heung Sik; Johnson, Jared M; Hwang, Jinwoo; Souri, Maryam; Terzic, Jasminka; Chang, Seo Hyoung; Said, Ayman; Brill, Joseph W; Cao, Gang; Kee, Hae-Young; Seo, Sung S Ambrose

2017-01-01

Dimensional tunability from two dimensions to one dimension is demonstrated for the first time using an artificial superlattice method in synthesizing 1D stripes from 2D layered materials. The 1D confinement of layered Sr 2 IrO 4 induces distinct 1D quantum-confined electronic states, as observed from optical spectroscopy and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. This 1D superlattice approach is generalizable to a wide range of layered materials. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Theory of confined states of positronium in spherical and circular quantum dots with Kane’s dispersion law

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Confined states of a positronium (Ps) in the spherical and circular quantum dots (QDs) are theoretically investigated in two size quantization regimes: strong and weak. Two-band approximation of Kane’s dispersion law and parabolic dispersion law of charge carriers are considered. It is shown that electron-positron pair instability is a consequence of dimensionality reduction, not of the size quantization. The binding energies for the Ps in circular and spherical QDs are calculated. The Ps formation dependence on the QD radius is studied. PMID:23826867

Hyper-branched CdTe nanostructures based on the self-assembling of quantum dots and their optical properties.

PubMed

Pan, Ling-Yun; Pan, Gen-Cai; Zhang, Yong-Lai; Gao, Bing-Rong; Dai, Zhen-Wen

2013-02-01

As the priority of interconnects and active components in nanoscale optical and electronic devices, three-dimensional hyper-branched nanostructures came into focus of research. Recently, a novel crystallization route, named as "nonclassical crystallization," has been reported for three-dimensional nanostructuring. In this process, Quantum dots are used as building blocks for the construction of the whole hyper-branched structures instead of ions or single-molecules in conventional crystallization. The specialty of these nanostructures is the inheritability of pristine quantum dots' physical integrity because of their polycrystalline structures, such as quantum confinement effect and thus the luminescence. Moreover, since a longer diffusion length could exist in polycrystalline nanostructures due to the dramatically decreased distance between pristine quantum dots, the exciton-exciton interaction would be different with well dispersed quantum dots and single crystal nanostructures. This may be a benefit for electron transport in solar cell application. Therefore, it is very necessary to investigate the exciton-exciton interaction in such kind of polycrystalline nanostructures and their optical properites for solar cell application. In this research, we report a novel CdTe hyper-branched nanostructures based on self-assembly of CdTe quantum dots. Each branch shows polycrystalline with pristine quantum dots as the building units. Both steady state and time-resolved spectroscopy were performed to investigate the properties of carrier transport. Steady state optical properties of pristine quantum dots are well inherited by formed structures. While a suppressed multi-exciton recombination rate was observed. This result supports the percolation of carriers through the branches' network.

Dark optical lattice of ring traps for cold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courtade, Emmanuel; Houde, Olivier; Clément, Jean-François; Verkerk, Philippe; Hennequin, Daniel

2006-09-01

We propose an optical lattice for cold atoms made of a one-dimensional stack of dark ring traps. It is obtained through the interference pattern of a standard Gaussian beam with a counterpropagating hollow beam obtained using a setup with two conical lenses. The traps of the resulting lattice are characterized by a high confinement and a filling rate much larger than unity, even if loaded with cold atoms from a magneto-optical trap. We have implemented this system experimentally, and demonstrated its feasibility. Applications in statistical physics, quantum computing, and Bose-Einstein condensate dynamics are conceivable.

Overflow of a dipolar exciton trap at high magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dietl, Sebastian; Kowalik-Seidl, Katarzyna; Hammer, Lukas; Schuh, Dieter; Wegscheider, Werner; Holleitner, Alexander; Wurstbauer, Ursula

We study the photoluminescence of trapped dipolar excitons (IX) in coupled double GaAs quantum wells at low temperatures and high magnetic fields. A voltage-tunable electrode geometry controls the strength of the quantum confined Stark effect and defines the lateral trapping potential. Furthermore, it enhances the IX lifetime, enabling them to cool down to lattice temperature. We show that a magnetic field in Faraday configuration effectively prevents the escape of unbound photogenerated charge carriers from the trap area, thus increasing the density of dipolar excitons. For large magnetic fields, we observe an overflow of the IX trap and an effectively suppressed quantum confined Stark effect. We acknowledge financial support by the German Excellence Initiative via the Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM).

``New'' energy states lead to phonon-less optoelectronic properties in nanostructured silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Vivek; Yu, Yixuan; Korgel, Brian; Nagpal, Prashant

2014-03-01

Silicon is arguably one of the most important technological material for electronic applications. However, indirect bandgap of silicon semiconductor has prevented optoelectronic applications due to phonon assistance required for photon light absorption/emission. Here we show, that previously unexplored surface states in nanostructured silicon can couple with quantum-confined energy levels, leading to phonon-less exciton-recombination and photoluminescence. We demonstrate size dependence (2.4 - 8.3 nm) of this coupling observed in small uniform silicon nanocrystallites, or quantum-dots, by direct measurements of their electronic density of states and low temperature measurements. To enhance the optical absorption of the these silicon quantum-dots, we utilize generation of resonant surface plasmon polariton waves, which leads to several fold increase in observed spectrally-resolved photocurrent near the quantum-confined bandedge states. Therefore, these enhanced light emission and absorption enhancement can have important implications for applications of nanostructured silicon for optoelectronic applications in photovoltaics and LEDs.

Ultrafast exciton dynamics and light-driven H2 evolution in colloidal semiconductor nanorods and Pt-tipped nanorods.

PubMed

Wu, Kaifeng; Zhu, Haiming; Lian, Tianquan

2015-03-17

Colloidal quantum confined one-dimensional (1D) semiconductor nanorods (NRs) and related semiconductor-metal heterostructures are promising new materials for efficient solar-to-fuel conversion because of their unique physical and chemical properties. NRs can simultaneously exhibit quantum confinement effects in the radial direction and bulk like carrier transport in the axial direction. The former implies that concepts well-established in zero-dimensional quantum dots, such as size-tunable energetics and wave function engineering through band alignment in heterostructures, can also be applied to NRs; while the latter endows NRs with fast carrier transport to achieve long distance charge separation. Selective growth of catalytic metallic nanoparticles, such as Pt, at the tips of NRs provides convenient routes to multicomponent heterostructures with photocatalytic capabilities and controllable charge separation distances. The design and optimization of such materials for efficient solar-to-fuel conversion require the understanding of exciton and charge carrier dynamics. In this Account, we summarize our recent studies of ultrafast charge separation and recombination kinetics and their effects on steady-state photocatalytic efficiencies of colloidal CdS and CdSe/CdS NRs and related NR-Pt heterostructures. After a brief introduction of their electronic structure, we discuss exciton dynamics of CdS NRs. By transient absorption and time-resolved photoluminescence decay, it is shown that although the conduction band electrons are long-lived, photogenerated holes in CdS NRs are trapped on an ultrafast time scale (∼0.7 ps), which forms localized excitons due to strong Coulomb interaction in 1D NRs. In quasi-type II CdSe/CdS dot-in-rod NRs, a large valence band offset drives the ultrafast localization of holes to the CdSe core, and the competition between this process and ultrafast hole trapping on a CdS rod leads to three types of exciton species with distinct spatial distributions. The effect of the exciton dynamics on photoreduction reactions is illustrated using methyl viologen (MV(2+)) as a model electron acceptor. The steady-state MV(2+) photoreduction quantum yield of CdSe/CdS dot-in-rod NRs approaches unity under rod excitation, much larger than CdSe QDs and CdSe/CdS core/shell QDs. Detailed time-resolved studies show that in quasi-type II CdSe/CdS NRs and type II ZnSe/CdS NRs strong quantum confinement in the radial direction facilitates fast electron transfer and hole removal, whereas the fast carrier mobility along the axial direction enables long distance charge separation and slow charge recombination, which is essential for efficient MV(2+) photoreduction. The NR/MV(2+) relay system can be coupled to Pt nanoparticles in solution for light-driven H2 generation. Alternatively, Pt-tipped CdS and CdSe/CdS NRs provide fully integrated all inorganic systems for light-driven H2 generation. In CdS-Pt and CdSe/CdS-Pt hetero-NRs, ultrafast hole trapping on the CdS rod surface or in CdSe core enables efficient electron transfer from NRs to Pt tips by suppressing hole and energy transfer. It is shown that the quantum yields of photodriven H2 generation using these heterostructures correlate well with measured hole transfer rates from NRs to sacrificial donors, revealing that hole removal is the key efficiency-limiting step. These findings provide important insights for designing more efficient quantum confined NR and NR-Pt based systems for solar-to-fuel conversion.

Computer simulation of liquid-vapor coexistence of confined quantum fluids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trejos, Víctor M.; Gil-Villegas, Alejandro, E-mail: gil@fisica.ugto.mx; Martinez, Alejandro

2013-11-14

The liquid-vapor coexistence (LV) of bulk and confined quantum fluids has been studied by Monte Carlo computer simulation for particles interacting via a semiclassical effective pair potential V{sub eff}(r) = V{sub LJ} + V{sub Q}, where V{sub LJ} is the Lennard-Jones 12-6 potential (LJ) and V{sub Q} is the first-order Wigner-Kirkwood (WK-1) quantum potential, that depends on β = 1/kT and de Boer's quantumness parameter Λ=h/σ√(mε), where k and h are the Boltzmann's and Planck's constants, respectively, m is the particle's mass, T is the temperature of the system, and σ and ε are the LJ potential parameters. The non-conformalmore » properties of the system of particles interacting via the effective pair potential V{sub eff}(r) are due to Λ, since the LV phase diagram is modified by varying Λ. We found that the WK-1 system gives an accurate description of the LV coexistence for bulk phases of several quantum fluids, obtained by the Gibbs Ensemble Monte Carlo method (GEMC). Confinement effects were introduced using the Canonical Ensemble (NVT) to simulate quantum fluids contained within parallel hard walls separated by a distance L{sub p}, within the range 2σ ⩽ L{sub p} ⩽ 6σ. The critical temperature of the system is reduced by decreasing L{sub p} and increasing Λ, and the liquid-vapor transition is not longer observed for L{sub p}/σ < 2, in contrast to what has been observed for the classical system.« less

Quantum confinement of exciton-polaritons in a structured (Al,Ga)As microcavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsov, Alexander S.; Helgers, Paul L. J.; Biermann, Klaus; Santos, Paulo V.

2018-05-01

The realization of quantum functionalities with polaritons in an all-semiconductor platform requires the control of the energy and spatial overlap of the wave functions of single polaritons trapped in potentials with precisely controlled shape and size. In this study we reach the confinement of microcavity polaritons in traps with an effective potential width down to 1 µm, produced by patterning the active region of the (Al,Ga)As microcavity between two molecular beam epitaxy growth runs. We correlate spectroscopic and structural data to show that the smooth surface relief of the patterned traps translates into a graded confinement potential characterized by lateral interfaces with a finite lateral width. We show that the structuring method is suitable for the fabrication of arrays of proximal traps, supporting hybridization between adjacent lattice sites.

Superconformal Algebraic Approach to Hadron Structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

de Teramond, Guy F.; Brodsky, Stanley J.; Deur, Alexandre

2017-03-01

Fundamental aspects of nonperturbative QCD dynamics which are not obvious from its classical Lagrangian, such as the emergence of a mass scale and confinement, the existence of a zero mass bound state, the appearance of universal Regge trajectories and the breaking of chiral symmetry are incorporated from the onset in an effective theory based on superconformal quantum mechanics and its embedding in a higher dimensional gravitational theory. In addition, superconformal quantum mechanics gives remarkable connections between the light meson and nucleon spectra. This new approach to hadron physics is also suitable to describe nonperturbative QCD observables based on structure functions,more » such as GPDs, which are not amenable to a first-principle computation. The formalism is also successful in the description of form factors, the nonperturbative behavior of the strong coupling and diffractive processes. We also discuss in this article how the framework can be extended rather successfully to the heavy-light hadron sector.« less

Landau quantization of Dirac fermions in graphene and its multilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Long-Jing; Bai, Ke-Ke; Wang, Wen-Xiao; Li, Si-Yu; Zhang, Yu; He, Lin

2017-08-01

When electrons are confined in a two-dimensional (2D) system, typical quantum-mechanical phenomena such as Landau quantization can be detected. Graphene systems, including the single atomic layer and few-layer stacked crystals, are ideal 2D materials for studying a variety of quantum-mechanical problems. In this article, we review the experimental progress in the unusual Landau quantized behaviors of Dirac fermions in monolayer and multilayer graphene by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). Through STS measurement of the strong magnetic fields, distinct Landau-level spectra and rich level-splitting phenomena are observed in different graphene layers. These unique properties provide an effective method for identifying the number of layers, as well as the stacking orders, and investigating the fundamentally physical phenomena of graphene. Moreover, in the presence of a strain and charged defects, the Landau quantization of graphene can be significantly modified, leading to unusual spectroscopic and electronic properties.

High speed and adaptable error correction for megabit/s rate quantum key distribution.

PubMed

Dixon, A R; Sato, H

2014-12-02

Quantum Key Distribution is moving from its theoretical foundation of unconditional security to rapidly approaching real world installations. A significant part of this move is the orders of magnitude increases in the rate at which secure key bits are distributed. However, these advances have mostly been confined to the physical hardware stage of QKD, with software post-processing often being unable to support the high raw bit rates. In a complete implementation this leads to a bottleneck limiting the final secure key rate of the system unnecessarily. Here we report details of equally high rate error correction which is further adaptable to maximise the secure key rate under a range of different operating conditions. The error correction is implemented both in CPU and GPU using a bi-directional LDPC approach and can provide 90-94% of the ideal secure key rate over all fibre distances from 0-80 km.

Spin eigen-states of Dirac equation for quasi-two-dimensional electrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eremko, Alexander, E-mail: eremko@bitp.kiev.ua; Brizhik, Larissa, E-mail: brizhik@bitp.kiev.ua; Loktev, Vadim, E-mail: vloktev@bitp.kiev.ua

Dirac equation for electrons in a potential created by quantum well is solved and the three sets of the eigen-functions are obtained. In each set the wavefunction is at the same time the eigen-function of one of the three spin operators, which do not commute with each other, but do commute with the Dirac Hamiltonian. This means that the eigen-functions of Dirac equation describe three independent spin eigen-states. The energy spectrum of electrons confined by the rectangular quantum well is calculated for each of these spin states at the values of energies relevant for solid state physics. It is shownmore » that the standard Rashba spin splitting takes place in one of such states only. In another one, 2D electron subbands remain spin degenerate, and for the third one the spin splitting is anisotropic for different directions of 2D wave vector.« less

High speed and adaptable error correction for megabit/s rate quantum key distribution

PubMed Central

Dixon, A. R.; Sato, H.

2014-01-01

Quantum Key Distribution is moving from its theoretical foundation of unconditional security to rapidly approaching real world installations. A significant part of this move is the orders of magnitude increases in the rate at which secure key bits are distributed. However, these advances have mostly been confined to the physical hardware stage of QKD, with software post-processing often being unable to support the high raw bit rates. In a complete implementation this leads to a bottleneck limiting the final secure key rate of the system unnecessarily. Here we report details of equally high rate error correction which is further adaptable to maximise the secure key rate under a range of different operating conditions. The error correction is implemented both in CPU and GPU using a bi-directional LDPC approach and can provide 90–94% of the ideal secure key rate over all fibre distances from 0–80 km. PMID:25450416

Local Gate Control of a Carbon Nanotube Double Quantum Dot

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-04

Nanotube Double Quantum Dot N. Mason,*† M. J. Biercuk,* C. M. Marcus† We have measured carbon nanotube quantum dots with multiple electro- static gates and...computation. Carbon nanotubes have been considered lead- ing candidates for nanoscale electronic applica- tions (1, 2). Previous measurements of nano- tube...electronics have shown electron confine- ment (quantum dot) effects such as single- electron charging and energy-level quantization (3–5). Nanotube

Multi-excitonic (N=1,2 and 3) quantum dots in magnetic field: Analytical mapping of correlations (exchange) by multipole expansion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Sunny; Kaur, Harsimran; Sharma, Shivalika; Aggarwal, Priyanka; Hazra, Ram Kuntal

2017-04-01

The understanding of the physics of exciton, bi-exciton, tri-exciton and the subsequent insight into controlling the properties of mesoscopic systems holds the key to various exotic optical, electrical and magnetic phenomena like superconductivity, Mott insulation, Quantum Hall effect etc. Many of exciton properties are similar to atomic hydrogen that attracts researchers to explore electronic structure of exciton in quantum dots, but nontriviality arises due to coulombic interactions among electrons and holes. We propose an exact integral of coulomb (exchange) correlation in terms of finitely summed Lauricella functions to examine 3-D exciton of harmonic dots confined in zero and non-zero arbitrary magnetic field. The highlight of our work is the use of exact variational solution for coloumbic interaction between the hole and the electron and evaluation of the cross terms arising out of the coupling among centre-of-mass and relative coordinates. We also have extended the size of the system to generalized N-body problem with N=3,4 for tri-exciton (e-e-h/e-h-h)

Planar Tunneling Spectroscopy of Graphene Nanodevices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Joel I.-Jan; Bretheau, Landry; Pisoni, Riccardo; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo

2-D Van-der-Waals mesoscopic physics have seen a rapid development in the last 10 years, with new materials each year added to the toolbox. Stacking them like Lego enables the combination of their individual electronic properties. In particular, hexagonal boron nitride, which is an insulator, gives the possibility to perform planar (2-D to 2-D) tunneling spectroscopy within this type of heterostructures. Unlike standard transport measurements, tunneling spectroscopy enables to probe the electronic properties in the energy domain. Moreover, since planar tunneling probes a large area of the system, global quantum features such as quantum Hall effect, superconducting proximity effect or quantum confinement can be investigated. In this talk, we will present implementation of heterostructures consisting of graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and graphite, fabricated for planar tunneling spectroscopy. In order to reveal the intrinsic properties of materials, the fabrication scheme aims at preserving the pristine nature of the 2-DEGS as well as minimizing the doping introduced by external probes. As a demonstration, measurements of these devices in normal states, high magnetic field environment, and induced superconducting state will be presented.

Energies and densities of electrons confined in elliptical and ellipsoidal quantum dots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Halder, Avik; Kresin, Vitaly V.

Here, we consider a droplet of electrons confined within an external harmonic potential well of elliptical or ellipsoidal shape, a geometry commonly encountered in work with semiconductor quantum dots and other nanoscale or mesoscale structures. For droplet sizes exceeding the effective Bohr radius, the dominant contribution to average system parameters in the Thomas– Fermi approximation comes from the potential energy terms, which allows us to derive expressions describing the electron droplet’s shape and dimensions, its density, total and capacitive energy, and chemical potential. Our analytical results are in very good agreement with experimental data and numerical calculations, and make itmore » possible to follow the dependence of the properties of the system on its parameters (the total number of electrons, the axial ratios and curvatures of the confinement potential, and the dielectric constant of the material). One interesting feature is that the eccentricity of the electron droplet is not the same as that of its confining potential well.« less

Energies and densities of electrons confined in elliptical and ellipsoidal quantum dots

DOE PAGES

Halder, Avik; Kresin, Vitaly V.

2016-08-09

Here, we consider a droplet of electrons confined within an external harmonic potential well of elliptical or ellipsoidal shape, a geometry commonly encountered in work with semiconductor quantum dots and other nanoscale or mesoscale structures. For droplet sizes exceeding the effective Bohr radius, the dominant contribution to average system parameters in the Thomas– Fermi approximation comes from the potential energy terms, which allows us to derive expressions describing the electron droplet’s shape and dimensions, its density, total and capacitive energy, and chemical potential. Our analytical results are in very good agreement with experimental data and numerical calculations, and make itmore » possible to follow the dependence of the properties of the system on its parameters (the total number of electrons, the axial ratios and curvatures of the confinement potential, and the dielectric constant of the material). One interesting feature is that the eccentricity of the electron droplet is not the same as that of its confining potential well.« less

Final Report: Hot Carrier Collection in Thin Film Silicon with Tailored Nanocrystalline/Amorphous Structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collins, Reuben T.

This project developed, characterized, and perfected a new type of highly tunable nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) incorporating quantum confined silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs). A dual zone deposition process and system were developed and demonstrated. The depositions of SiNPs, the amorphous phase, and co-deposited material were characterized and optimized. Material design and interpretation of results were guided by new theoretical tools that examined both the electronic structure and carrier dynamics of this hybrid material. Heterojunction and p-i-n solar cells were demonstrated and characterized. Photo-thin-film-transistors allowed mobility to be studied as a function SiNP density in the films. Rapid (hot) transfer of carriers frommore » the amorphous matrix to the quantum confined SiNPs was observed and connected to reduced photo-degradation. The results carry quantum confined Si dots from a novelty to materials that can be harnessed for PV and optoelectronic applications. The growth process is broadly extendable with alternative amorphous matrices, novel layered structures, and alternative NPs easily accessible. The hot carrier effects hold the potential for third generation photovoltaics.« less

Size dependent Raman and absorption studies of single walled carbon nanotubes synthesized by pulse laser deposition at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixit, Saurabh; Singhal, Sonal; Vankar, V. D.; Shukla, A. K.

2017-10-01

In this article, size dependent correlation of acoustic states is established for radial breathing mode (RBM). Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are synthesized along with carbon encapsulated iron nanoparticles by pulse laser deposition at room temperature. Ferrocene is used as a catalyst for growth of SWCNTs. Various studies such as HR-TEM, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and NIR-Absorption spectroscopy are utilized to confirm the presence of SWCNTs in the as-synthesized and purified samples. RBM of SWCNTs can be differentiated here from Raman modes of carbon encapsulated iron nanoparticles by comparing their line shape asymmetry as well as oscillator strength. Furthermore, a quantum confinement model is proposed for RBM. It is invoked here that RBM is manifestation of quantum confinement of acoustic phonons. Well reported analytical relation of RBM is utilized to explore the nature of phonons responsible for RBM on the basis of quantum confinement model. Diameters of SWCNTs estimated by Raman studies are found to be in reasonably good agreement with that of NIR-absorption studies.

The emission wavelength dependent photoluminescence lifetime of the N-doped graphene quantum dots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deng, Xingxia; School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049

2015-12-14

Aromatic nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots were investigated by steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) techniques. The PL lifetime was found to be dependent on the emission wavelength and coincident with the PL spectrum, which is different from most semiconductor quantum dots and fluorescent dyes. This result shows the synergy and competition between the quantum confinement effect and edge functional groups, which may have the potential to guide the synthesis and expand the applications of graphene quantum dots.

Nanotechnology: Colourful Particles for Spectrometry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anheier, Norman C.

2015-07-01

In 1857 Michael Faraday gave a well-attended lecture at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, in which he presented his pioneering experimental work that investigated the interaction of light with matter. Faraday’s study probed the fundamental properties of light as it was reflected and absorbed by progressively smaller particles. Very fine gold particles dispersed in liquid were shown to produce vivid colors not seen in larger particles. Faraday did not know he had created colloidal suspensions of quantum dots, but his insight correctly concluded that the distinct colors were somehow due to the minute size of the gold particles. Thismore » great experimental physicist had actually glimpsed a special condition where the particle’s quantum nature was expressed. This work set the future course for nanoscience and quantum theory, but it would take another 125 years before the physical basis of this phenomenon would be explained by quantum size effects. It is now known that when quantum dots are exposed to UV light, some of the electrons are excited as they gain energy, however they remain confined to discrete energy levels not observed in larger particles and solid materials. When the electrons relax and lose their energy, the quantum dot emits light at a specific color that varies with the size of the quantum dot. Bao and Bawendi have cleverly exploited the unique optical properties intrinsic to colloidal quantum dots to develop an innovative compact optical spectrometer that could be integrated with a smart phone camera or as a versatile miniature handheld sensing tool.« less

Study of extending carrier lifetime in ZnTe quantum dots coupled with ZnCdSe quantum well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, W. C.; Chou, W. C.; Lee, J. D.; Lee, Ling; Phu, Nguyen Dang; Hoang, Luc Huy

2018-03-01

We demonstrated the growth of a self-assembled type-II ZnTe/ZnSe quantum dot (QD) structure coupled with a type-I Zn0.88Cd0.12Se/ZnSe quantum well (QW) on the (001) GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). As the spacer thickness is less than 2 nm, the carrier lifetime increasing from 20 ns to nearly 200 ns was successfully achieved. By utilizing the time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and PL with different excitation power, we identify the PL emission from the coupled QDs consisting of two recombination mechanisms. One is the recombination between electrons in ZnSe barrier and holes confined within ZnTe QDs, and the other is between electrons confined in Zn0.88Cd0.12Se QW and holes confined within ZnTe QDs. According to the band diagram and power-dependent PL, both of the two recombinations reveal the type-II transition. In addition, the second recombination mechanism dominates the whole carrier recombination as the spacer thickness is less than 2 nm. A significant extension of carrier lifetime by increasing the electron and hole separation is illustrated in a type-II ZnTe/ZnSe QD structure coupling with a type-I ZnCdSe/ZnSe QW. Current sample structure could be used to increase the quantum efficient of solar cell based on the II-VI compound semiconductors.

Fundamental limits to graphene plasmonics.

PubMed

Ni, G X; McLeod, A S; Sun, Z; Wang, L; Xiong, L; Post, K W; Sunku, S S; Jiang, B-Y; Hone, J; Dean, C R; Fogler, M M; Basov, D N

2018-05-01

Plasmon polaritons are hybrid excitations of light and mobile electrons that can confine the energy of long-wavelength radiation at the nanoscale. Plasmon polaritons may enable many enigmatic quantum effects, including lasing 1 , topological protection 2,3 and dipole-forbidden absorption 4 . A necessary condition for realizing such phenomena is a long plasmonic lifetime, which is notoriously difficult to achieve for highly confined modes 5 . Plasmon polaritons in graphene-hybrids of Dirac quasiparticles and infrared photons-provide a platform for exploring light-matter interaction at the nanoscale 6,7 . However, plasmonic dissipation in graphene is substantial 8 and its fundamental limits remain undetermined. Here we use nanometre-scale infrared imaging to investigate propagating plasmon polaritons in high-mobility encapsulated graphene at cryogenic temperatures. In this regime, the propagation of plasmon polaritons is primarily restricted by the dielectric losses of the encapsulated layers, with a minor contribution from electron-phonon interactions. At liquid-nitrogen temperatures, the intrinsic plasmonic propagation length can exceed 10 micrometres, or 50 plasmonic wavelengths, thus setting a record for highly confined and tunable polariton modes. Our nanoscale imaging results reveal the physics of plasmonic dissipation and will be instrumental in mitigating such losses in heterostructure engineering applications.

Absence of confinement in (SrTiO3)/( SrTi0.8Nb0.2O3 ) superlattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouzerar, G.; Thébaud, S.; Bouzerar, R.; Pailhès, S.; Adessi, Ch.

2018-03-01

The reduction of dimensionality is considered an efficient pathway to boost the performances of thermoelectric materials. Quantum confinement of the carriers is expected to induce large Seebeck coefficients (S ) and it also suppresses the thermal conductivity by increasing the phonon scattering processes. However, quantum confinement in superlattices is not always easy to achieve and needs to be carefully validated. In the past decade, large values of S have been measured in (SrTiO3)/(SrTi0.8Nb0.2O3 ) superlattices [H. Ohta et al., Nat. Mater. 6, 129 (2007), 10.1038/nmat1821; Y. Mune et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 192105 (2007), 10.1063/1.2809364]. In the δ -doped compound, the reported S was almost six times larger than that of the bulk material. This huge increase has been attributed to the two-dimensional carrier confinement in the doped regions. Here, we demonstrate that the experimental data are well explained quantitatively assuming delocalized electrons in both in-plane and growth directions. Moreover, we rule out the confined electron hypothesis whose signature would be the suppression of the Seebeck coefficient. This strongly suggests that the presupposed confinement picture in these superlattices is unlikely.

Influence of polarization and self-polarization charges on impurity binding energy in spherical quantum dot with parabolic confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Supratik; Sarkar, Samrat; Bose, Chayanika

2018-07-01

We present a general formulation of the ground state binding energy of a shallow hydrogenic impurity in spherical quantum dot with parabolic confinement, considering the effects of polarization and self energy. The variational approach within the effective mass approximation is employed here. The binding energy of an on-center impurity is computed for a GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs quantum dot as a function of the dot size with the dot barrier as parameter. The influence of polarization and self energy are also treated separately. Results indicate that the binding energy increases due to the presence of polarization charge, while decreases due to the self energy of the carrier. An overall enhancement in impurity binding energy, especially for small dots is noted.

Non-linear optical response of an impurity in a cylindrical quantum dot under the action of a magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Portacio, Alfonso A.; Rodríguez, Boris A.; Villamil, Pablo

2017-04-01

The linear and nonlinear optical response in a cylindrical quantum dot (CQD) of GaAs / Ga0.6Al0.4 As with a donor impurity in a uniform magnetic field applied in the axial direction of the cylinder is studied theoretically. The calculations were carried out in approximations of effective mass and two-level quantum systems. Using the variational method, the binding energies and the wave functions of the 1s-like y 2pz-like states for different positions of the impurity inside the CQD were found. It was found that the binding energy is greatest in the center of the CQD and diminishes as the impurity moves radially and/or axially. The optical rectification, the change in the refractive index, and the optical absorption were studied as functions of the energy of a photon incident on the CQD and different intensities of the magnetic field, with an impurity located at various positions. It was found that in a CDQ with an impurity inside, the effect of the variation of the intensity of the magnetic field on the optical response is much less than the effect produced by the variation of the position of the impurity. The physical reason for this behavior is that in nanostructures with impurities the Coulomb confinement is stronger than the magnetic confinement. It was also found that when the impurity is in the center of the quantum dot, the optical rectification coefficient is zero, due to the symmetry that the wave function of the impurity exhibits at this geometric point. When the impurity moves in the axial direction, the symmetry is broken and the optical rectification coefficient is different from zero, and its value increases as the impurity moves away from the center of the CQD.

Trap elimination and reduction of size dispersion due to aging in CdS x Se1- x quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Abhishek; Nagpal, Swati; Pandey, Praveen K.; Bhatnagar, P. K.; Mathur, P. C.

2007-12-01

Quantum Dots of CdS x Se1- x embedded in borosilicate glass matrix have been grown using Double-Step annealing method. Optical characterization of the quantum dots has been done through the combinative analysis of optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy at room temperature. Decreasing trend of photoluminescence intensity with aging has been observed and is attributed to trap elimination. The changes in particle size, size distribution, number of quantum dots, volume fraction, trap related phenomenon and Gibbs free energy of quantum dots, has been explained on the basis of the diffusion-controlled growth process, which continues with passage of time. For a typical case, it was found that after 24 months of aging, the average radii increased from 3.05 to 3.12 nm with the increase in number of quantum dots by 190% and the size-dispersion decreased from 10.8% to 9.9%. For this sample, the initial size range of the quantum dots was 2.85 to 3.18 nm. After that no significant change was found in these parameters for the next 12 months. This shows that the system attains almost a stable nature after 24 months of aging. It was also observed that the size-dispersion in quantum dots reduces with the increase in annealing duration, but at the cost of quantum confinement effect. Therefore, a trade off optimization has to be done between the size-dispersion and the quantum confinement.

Crystal Phase Quantum Well Emission with Digital Control.

PubMed

Assali, S; Lähnemann, J; Vu, T T T; Jöns, K D; Gagliano, L; Verheijen, M A; Akopian, N; Bakkers, E P A M; Haverkort, J E M

2017-10-11

One of the major challenges in the growth of quantum well and quantum dot heterostructures is the realization of atomically sharp interfaces. Nanowires provide a new opportunity to engineer the band structure as they facilitate the controlled switching of the crystal structure between the zinc-blende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ) phases. Such a crystal phase switching results in the formation of crystal phase quantum wells (CPQWs) and quantum dots (CPQDs). For GaP CPQWs, the inherent electric fields due to the discontinuity of the spontaneous polarization at the WZ/ZB junctions lead to the confinement of both types of charge carriers at the opposite interfaces of the WZ/ZB/WZ structure. This confinement leads to a novel type of transition across a ZB flat plate barrier. Here, we show digital tuning of the visible emission of WZ/ZB/WZ CPQWs in a GaP nanowire by changing the thickness of the ZB barrier. The energy spacing between the sharp emission lines is uniform and is defined by the addition of single ZB monolayers. The controlled growth of identical quantum wells with atomically flat interfaces at predefined positions featuring digitally tunable discrete emission energies may provide a new route to further advance entangled photons in solid state quantum systems.

Ground-state energy of an exciton-(LO) phonon system in a parabolic quantum well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerlach, B.; Wüsthoff, J.; Smondyrev, M. A.

1999-12-01

This paper presents a variational study of the ground-state energy of an exciton-(LO) phonon system, which is spatially confined to a quantum well. The exciton-phonon interaction is of Fröhlich type, the confinement potentials are assumed to be parabolic functions of the coordinates. Making use of functional integral techniques, the phonon part of the problem can be eliminated exactly, leading us to an effective two-particle system, which has the same spectral properties as the original one. Subsequently, Jensen's inequality is applied to obtain an upper bound on the ground-state energy. The main intention of this paper is to analyze the influence of the quantum-well-induced localization of the exciton on its ground-state energy (or its binding energy, respectively). To do so, we neglect any mismatch of the masses or the dielectric constants, but admit an arbitrary strength of the confinement potentials. Our approach allows for a smooth interpolation of the ultimate limits of vanishing and infinite confinement, corresponding to the cases of a free three-dimensional and a free two-dimensional exciton-phonon system. The interpolation formula for the ground-state energy bound corresponds to similar formulas for the free polaron or the free exciton-phonon system. These bounds in turn are known to compare favorably with all previous ones, which we are aware of.

Facile production of ZnS quantum dot nanoparticles by Saccharomyces cerevisiae MTCC 2918.

PubMed

Sandana Mala, John Geraldine; Rose, Chellan

2014-01-20

Microbial synthesis of nanoparticles is a green route towards ecofriendly measures to overcome the toxicity and non-applicability of nanomaterials in clinical uses obtained by conventional physical and chemical approaches. Nanoparticles in the quantum regime have remarkable characteristics with excellent applicability in bioimaging. Yeasts have been commercially exploited for several industrial applications. ZnS nanoparticles as semiconductor quantum dots have mostly been synthesized by bacterial species. Here in, we have attempted to produce ZnS nanoparticles in quantum regime by Saccharomyces cerevisiae MTCC 2918 fungus and characterize its size and spectroscopic properties. Intracellular ZnS nanoparticles were produced by a facile procedure and freeze thaw extraction using 1mM zinc sulfate. The ZnS nanoparticles showed surface plasmon resonance band at 302.57nm. The ZnS nanoparticles were in low yield and in the size range of 30-40nm. Powder XRD analysis revealed that the nanoparticles were in the sphalerite phase. Photoluminescence spectra excited at 280nm and 325nm revealed quantum confinement effects. This suggests that yeasts have inherent sulfate metabolizing systems and are capable fungal sources to assimilate sulfate. Further insights are required to identify the transport/reducing processes that may have caused the synthesis of ZnS nanoparticles such as an oxidoreductase enzyme-mediated mechanism. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantum anomalous Hall phase and half-metallic phase in ferromagnetic (111) bilayers of 4 d and 5 d transition metal perovskites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra, Hirak Kumar; Guo, Guang-Yu

2017-04-01

Extraordinary electronic phases can form in artificial oxide heterostructures, which will provide a fertile ground for new physics and also give rise to novel device functions. Based on a systematic first-principles density functional theory study of the magnetic and electronic properties of the (111) superlattices (ABO3) 2/(AB'O3)10 of 4 d and 5 d transition metal perovskite (B = Ru, Rh, Ag, Re, Os, Ir, Au; AB'O3=LaAlO3 , SrTiO3) , we demonstrate that due to quantum confinement, bilayers (LaBO3)2 (B = Ru, Re, Os) and (SrBO3)2 (B = Rh, Os, Ir) are ferromagnetic with ordering temperatures up to room temperature. In particular, bilayer (LaOsO3)2 is an exotic spin-polarized quantum anomalous Hall insulator, while the other ferromagnetic bilayers are metallic with large Hall conductances comparable to the conductance quantum. Furthermore, bilayers (LaRuO3)2 and (SrRhO3)2 are half metallic, while the bilayer (SrIrO3)2 exhibits a peculiar colossal magnetic anisotropy. Our findings thus show that 4 d and 5 d metal perovskite (111) bilayers are a class of quasi-two-dimensional materials for exploring exotic quantum phases and also for advanced applications such as low-power nanoelectronics and oxide spintronics.

Mach-Zehnder interferometry using spin- and valley-polarized quantum Hall edge states in graphene.

PubMed

Wei, Di S; van der Sar, Toeno; Sanchez-Yamagishi, Javier D; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo; Halperin, Bertrand I; Yacoby, Amir

2017-08-01

Confined to a two-dimensional plane, electrons in a strong magnetic field travel along the edge in one-dimensional quantum Hall channels that are protected against backscattering. These channels can be used as solid-state analogs of monochromatic beams of light, providing a unique platform for studying electron interference. Electron interferometry is regarded as one of the most promising routes for studying fractional and non-Abelian statistics and quantum entanglement via two-particle interference. However, creating an edge-channel interferometer in which electron-electron interactions play an important role requires a clean system and long phase coherence lengths. We realize electronic Mach-Zehnder interferometers with record visibilities of up to 98% using spin- and valley-polarized edge channels that copropagate along a pn junction in graphene. We find that interchannel scattering between same-spin edge channels along the physical graphene edge can be used to form beamsplitters, whereas the absence of interchannel scattering along gate-defined interfaces can be used to form isolated interferometer arms. Surprisingly, our interferometer is robust to dephasing effects at energies an order of magnitude larger than those observed in pioneering experiments on GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells. Our results shed light on the nature of edge-channel equilibration and open up new possibilities for studying exotic electron statistics and quantum phenomena.

Exciton Relaxation and Electron Transfer Dynamics of Semiconductor Quantum Dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Cunming

Quantum dots (QDs), also referred to as colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, exhibit unique electronic and optical properties arising from their three-dimensional confinement and strongly enhanced coulomb interactions. Developing a detailed understanding of the exciton relaxation dynamics within QDs is important not only for sake of exploring the fundamental physics of quantum confinement processes, but also for their applications. Ultrafast transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy, as a powerful tool to explore the relaxation dynamics of excitons, was employed to characterize the hot single/multiexciton relaxation dynamics at the first four exciton states of CdSe/CdZnS QDs. We observed for the first time that the hot hole can relax through two possible pathways: Intraband multiple phonon coupling and intrinsic defect trapping, with a lifetime of ˜7 ps. Additionally, an ultra-short component of ˜ 8 ps, directly associated with the Auger recombination of highly energetic exciton states, was discovered. After exploring the exciton relaxation inside QDs, ultrafast TA spectroscopy was further applied to study the electron transferring outside from QDs. By using a brand-new photocatalytic system consisting of CdSe QDs and Ni-dihydrolipoic acid (Ni-DHLA) catalyst, which has represented a robust photocatalysis of H2 from water, the photoinduced electron transfer (ET) dynamics between QD and the catalyst, one of most important steps during H2 generation, was studied. We found smaller bare CdSe QDs exhibit a better ET performance and CdS shelling on the bare QDs leads to worsen the ET. The calculations of effective mass approximation (EMA) and Marcus theory show the ET process is mainly dominated by driving force, electronic coupling strength and reorganization energy between QD and the catalyst.

Strong quantum-confined Stark effect in a lattice-matched GeSiSn/GeSn multi-quantum-well structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Ruizhi; Chunfuzhang; Han, Genquan; Hao, Yue

2017-06-01

This paper presents modeling and simulation of a multiple quantum well structure formed with Ge0.95Sn0.05 quantum wells separated by Ge0.51Si0.35Sn0.14 barriers for the applications. These alloy compositions are chosen to satisfy two conditions simultaneously: type-I band alignment between Ge0.95Sn0.05/Ge0.51Si0.35Sn0.14 and a lattice match between wells and barriers. This lattice match ensures that the strain-free structure can be grown upon a relaxed Ge0.51Si0.35Sn0.14 buffer on a silicon substrate - a CMOS compatible process. A electro-absorption modulator with the Ge0.95Sn0.05/Ge0.51Si0.35Sn0.14 multiple quantum well structure based on quantum-confined Stark effect(QCSE) is demonstrated in theory. The energy band diagrams of the GeSiSn/GeSn multi-quantum-well structure at 0 and 0.5V bias are calculated, respectively. And the corresponding absorption coefficients as a function of cut-off energy for this multiple quantum well structure at 0 and 0.5Vbias are also obtained, respectively. The reduction of cut-off energy is observed with the applying of the external electric field, indicating a strong QCSE in the structure.

Compact quantum gates on electron-spin qubits assisted by diamond nitrogen-vacancy centers inside cavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Hai-Rui; Deng, Fu-Guo

2013-10-01

Constructing compact quantum circuits for universal quantum gates on solid-state systems is crucial for quantum computing. We present some compact quantum circuits for a deterministic solid-state quantum computing, including the cnot, Toffoli, and Fredkin gates on the diamond NV centers confined inside cavities, achieved by some input-output processes of a single photon. Our quantum circuits for these universal quantum gates are simple and economic. Moreover, additional electron qubits are not employed, but only a single-photon medium. These gates have a long coherent time. We discuss the feasibility of these universal solid-state quantum gates, concluding that they are feasible with current technology.

Strong confinement-induced engineering of the g factor and lifetime of conduction electron spins in Ge quantum wells

PubMed Central

Giorgioni, Anna; Paleari, Stefano; Cecchi, Stefano; Vitiello, Elisa; Grilli, Emanuele; Isella, Giovanni; Jantsch, Wolfgang; Fanciulli, Marco; Pezzoli, Fabio

2016-01-01

Control of electron spin coherence via external fields is fundamental in spintronics. Its implementation demands a host material that accommodates the desirable but contrasting requirements of spin robustness against relaxation mechanisms and sizeable coupling between spin and orbital motion of the carriers. Here, we focus on Ge, which is a prominent candidate for shuttling spin quantum bits into the mainstream Si electronics. So far, however, the intrinsic spin-dependent phenomena of free electrons in conventional Ge/Si heterojunctions have proved to be elusive because of epitaxy constraints and an unfavourable band alignment. We overcome these fundamental limitations by investigating a two-dimensional electron gas in quantum wells of pure Ge grown on Si. These epitaxial systems demonstrate exceptionally long spin lifetimes. In particular, by fine-tuning quantum confinement we demonstrate that the electron Landé g factor can be engineered in our CMOS-compatible architecture over a range previously inaccessible for Si spintronics. PMID:28000670

Rydberg atoms in hollow-core photonic crystal fibres.

PubMed

Epple, G; Kleinbach, K S; Euser, T G; Joly, N Y; Pfau, T; Russell, P St J; Löw, R

2014-06-19

The exceptionally large polarizability of highly excited Rydberg atoms-six orders of magnitude higher than ground-state atoms--makes them of great interest in fields such as quantum optics, quantum computing, quantum simulation and metrology. However, if they are to be used routinely in applications, a major requirement is their integration into technically feasible, miniaturized devices. Here we show that a Rydberg medium based on room temperature caesium vapour can be confined in broadband-guiding kagome-style hollow-core photonic crystal fibres. Three-photon spectroscopy performed on a caesium-filled fibre detects Rydberg states up to a principal quantum number of n=40. Besides small energy-level shifts we observe narrow lines confirming the coherence of the Rydberg excitation. Using different Rydberg states and core diameters we study the influence of confinement within the fibre core after different exposure times. Understanding these effects is essential for the successful future development of novel applications based on integrated room temperature Rydberg systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Le, Quyet Van; Kim, Jong Beom; Kim, Soo Young

We have investigated the effect of reaction temperature of hot-injection method on the structural properties of CsPbX3 (X: Br, I, Cl) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) using the small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering. It is confirmed that the size of the NCs decreased as the reaction temperature decreased, resulting stronger quantum confinement. The cubic-phase perovskite NCs were formed despite the reaction temperatures increased from 140 to 180 °C. However, monodispersive NC cubes which are required for densely packing self-assembly film were only formed at lower temperatures. From the X-ray scattering measurements, the spin-coated film from more monodispersive perovskite nanocubes synthesized at lowermore » temperatures resulted in more preferred orientation. This dense-packing perovskite film with preferred orientation yielded efficient light-emitting diode (LED) performance. Thus, the dense-packing structure of NC assemblies formed after spin-coating should be considered for high-efficient LEDs based on perovskite quantum dots in addition to quantum confinement effect of the quantum dots.« less

Size-dependent energy levels of InSb quantum dots measured by scanning tunneling spectroscopy.

PubMed

Wang, Tuo; Vaxenburg, Roman; Liu, Wenyong; Rupich, Sara M; Lifshitz, Efrat; Efros, Alexander L; Talapin, Dmitri V; Sibener, S J

2015-01-27

The electronic structure of single InSb quantum dots (QDs) with diameters between 3 and 7 nm was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). In this size regime, InSb QDs show strong quantum confinement effects which lead to discrete energy levels on both valence and conduction band states. Decrease of the QD size increases the measured band gap and the spacing between energy levels. Multiplets of equally spaced resonance peaks are observed in the tunneling spectra. There, multiplets originate from degeneracy lifting induced by QD charging. The tunneling spectra of InSb QDs are qualitatively different from those observed in the STS of other III-V materials, for example, InAs QDs, with similar band gap energy. Theoretical calculations suggest the electron tunneling occurs through the states connected with L-valley of InSb QDs rather than through states of the Γ-valley. This observation calls for better understanding of the role of indirect valleys in strongly quantum-confined III-V nanomaterials.

Cooling the Motion of Diamond Nanocrystals in a Magneto-Gravitational Trap in High Vacuum.

PubMed

Hsu, Jen-Feng; Ji, Peng; Lewandowski, Charles W; D'Urso, Brian

2016-07-22

Levitated diamond nanocrystals with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in high vacuum have been proposed as a unique system for experiments in fundamental quantum mechanics, including the generation of large quantum superposition states and tests of quantum gravity. This system promises extreme isolation from its environment while providing quantum control and sensing through the NV centre spin. While optical trapping has been the most explored method of levitation, recent results indicate that excessive optical heating of the nanodiamonds under vacuum may make the method impractical with currently available materials. Here, we study an alternative magneto-gravitational trap for diamagnetic particles, such as diamond nanocrystals, with stable levitation from atmospheric pressure to high vacuum. Magnetic field gradients from permanent magnets confine the particle in two dimensions, while confinement in the third dimension is gravitational. We demonstrate that feedback cooling of the centre-of-mass motion of a trapped nanodiamond cluster results in cooling of one degree of freedom to less than 1 K.

Cooling the motion of diamond nanocrystals in a magneto-gravitational trap in high vacuum

DOE PAGES

Hsu, Jen -Feng; Ji, Peng; Lewandowski, Charles W.; ...

2016-07-22

Levitated diamond nanocrystals with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in high vacuum have been proposed as a unique system for experiments in fundamental quantum mechanics, including the generation of large quantum superposition states and tests of quantum gravity. This system promises extreme isolation from its environment while providing quantum control and sensing through the NV centre spin. While optical trapping has been the most explored method of levitation, recent results indicate that excessive optical heating of the nanodiamonds under vacuum may make the method impractical with currently available materials. Here, we study an alternative magneto-gravitational trap for diamagnetic particles, such as diamondmore » nanocrystals, with stable levitation from atmospheric pressure to high vacuum. Magnetic field gradients from permanent magnets confine the particle in two dimensions, while confinement in the third dimension is gravitational. Furthermore, we demonstrate that feedback cooling of the centre-of-mass motion of a trapped nanodiamond cluster results in cooling of one degree of freedom to less than 1 K.« less

Cooling the Motion of Diamond Nanocrystals in a Magneto-Gravitational Trap in High Vacuum

PubMed Central

Hsu, Jen-Feng; Ji, Peng; Lewandowski, Charles W.; D’Urso, Brian

2016-01-01

Levitated diamond nanocrystals with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in high vacuum have been proposed as a unique system for experiments in fundamental quantum mechanics, including the generation of large quantum superposition states and tests of quantum gravity. This system promises extreme isolation from its environment while providing quantum control and sensing through the NV centre spin. While optical trapping has been the most explored method of levitation, recent results indicate that excessive optical heating of the nanodiamonds under vacuum may make the method impractical with currently available materials. Here, we study an alternative magneto-gravitational trap for diamagnetic particles, such as diamond nanocrystals, with stable levitation from atmospheric pressure to high vacuum. Magnetic field gradients from permanent magnets confine the particle in two dimensions, while confinement in the third dimension is gravitational. We demonstrate that feedback cooling of the centre-of-mass motion of a trapped nanodiamond cluster results in cooling of one degree of freedom to less than 1 K. PMID:27444654

Effects of strain and quantum confinement in optically pumped nuclear magnetic resonance in GaAs: Interpretation guided by spin-dependent band structure calculations

DOE PAGES

Wood, R. M.; Saha, D.; McCarthy, L. A.; ...

2014-10-29

A combined experimental-theoretical study of optically pumped NMR (OPNMR) has been performed in a GaAs/Al 0.1Ga 0.9As quantum well film with thermally induced biaxial strain. The photon energy dependence of the Ga-71 OPNMR signal was recorded at magnetic fields of 4.9 and 9.4 T at a temperature of 4.8-5.4 K. The data were compared to the nuclear spin polarization calculated from differential absorption to spin-up and spin-down states of the conduction band using a modified Pidgeon Brown model. Reasonable agreement between theory and experiment is obtained, facilitating assignment of features in the OPNMR energy dependence to specific interband transitions. Despitemore » the approximations made in the quantum-mechanical model and the inexact correspondence between the experimental and calculated observables, the results provide insight into how effects of strain and quantum confinement are manifested in OPNMR signals« less

Viscosity of a multichannel one-dimensional Fermi gas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeGottardi, Wade; Matveev, K. A.

Many one-dimensional systems of experimental interest possess multiple bands arising from shallow confining potentials. In this paper, we study a gas of weakly interacting fermions and show that the bulk viscosity is dramatically altered by the occupation of more than one band. The reasons for this are twofold: a multichannel system is more easily displaced from equilibrium and the associated relaxation processes lead to more rapid equilibration than in the single channel case. We estimate the bulk viscosity in terms of the underlying microscopic interactions. The experimental relevance of this physics is discussed in the context of quantum wires andmore » trapped cold atomic gases.« less

Demonstration of Two-Atom Entanglement with Ultrafast Optical Pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong-Campos, J. D.; Moses, S. A.; Johnson, K. G.; Monroe, C.

2017-12-01

We demonstrate quantum entanglement of two trapped atomic ion qubits using a sequence of ultrafast laser pulses. Unlike previous demonstrations of entanglement mediated by the Coulomb interaction, this scheme does not require confinement to the Lamb-Dicke regime and can be less sensitive to ambient noise due to its speed. To elucidate the physics of an ultrafast phase gate, we generate a high entanglement rate using just ten pulses, each of ˜20 ps duration, and demonstrate an entangled Bell state with (76 ±1 )% fidelity. These results pave the way for entanglement operations within a large collection of qubits by exciting only local modes of motion.

Demonstration of Two-Atom Entanglement with Ultrafast Optical Pulses.

PubMed

Wong-Campos, J D; Moses, S A; Johnson, K G; Monroe, C

2017-12-08

We demonstrate quantum entanglement of two trapped atomic ion qubits using a sequence of ultrafast laser pulses. Unlike previous demonstrations of entanglement mediated by the Coulomb interaction, this scheme does not require confinement to the Lamb-Dicke regime and can be less sensitive to ambient noise due to its speed. To elucidate the physics of an ultrafast phase gate, we generate a high entanglement rate using just ten pulses, each of ∼20  ps duration, and demonstrate an entangled Bell state with (76±1)% fidelity. These results pave the way for entanglement operations within a large collection of qubits by exciting only local modes of motion.

Quantum-size-induced phase transitions in quantum dots: Indirect-band gap GaAs nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zunger, Alex; Luo, Jun-Wei; Franceschetti, Alberto

2008-03-01

Quantum nanostructures are often advertised as having stronger absorption than the bulk material from which they are made, to the potential benefit of nanotechnology. However, nanostructures made of direct gap materials such as GaAs can convert to indirect-gap, weakly-aborbing systems when the quantum size becomes small. This is the case for spherical GaAs dots of radius 15 å or less (about 1000 atoms) embedded in a wide-gap matrix. The nature of the transition: γ-to-X or γ-to-L is however, controversial. The distinction can not be made on the basis of electronic structure techniques that misrepresent the magnitude of the various competing effective mass tensors (e.g, LDA or GGA) or wavefunction coupling (e.g, tight-binding). Using a carefully fit screened pseudopotential method we show that the transition occurs from γ to X, and, more importantly, that the transition involves a finite V (γ-X) interband coupling, manifested as an ``anti-crossing'' between the confined electron states of GaAs as the dot size crosses 15 å. The physics of this reciprocal-space γ-X transition, as well as the real-space (type II) transition in GaAs/AlGaAs will be briefly discussed.

Computation of the influence of scanning probe microscope (SPM) on quantum dot eigenstates and 2DEG potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stopa, Michael

2005-03-01

We calculate the electronic structure of GaAs-AlGaAs two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) devices, such as quantum dots and quantum point contacts (QPCs) in the presence of a tip of a scanning probe microscope at some distance above the surface. The calculation employs standard density functional theory with exchange and correlation treated in the local density approximation. The position and voltage on the tip are varied and the conditions for depletion of the 2DEG are shown to compare favorably to experiment [1]. We show that the size of the depletion region created (by a negative tip voltage) is unexpectedly small due to focusing of the potential lines by the higher dielectric. We study the interaction of the tip with an isolated quantum dot that contains one or two electrons. The raster pattern of the difference between single particle energies reveals that the tip distorts the shape of the confining potential and suggests that excited state properties, if they can be measured experimentally, can contribute to the resolution of spatial information. [1] M.A. Topinka, R.M. Westervelt, E.J. Heller, ``http://meso.deas.harvard.edu/papers/Topinka, PT 56 12 (2003)'' (Imaging Electron Flow), Physics Today 56, 12 (2003).

Quantum versus classical hyperfine-induced dynamics in a quantum dota)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coish, W. A.; Loss, Daniel; Yuzbashyan, E. A.; Altshuler, B. L.

2007-04-01

In this article we analyze spin dynamics for electrons confined to semiconductor quantum dots due to the contact hyperfine interaction. We compare mean-field (classical) evolution of an electron spin in the presence of a nuclear field with the exact quantum evolution for the special case of uniform hyperfine coupling constants. We find that (in this special case) the zero-magnetic-field dynamics due to the mean-field approximation and quantum evolution are similar. However, in a finite magnetic field, the quantum and classical solutions agree only up to a certain time scale t <τc, after which they differ markedly.

The influence of bio-conjugation on photoluminescence of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torchynska, Tetyana V.; Vorobiev, Yuri V.; Makhniy, Victor P.; Horley, Paul P.

2014-11-01

We report a considerable blue shift in the luminescence spectra of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots conjugated to anti-interleukin-10 antibodies. This phenomenon can be explained theoretically by accounting for bio-conjugation as a process causing electrostatic interaction between a quantum dot and an antibody, which reduces effective volume of the dot core. To solve the Schrödinger equation for an exciton confined in the quantum dot, we use mirror boundary conditions that were successfully tested for different geometries of quantum wells.

Optical Properties of III-V Semiconductor Nanostructures and Quantum Wells

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-31

measurements were made using a BOMEM Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer in conjunction with a continuous flow cryostat. A low- noise current...infrared photodetector ( QWIP ). Quantum well infrared photodetectors are designed from wide bandgap (III-V) semiconductor materials in such a way where...quantum confinement is created. Unlike HgCdTe which utilizes electronic transitions across the fundamental bandgap, QWIPs relies on transitions between

Extremely efficient internal exciton dissociation through edge states in layered 2D perovskites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blancon, J.-C.; Tsai, H.; Nie, W.; Stoumpos, C. C.; Pedesseau, L.; Katan, C.; Kepenekian, M.; Soe, C. M. M.; Appavoo, K.; Sfeir, M. Y.; Tretiak, S.; Ajayan, P. M.; Kanatzidis, M. G.; Even, J.; Crochet, J. J.; Mohite, A. D.

2017-03-01

Understanding and controlling charge and energy flow in state-of-the-art semiconductor quantum wells has enabled high-efficiency optoelectronic devices. Two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites are solution-processed quantum wells wherein the band gap can be tuned by varying the perovskite-layer thickness, which modulates the effective electron-hole confinement. We report that, counterintuitive to classical quantum-confined systems where photogenerated electrons and holes are strongly bound by Coulomb interactions or excitons, the photophysics of thin films made of Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites with a thickness exceeding two perovskite-crystal units (>1.3 nanometers) is dominated by lower-energy states associated with the local intrinsic electronic structure of the edges of the perovskite layers. These states provide a direct pathway for dissociating excitons into longer-lived free carriers that substantially improve the performance of optoelectronic devices.

Controlled synthesis of quantum confined CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals under ambient conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Huimei; Tang, Bing; Ma, Ying

2018-02-01

Room temperature recrystallization is a simple and convenient method for synthesis of all-inorganic perovskite nanomaterials with excellent luminescent properties. However, the fast crystallization usually brings the colloidal stability and uncontrollable synthesis issues in the formation of all-inorganic perovskite. In the present study, we present a new strategy to prepare the quantum confined CsPbBr3 nanocrystals with controlled morphology under ambient condition. With the assist of fatty acid-capped precursor, the crystallization and the following growth rate can be retarded. Thanks to the retarded reaction, the morphology can be varied from nanowires to nanoplates and the thickness can be controlled from 5-7 monolayers by simply adjusting the amount of octylammonium cations and oleic acid. The nanoplates exhibit a higher photoluminescence quantum yield than the nanowires possibly due to fewer defects in the nanoplates.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blancon, Jean -Christophe Robert; Tsai, Hsinhan; Nie, Wanyi

Understanding and controlling charge and energy flow in state-of-the-art semiconductor quantum wells has enabled high-efficiency optoelectronic devices. Two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites are solution-processed quantum wells wherein the band gap can be tuned by varying the perovskite-layer thickness, which modulates the effective electron-hole confinement. We report that, counterintuitive to classical quantum-confined systems where photogenerated electrons and holes are strongly bound by Coulomb interactions or excitons, the photophysics of thin films made of Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites with a thickness exceeding two perovskite-crystal units (>1.3 nanometers) is dominated by lower-energy states associated with the local intrinsic electronic structure of the edges of the perovskitemore » layers. Furthermore, these states provide a direct pathway for dissociating excitons into longer-lived free carriers that substantially improve the performance of optoelectronic devices.« less

A comparison of the optical properties of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well structures grown with and without Si-doped InGaN prelayers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davies, M. J., E-mail: Matthew.Davies-2@Manchester.ac.uk; Hammersley, S.; Dawson, P.

In this paper, we report on a detailed spectroscopic study of the optical properties of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well structures, both with and without a Si-doped InGaN prelayer. In photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, a 2nd emission band, occurring at a higher energy, was identified in the spectrum of the multiple quantum well structure containing the InGaN prelayer, originating from the first quantum well in the stack. Band structure calculations revealed that a reduction in the resultant electric field occurred in the quantum well immediately adjacent to the InGaN prelayer, therefore leading to a reduction in the strength of themore » quantum confined Stark effect in this quantum well. The partial suppression of the quantum confined Stark effect in this quantum well led to a modified (higher) emission energy and increased radiative recombination rate. Therefore, we ascribed the origin of the high energy emission band to recombination from the 1st quantum well in the structure. Study of the temperature dependent recombination dynamics of both samples showed that the decay time measured across the spectrum was strongly influenced by the 1st quantum well in the stack (in the sample containing the prelayer) leading to a shorter average room temperature lifetime in this sample. The room temperature internal quantum efficiency of the prelayer containing sample was found to be higher than the reference sample (36% compared to 25%) which was thus attributed to the faster radiative recombination rate of the 1st quantum well providing a recombination pathway that is more competitive with non-radiative recombination processes.« less

Nanofiber quantum photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Kali P.; Sadgrove, Mark; Yalla, Ramachandrarao; Le Kien, Fam; Hakuta, Kohzo

2018-07-01

Recent advances in the coherent control of single quanta of light, photons, is a topic of prime interest, and is discussed under the banner of quantum photonics. In the last decade, the subwavelength diameter waist of a tapered optical fiber, referred to as an optical nanofiber, has opened promising new avenues in the field of quantum optics, paving the way toward a versatile platform for quantum photonics applications. The key feature of the technique is that the optical field can be tightly confined in the transverse direction while propagating over long distances as a guided mode and enabling strong interaction with the surrounding medium in the evanescent region. This feature has led to surprising possibilities to manipulate single atoms and fiber-guided photons, e.g. the efficient channeling of emission from single atoms and solid-state quantum emitters into the fiber-guided modes, high optical depth with a few atoms around the nanofiber, trapping atoms around a nanofiber, and atomic memories for fiber-guided photons. Furthermore, implementing a moderate longitudinal confinement in nanofiber cavities has enabled the strong coupling regime of cavity quantum electrodynamics to be reached, and the long-range dipole–dipole interaction between quantum emitters mediated by the nanofiber offers a platform for quantum nonlinear optics with an ensemble of atoms. In addition, the presence of a longitudinal component of the guided field has led to unique capabilities for chiral light–matter interactions on nanofibers. In this article, we review the key developments of the nanofiber technology toward a vision for quantum photonics on an all-fiber interface.

Quantum non demolition measurement of cyclotron excitations in a Penning trap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marzoli, Irene; Tombesi, Paolo

1993-01-01

The quantum non-demolition measurement of the cyclotron excitations of an electron confined in a Penning trap could be obtained by measuring the resonance frequency of the axial motion, which is coupled to the cyclotron motion through the relativistic shift of the electron mass.

Growth of delta-doped layers on silicon CCD/S for enhanced ultraviolet response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoenk, Michael E. (Inventor); Grunthaner, Paula J. (Inventor); Grunthaner, Frank J. (Inventor); Terhune, Robert W. (Inventor); Hecht, Michael H. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

The backside surface potential well of a backside-illuminated CCD is confined to within about half a nanometer of the surface by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to grow a delta-doped silicon layer on the back surface. Delta-doping in an MBE process is achieved by temporarily interrupting the evaporated silicon source during MBE growth without interrupting the evaporated p+ dopant source (e.g., boron). This produces an extremely sharp dopant profile in which the dopant is confined to only a few atomic layers, creating an electric field high enough to confine the backside surface potential well to within half a nanometer of the surface. Because the probability of UV-generated electrons being trapped by such a narrow potential well is low, the internal quantum efficiency of the CCD is nearly 100% throughout the UV wavelength range. Furthermore, the quantum efficiency is quite stable.

In-situ confined formation of NiFe layered double hydroxide quantum dots in expanded graphite for active electrocatalytic oxygen evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jinxue; Li, Xiaoyan; Sun, Yanfang; Liu, Qingyun; Quan, Zhenlan; Zhang, Xiao

2018-06-01

Development of noble-metal-free catalysts towards highly efficient electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical but challenging in the renewable energy area. Herein, we firstly embed NiFe LDHs quantum dots (QDs) into expanded graphite (NiFe LDHs/EG) via in-situ confined formation process. The interlayer spacing of EG layers acts as nanoreactors for spatially confined formation of NiFe LDHs QDs. The QDs supply huge catalytic sites for OER. The in-situ decoration endows the strong affinity between QDs with EG, thus inducing fast charge transfer. Based on the aforementioned benefits, the designed catalyst exhibits outstanding OER properties, in terms of small overpotential (220 mV required to generate 10 mA cm-2), low Tafel slope, and good durable stability, making it a promising candidate for inexpensive OER catalyst.

Current-Current Interactions, Dynamical Symmetry - and Quantum Chromodynamics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuenschwander, Dwight Edward, Jr.

Quantum Chromodynamics with massive gluons (gluon mass (TBOND) xm(,p)) in a contact-interaction limit called CQCD (strong coupling g (--->) (INFIN); x (--->) (INFIN)), despite its non-renormalizability and lack of hope of confinement, is nevertheless interesting for at least two reasons. (1) Some authors have suggested a relation between 4-Fermi and Yang-Mills theories. If g/x('2) << 1, then CQCD is not merely a 4-Fermi interaction, but includes 4, 6, 8, ...-Fermi non-Abelian contact interactions. (2) With the possibility of infrared slavery, perturbative evaluation of QCD in the infrared is a dubious practice. However, if g('2)/x('2) << 1 in CQCD, then the simplest 4-Fermi interaction is dominant, and CQCD admits perturbative treatment, but only in the infrared. With the dominant interaction, a dynamical Nambu-Goldstone realization of chiral symmetry -breaking (XSB) is found. Although in QCD the relation between confinement and XSB is controversial, XSB occurs in CQCD provided confinement is sacrificed.

Reducing Threshold of Multi Quantum Wells InGaN Laser Diode by Using InGaN/GaN Waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, Rafid A.; Ibrahim, Kamarulazizi

2010-07-01

ISE TCAD (Integrated System Engineering Technology Computer Aided Design) software simulation program has been utilized to help study the effect of using InGaN/GaN as a waveguide instead of conventional GaN waveguide for multi quantum wells violet InGaN laser diode (LD). Simulation results indicate that the threshold of the LD has been reduced by using InGaN/GaN waveguide where InGaN/GaN waveguide increases the optical confinement factor which leads to increase the confinement carriers at the active region of the LD.

Integration of Quantum Confinement and Alloy Effect to Modulate Electronic Properties of RhW Nanocrystals for Improved Catalytic Performance toward CO2 Hydrogenation.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenbo; Wang, Liangbing; Liu, Haoyu; Hao, Yiping; Li, Hongliang; Khan, Munir Ullah; Zeng, Jie

2017-02-08

The d-band center and surface negative charge density generally determine the adsorption and activation of CO 2 , thus serving as important descriptors of the catalytic activity toward CO 2 hydrogenation. Herein, we engineered the d-band center and negative charge density of Rh-based catalysts by tuning their dimensions and introducing non-noble metals to form an alloy. During the hydrogenation of CO 2 into methanol, the catalytic activity of Rh 75 W 25 nanosheets was 5.9, 4.0, and 1.7 times as high as that of Rh nanoparticles, Rh nanosheets, and Rh 73 W 27 nanoparticles, respectively. Mechanistic studies reveal that the remarkable activity of Rh 75 W 25 nanosheets is owing to the integration of quantum confinement and alloy effect. Specifically, the quantum confinement in one dimension shifts up the d-band center of Rh 75 W 25 nanosheets, strengthening the adsorption of CO 2 . Moreover, the alloy effect not only promotes the activation of CO 2 to form CO 2 δ- but also enhances the adsorption of intermediates to facilitate further hydrogenation of the intermediates into methanol.

Polarizability and binding energy of a shallow donor in spherical quantum dot-quantum well (QD-QW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmani, K.; Chrafih, Y.; M’Zred, S.; Janati, S.; Zorkani, I.; Jorio, A.; Mmadi, A.

2018-03-01

The polarizability and the binding energy is estimated for a shallow donor confined to move in inhomogeneous quantum dots (CdS/HgS/CdS). In this work, the Hass variational method within the effective mass approximation in used in the case of an infinitely deep well. The polarizability and the binding energy depend on the inner and the outer radius of the QDQW, also it depends strongly on the donor position. It’s found that the stark effect is more important when the impurity is located at the center of the (QDQW) and becomes less important when the donor moves toward the extremities of the spherical layer. When the electric field increases, the binding energy and the polarizability decreases. Its effects is more pronounced when the impurity is placed on the center of the spherical layer and decrease when the donor move toward extremities of this spherical layer. We have demonstrated the existence of a critical value {≤ft( {{{{R_1}} \\over {{R_2}}}} \\right)cri} which can be used to distinguish the tree dimension confinement from the spherical surface confinement and it’s may be important for the nanofabrication techniques.

Enhanced Hole Mobility and Density in GaSb Quantum Wells

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

Keywords: Molecular beam epitaxy Quantum wells Semiconducting III–V materials Field-effect transistors GaSb a b s t r a c t Modulation-doped quantum wells...QWs) of GaSb clad by AlAsSb were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on InP substrates. By virtue of quantum confinement and compressive strain of the...heterostructures studied here are grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on semi-insulating (001) InP substrates using a Riber Compact 21T MBE system. A cross

Effect of temperature on the single-particle ground-state energy of a polar quantum dot with Gaussian confinement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jahan, Luhluh K., E-mail: luhluhjahan@gmail.com; Chatterjee, Ashok

2016-05-23

The temperature and size dependence of the ground-state energy of a polaron in a Gaussian quantum dot have been investigated by using a variational technique. It is found that the ground-state energy increases with increasing temperature and decreases with the size of the quantum dot. Also, it is found that the ground-state energy is larger for a three-dimensional quantum dot as compared to a two-dimensional dot.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Babac, Gulru

Gas flow in micro/nano scale systems has been generally studied for the Maxwell gases. In the limits of very low temperature and very confined domains, the Maxwellian approximation can break down and the quantum character of the gases becomes important. In these cases, Knudsen law, which is one of the important equations to analyze rarefied gas flows is invalid and should be reanalyzed for quantum gases. In this work, the availability of quantum gas conditions in the high Knudsen number cases is discussed and Knudsen law is analyzed for quantum gases.

III-V semiconductor Quantum Well systems: Physics of Gallium Arsenide two-dimensional hole systems and engineering of mid-infrared Quantum Cascade lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, YenTing

This dissertation examines two types of III-V semiconductor quantum well systems: two-dimensional holes in GaAs, and mid-infrared Quantum Cascade lasers. GaAs holes have a much reduced hyperfine interaction with the nuclei due to the p-like orbital, resulting in a longer hole spin coherence time comparing to the electron spin coherence time. Therefore, holes' spins are promising candidates for quantum computing qubits, but the effective mass and the Lande g-factor, whose product determines the spin-susceptibility of holes, are not well known. In this thesis, we measure the effective hole mass through analyzing the temperature dependence of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in a relatively strong interacting two-dimensional hole systems confined to a 20 nm-wide, (311)A GaAs quantum well. The holes in this system occupy two nearly-degenerate spin subbands whose effective mass we measure to be ˜ 0.2 me. We then apply a sufficiently strong parallel magnetic field to fully depopulate one of the spin subbands, and the spin susceptibility of the two-dimensional hole system is deduced from the depopulation field. We also confine holes in closely spaced bilayer GaAs quantum wells to study the interlayer tunneling spectrum as a function of interlayer bias and in-plane magnetic field, in hope of probing the hole's Fermi contour. Quantum Cascade lasers are one of the major mid-infrared light sources well suited for applications in health and environmental sensing. One of the important factors that affect Quantum Cascade laser performance is the quality of the interfaces between the epitaxial layers. What has long been neglected is that interface roughness causes intersubband scattering, and thus affecting the relation between the lifetimes of the upper and lower laser states, which determines if population inversion is possible. We first utilize strategically added interface roughness in the laser design to engineer the intersubband scattering lifetimes. We further experimentally prove the importance of interface roughness on intersubband scattering by measuring the electron transit time of different quantum cascade lasers and comparing them to the calculated upper laser level lifetimes with and without taking into account interface roughness induced intersubband scattering. A significantly better correlation is found between the experimental results and the calculation when the interface roughness scattering is included. Lastly, we study the effect of growth asymmetry on scattering mechanisms in mid-infrared Quantum Cascade lasers. Due to the dopant migration of around 10 nm along the growth direction of InGaAs/InAlAs Quantum Cascade laser structures, ionized impurity scattering is found to have a non-negligible influence on the lifetime of the upper laser level when the laser is biased in the polarity that electrons flow along the growth direction, in sharp contrast to the situation for the opposite polarity.

Synthetic dimensions for cold atoms from shaking a harmonic trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, Hannah M.; Ozawa, Tomoki; Goldman, Nathan

2017-02-01

We introduce a simple scheme to implement synthetic dimensions in ultracold atomic gases, which only requires two basic and ubiquitous ingredients: the harmonic trap, which confines the atoms, combined with a periodic shaking. In our approach, standard harmonic oscillator eigenstates are reinterpreted as lattice sites along a synthetic dimension, while the coupling between these lattice sites is controlled by the applied time modulation. The phase of this modulation enters as a complex hopping phase, leading straightforwardly to an artificial magnetic field upon adding a second dimension. We show that this artificial gauge field has important consequences, such as the counterintuitive reduction of average energy under resonant driving, or the realization of quantum Hall physics. Our approach offers significant advantages over previous implementations of synthetic dimensions, providing an intriguing route towards higher-dimensional topological physics and strongly-correlated states.

Modern Quantum Field Theory II - Proceeeings of the International Colloquium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, S. R.; Mandal, G.; Mukhi, S.; Wadia, S. R.

1995-08-01

The Table of Contents for the book is as follows: * Foreword * 1. Black Holes and Quantum Gravity * Quantum Black Holes and the Problem of Time * Black Hole Entropy and the Semiclassical Approximation * Entropy and Information Loss in Two Dimensions * Strings on a Cone and Black Hole Entropy (Abstract) * Boundary Dynamics, Black Holes and Spacetime Fluctuations in Dilation Gravity (Abstract) * Pair Creation of Black Holes (Abstract) * A Brief View of 2-Dim. String Theory and Black Holes (Abstract) * 2. String Theory * Non-Abelian Duality in WZW Models * Operators and Correlation Functions in c ≤ 1 String Theory * New Symmetries in String Theory * A Look at the Discretized Superstring Using Random Matrices * The Nested BRST Structure of Wn-Symmetries * Landau-Ginzburg Model for a Critical Topological String (Abstract) * On the Geometry of Wn Gravity (Abstract) * O(d, d) Tranformations, Marginal Deformations and the Coset Construction in WZNW Models (Abstract) * Nonperturbative Effects and Multicritical Behaviour of c = 1 Matrix Model (Abstract) * Singular Limits and String Solutions (Abstract) * BV Algebra on the Moduli Spaces of Riemann Surfaces and String Field Theory (Abstract) * 3. Condensed Matter and Statistical Mechanics * Stochastic Dynamics in a Deposition-Evaporation Model on a Line * Models with Inverse-Square Interactions: Conjectured Dynamical Correlation Functions of the Calogero-Sutherland Model at Rational Couplings * Turbulence and Generic Scale Invariance * Singular Perturbation Approach to Phase Ordering Dynamics * Kinetics of Diffusion-Controlled and Ballistically-Controlled Reactions * Field Theory of a Frustrated Heisenberg Spin Chain * FQHE Physics in Relativistic Field Theories * Importance of Initial Conditions in Determining the Dynamical Class of Cellular Automata (Abstract) * Do Hard-Core Bosons Exhibit Quantum Hall Effect? (Abstract) * Hysteresis in Ferromagnets * 4. Fundamental Aspects of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory * Finite Quantum Physics and Noncommutative Geometry * Higgs as Gauge Field and the Standard Model * Canonical Quantisation of an Off-Conformal Theory * Deterministic Quantum Mechanics in One Dimension * Spin-Statistics Relations for Topological Geons in 2+1 Quantum Gravity * Generalized Fock Spaces * Geometrical Expression for Short Distance Singularities in Field Theory * 5. Mathematics and Quantum Field Theory * Knot Invariants from Quantum Field Theories * Infinite Grassmannians and Moduli Spaces of G-Bundles * A Review of an Algebraic Geometry Approach to a Model Quantum Field Theory on a Curve (Abstract) * 6. Integrable Models * Spectral Representation of Correlation Functions in Two-Dimensional Quantum Field Theories * On Various Avatars of the Pasquier Algebra * Supersymmetric Integrable Field Theories and Eight Vertex Free Fermion Models (Abstract) * 7. Lattice Field Theory * From Kondo Model and Strong Coupling Lattice QCD to the Isgur-Wise Function * Effective Confinement from a Logarithmically Running Coupling (Abstract)

Influence of hydrostatic pressure on the built-in electric field in ZnO/ZnMgO quantum wells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Teisseyre, Henryk, E-mail: teiss@ifpan.edu.pl; Institute of High Pressure, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sokołowska 29/37, 01-142 Warsaw; Kaminska, Agata

We used high hydrostatic pressure to perform photoluminescence measurements on polar ZnO/ZnMgO quantum well structures. Our structure oriented along the c-direction (polar direction) was grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on a-plane sapphire. Due to the intrinsic electric field, which exists in polar wurtzite structure at ambient pressure, we observed a red shift of the emission related to the quantum-confined Stark effect. In the high hydrostatic pressure experiment, we observed a strong decrease of the quantum well pressure coefficients with increased thickness of the quantum wells. Generally, a narrower quantum well gave a higher pressure coefficient, closer to the band-gapmore » pressure coefficient of bulk material 20 meV/GPa for ZnO, while for wider quantum wells it is much lower. We observed a pressure coefficient of 19.4 meV/GPa for a 1.5 nm quantum well, while for an 8 nm quantum well the pressure coefficient was equal to 8.9 meV/GPa only. This is explained by taking into account the pressure-induced increase of the strain in our structure. The strain was calculated taking in to account that in-plane strain is not equal (due to fact that we used a-plane sapphire as a substrate) and the potential distribution in the structure was calculated self-consistently. The pressure induced increase of the built-in electric field is the same for all thicknesses of quantum wells, but becomes more pronounced for thicker quantum wells due to the quantum confined Stark effect lowering the pressure coefficients.« less

The polymer physics of single DNA confined in nanochannels.

PubMed

Dai, Liang; Renner, C Benjamin; Doyle, Patrick S

2016-06-01

In recent years, applications and experimental studies of DNA in nanochannels have stimulated the investigation of the polymer physics of DNA in confinement. Recent advances in the physics of confined polymers, using DNA as a model polymer, have moved beyond the classic Odijk theory for the strong confinement, and the classic blob theory for the weak confinement. In this review, we present the current understanding of the behaviors of confined polymers while briefly reviewing classic theories. Three aspects of confined DNA are presented: static, dynamic, and topological properties. The relevant simulation methods are also summarized. In addition, comparisons of confined DNA with DNA under tension and DNA in semidilute solution are made to emphasize universal behaviors. Finally, an outlook of the possible future research for confined DNA is given. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unity quantum yield of photogenerated charges and band-like transport in quantum-dot solids.

PubMed

Talgorn, Elise; Gao, Yunan; Aerts, Michiel; Kunneman, Lucas T; Schins, Juleon M; Savenije, T J; van Huis, Marijn A; van der Zant, Herre S J; Houtepen, Arjan J; Siebbeles, Laurens D A

2011-09-25

Solid films of colloidal quantum dots show promise in the manufacture of photodetectors and solar cells. These devices require high yields of photogenerated charges and high carrier mobilities, which are difficult to achieve in quantum-dot films owing to a strong electron-hole interaction and quantum confinement. Here, we show that the quantum yield of photogenerated charges in strongly coupled PbSe quantum-dot films is unity over a large temperature range. At high photoexcitation density, a transition takes place from hopping between localized states to band-like transport. These strongly coupled quantum-dot films have electrical properties that approach those of crystalline bulk semiconductors, while retaining the size tunability and cheap processing properties of colloidal quantum dots.

Energy spectrum and transport in narrow HgTe quantum wells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Germanenko, A. V., E-mail: Alexander.Germanenko@urfu.ru; Minkov, G. M.; Rut, O. E.

The results of an experimental study of the transport phenomena and the hole energy spectrum of two-dimensional systems in the quantum well of HgTe zero-gap semiconductor with normal arrangement of quantum-confinement subbands are presented. An analysis of the experimental data allows us to reconstruct the carrier energy spectrum near the hole subband extrema. The results are interpreted using the standard kP model.

Hydrogenic molecular transitions in double concentric quantum donuts by changing geometrical parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ospina-Londoño, D. A.; Fulla, M. R.; Marín, J. H.

2013-03-01

In this work it is considered a versatile model to study two different ionization processes starting from a D20 homonuclear hydrogenic molecule confined in double concentric quantum donuts. Very narrow quantum donut circular cross sections are considered to separate the radial and angular variables in the D20 Hamiltonian by using the well-known adiabatic approximation D20 total energy as a function of the inter donor spacing and the outer donut center line radius is calculated. The salient features of an artificial D20 hydrogenic molecule such as the dissociation energy and the equilibrium length are strongly dependent on the quantum donut geometrical parameters. By increasing systematically the quantum donut outer center line radius, it is possible to understand a first ionization process: D20→D2++e-. A second ionization process D20→D-+D+ can be carried out by fixing the first donor position and gradually moving away the second one. The results obtained in this study are in good agreement with those previously obtained in the limiting cases of very large inter donor separation. The model proposed here is computationally economical and provides a realistic description of both ionization processes and the few-particle system confined in double concentric quantum donuts.

The Properties of Confined Water and Fluid Flow at the Nanoscale

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schwegler, E; Reed, J; Lau, E

This project has been focused on the development of accurate computational tools to study fluids in confined, nanoscale geometries, and the application of these techniques to probe the structural and electronic properties of water confined between hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates, including the presence of simple ions at the interfaces. In particular, we have used a series of ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations and quantum Monte Carlo calculations to build an understanding of how hydrogen bonding and solvation are modified at the nanoscale. The properties of confined water affect a wide range of scientific and technological problems - including protein folding, cell-membranemore » flow, materials properties in confined media and nanofluidic devices.« less

Pauli structures arising from confined particles interacting via a statistical potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batle, Josep; Ciftja, Orion; Farouk, Ahmed; Alkhambashi, Majid; Abdalla, Soliman

2017-09-01

There have been suggestions that the Pauli exclusion principle alone can lead a non-interacting (free) system of identical fermions to form crystalline structures dubbed Pauli crystals. Single-shot imaging experiments for the case of ultra-cold systems of free spin-polarized fermionic atoms in a two-dimensional harmonic trap appear to show geometric arrangements that cannot be characterized as Wigner crystals. This work explores this idea and considers a well-known approach that enables one to treat a quantum system of free fermions as a system of classical particles interacting with a statistical interaction potential. The model under consideration, though classical in nature, incorporates the quantum statistics by endowing the classical particles with an effective interaction potential. The reasonable expectation is that possible Pauli crystal features seen in experiments may manifest in this model that captures the correct quantum statistics as a first order correction. We use the Monte Carlo simulated annealing method to obtain the most stable configurations of finite two-dimensional systems of confined particles that interact with an appropriate statistical repulsion potential. We consider both an isotropic harmonic and a hard-wall confinement potential. Despite minor differences, the most stable configurations observed in our model correspond to the reported Pauli crystals in single-shot imaging experiments of free spin-polarized fermions in a harmonic trap. The crystalline configurations observed appear to be different from the expected classical Wigner crystal structures that would emerge should the confined classical particles had interacted with a pair-wise Coulomb repulsion.

Fractional conductance oscillations in quantum rings: wave packet picture of transport in a few-electron system.

PubMed

Chwiej, T; Szafran, B

2013-04-17

We study electron transfer across a two-terminal quantum ring using a time-dependent description of the scattering process. For the considered scattering event the quantum ring is initially charged with one or two electrons, with another electron incident to the ring from the input channel. We study the electron transfer probability (T) as a function of the external magnetic field. We determine the periodicity of T for a varied number of electrons confined within the ring. For that purpose we develop a method to describe the wave packet dynamics for a few electrons participating in the scattering process, taking into full account the electron-electron correlations. We find that electron transfer across the quantum ring initially charged by a single electron acquires a distinct periodicity of half of the magnetic flux quantum (Φ0/2), corresponding to the formation of a transient two-electron state inside the ring. In the case of a three-electron scattering problem with two electrons initially occupying the ring, a period of Φ0/3 for T is formed in the limit of thin channels. The effect of disorder present in the confinement potential of the ring is also discussed.

Surface physics of semiconducting nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amato, Michele; Rurali, Riccardo

2016-02-01

Semiconducting nanowires (NWs) are firm candidates for novel nanoelectronic devices and a fruitful playground for fundamental physics. Ultra-thin nanowires, with diameters below 10 nm, present exotic quantum effects due to the confinement of the wave functions, e.g. widening of the electronic band-gap, deepening of the dopant states. However, although several reports of sub-10 nm wires exist to date, the most common NWs have diameters that range from 20 to 200 nm, where these quantum effects are absent or play a very minor role. Yet, the research activity on this field is very intense and these materials still promise to provide an important paradigm shift for the design of emerging electronic devices and different kinds of applications. A legitimate question is then: what makes a nanowire different from bulk systems? The answer is certainly the large surface-to-volume ratio. In this article we discuss the most salient features of surface physics and chemistry in group-IV semiconducting nanowires, focusing mostly on Si NWs. First we review the state-of-the-art of NW growth to achieve a smooth and controlled surface morphology. Next we discuss the importance of a proper surface passivation and its role on the NW electronic properties. Finally, stressing the importance of a large surface-to-volume ratio and emphasizing the fact that in a NW the surface is where most of the action takes place, we discuss molecular sensing and molecular doping.

From rotating atomic rings to quantum Hall states.

PubMed

Roncaglia, M; Rizzi, M; Dalibard, J

2011-01-01

Considerable efforts are currently devoted to the preparation of ultracold neutral atoms in the strongly correlated quantum Hall regime. However, the necessary angular momentum is very large and in experiments with rotating traps this means spinning frequencies extremely near to the deconfinement limit; consequently, the required control on parameters turns out to be too stringent. Here we propose instead to follow a dynamic path starting from the gas initially confined in a rotating ring. The large moment of inertia of the ring-shaped fluid facilitates the access to large angular momenta, corresponding to giant vortex states. The trapping potential is then adiabatically transformed into a harmonic confinement, which brings the interacting atomic gas in the desired quantum-Hall regime. We provide numerical evidence that for a broad range of initial angular frequencies, the giant-vortex state is adiabatically connected to the bosonic ν = 1/2 Laughlin state.

Band-to-band tunneling distance analysis in the heterogate electron–hole bilayer tunnel field-effect transistor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Padilla, J. L., E-mail: jose.padilladelatorre@epfl.ch; Departamento de Electrónica y Tecnología de los Computadores, Universidad de Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada; Palomares, A.

In this work, we analyze the behavior of the band-to-band tunneling distance between electron and hole subbands resulting from field-induced quantum confinement in the heterogate electron–hole bilayer tunnel field-effect transistor. We show that, analogously to the explicit formula for the tunneling distance that can be easily obtained in the semiclassical framework where the conduction and valence band edges are allowed states, an equivalent analytical expression can be derived in the presence of field-induced quantum confinement for describing the dependence of the tunneling distance on the body thickness and material properties of the channel. This explicit expression accounting for quantum confinementmore » holds valid provided that the potential wells for electrons and holes at the top and bottom of the channel can be approximated by triangular profiles. Analytical predictions are compared to simulation results showing very accurate agreement.« less

Combining ligand-induced quantum-confined stark effect with type II heterojunction bilayer structure in CdTe and CdSe nanocrystal-based solar cells.

PubMed

Yaacobi-Gross, Nir; Garphunkin, Natalia; Solomeshch, Olga; Vaneski, Aleksandar; Susha, Andrei S; Rogach, Andrey L; Tessler, Nir

2012-04-24

We show that it is possible to combine several charge generation strategies in a single device structure, the performance of which benefits from all methods used. Exploiting the inherent type II heterojunction between layered structures of CdSe and CdTe colloidal quantum dots, we systematically study different ways of combining such nanocrystals of different size and surface chemistry and with different linking agents in a bilayer solar cell configuration. We demonstrate the beneficial use of two distinctly different sizes of NCs not only to improve the solar spectrum matching but also to reduce exciton binding energy, allowing their efficient dissociation at the interface. We further make use of the ligand-induced quantum-confined Stark effect in order to enhance charge generation and, hence, overall efficiency of nanocrystal-based solar cells.

Extremely efficient internal exciton dissociation through edge states in layered 2D perovskites

DOE PAGES

Blancon, Jean -Christophe Robert; Tsai, Hsinhan; Nie, Wanyi; ...

2017-03-09

Understanding and controlling charge and energy flow in state-of-the-art semiconductor quantum wells has enabled high-efficiency optoelectronic devices. Two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites are solution-processed quantum wells wherein the band gap can be tuned by varying the perovskite-layer thickness, which modulates the effective electron-hole confinement. We report that, counterintuitive to classical quantum-confined systems where photogenerated electrons and holes are strongly bound by Coulomb interactions or excitons, the photophysics of thin films made of Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites with a thickness exceeding two perovskite-crystal units (>1.3 nanometers) is dominated by lower-energy states associated with the local intrinsic electronic structure of the edges of the perovskitemore » layers. Furthermore, these states provide a direct pathway for dissociating excitons into longer-lived free carriers that substantially improve the performance of optoelectronic devices.« less

Thermoelectricity in atom-sized junctions at room temperatures

PubMed Central

Tsutsui, Makusu; Morikawa, Takanori; Arima, Akihide; Taniguchi, Masateru

2013-01-01

Atomic and molecular junctions are an emerging class of thermoelectric materials that exploit quantum confinement effects to obtain an enhanced figure of merit. An important feature in such nanoscale systems is that the electron and heat transport become highly sensitive to the atomic configurations. Here we report the characterization of geometry-sensitive thermoelectricity in atom-sized junctions at room temperatures. We measured the electrical conductance and thermoelectric power of gold nanocontacts simultaneously down to the single atom size. We found junction conductance dependent thermoelectric voltage oscillations with period 2e2/h. We also observed quantum suppression of thermovoltage fluctuations in fully-transparent contacts. These quantum confinement effects appeared only statistically due to the geometry-sensitive nature of thermoelectricity in the atom-sized junctions. The present method can be applied to various nanomaterials including single-molecules or nanoparticles and thus may be used as a useful platform for developing low-dimensional thermoelectric building blocks. PMID:24270238

Optical response in a laser-driven quantum pseudodot system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilic, D. Gul; Sakiroglu, S.; Ungan, F.; Yesilgul, U.; Kasapoglu, E.; Sari, H.; Sokmen, I.

2017-03-01

We investigate theoretically the intense laser-induced optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes in a two-dimensional quantum pseudodot system under an uniform magnetic field. The effects of non-resonant, monochromatic intense laser field upon the system are treated within the framework of high-frequency Floquet approach in which the system is supposed to be governed by a laser-dressed potential. Linear and nonlinear absorption coefficients and relative changes in the refractive index are obtained by means of the compact-density matrix approach and iterative method. The results of numerical calculations for a typical GaAs quantum dot reveal that the optical response depends strongly on the magnitude of external magnetic field and characteristic parameters of the confinement potential. Moreover, we have demonstrated that the intense laser field modifies the confinement and thereby causes remarkable changes in the linear and nonlinear optical properties of the system.

Spontaneous decoherence of coupled harmonic oscillators confined in a ring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, ZhiRui; Zhang, ZhenWei; Xu, DaZhi; Zhao, Nan; Sun, ChangPu

2018-04-01

We study the spontaneous decoherence of coupled harmonic oscillators confined in a ring container, where the nearest-neighbor harmonic potentials are taken into consideration. Without any external symmetry-breaking field or surrounding environment, the quantum superposition state prepared in the relative degrees of freedom gradually loses its quantum coherence spontaneously. This spontaneous decoherence is interpreted by the gauge couplings between the center-of-mass and the relative degrees of freedoms, which actually originate from the symmetries of the ring geometry and the corresponding nontrivial boundary conditions. In particular, such spontaneous decoherence does not occur at all at the thermodynamic limit because the nontrivial boundary conditions become the trivial Born-von Karman boundary conditions when the perimeter of the ring container tends to infinity. Our investigation shows that a thermal macroscopic object with certain symmetries has a chance for its quantum properties to degrade even without applying an external symmetry-breaking field or surrounding environment.

Luminescence of quantum-well exciton polaritons from microstructured AlxGa1-xAs-GaAs multiple quantum wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohl, M.; Heitmann, D.; Grambow, P.; Ploog, K.

1988-06-01

Periodic multiple-quantum-well wires have been prepared by etching five-layer quantum-well structures through a holographically prepared mask. The periodicity was 380 nm, the lateral confinement 180 nm, and the quantum-well width 13, nm. The luminescence from these microstructured systems in the frequency regime of the one-electron-one-heavy-hole transition was strongly polarized with the electric field perpendicular to the periodic structure. This effect was caused by the resonantly enhanced emission of quantum-well-exciton (QWE) polaritons. Excitation of QWE polaritons was also observed in reflection measurements on the microstructured samples.

Photoconductive gain and quantum efficiency of remotely doped Ge/Si quantum dot photodetectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakimov, A. I.; Kirienko, V. V.; Armbrister, V. A.; Bloshkin, A. A.; Dvurechenskii, A. V.; Shklyaev, A. A.

2016-10-01

We study the effect of quantum dot charging on the mid-infrared photocurrent, optical gain, hole capture probability, and absorption quantum efficiency in remotely delta-doped Ge/Si quantum dot photodetectors. The dot occupation with holes is controlled by varying dot and doping densities. From our investigations of samples doped to contain from about one to nine holes per dot we observe an over 10 times gain enhancement and similar suppression of the hole capture probability with increased carrier population. The data are explained by quenching the capture process and increasing the photoexcited hole lifetime due to formation of the repulsive Coulomb potential of the extra holes inside the quantum dots. The normal incidence quantum efficiency is found to be strongly asymmetric with respect to applied bias polarity. Based on the polarization-dependent absorption measurements it is concluded that, at a positive voltage, when holes move toward the nearest δ-doping plane, photocurrent is originated from the bound-to-continuum transitions of holes between the ground state confined in Ge dots and the extended states of the Si matrix. At a negative bias polarity, the photoresponse is caused by optical excitation to a quasibound state confined near the valence band edge with subsequent tunneling to the Si valence band. In a latter case, the possibility of hole transfer into continuum states arises from the electric field generated by charge distributed between quantum dots and delta-doping planes.

Physical reasons of emission transformation in infrared CdSeTe/ZnS quantum dots at bioconjugation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torchynska, T. V.

2015-04-01

The core/shell CdSeTe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with emission at 780-800 nm (1.55-1.60 eV) have been studied by means of photoluminescence (PL) and Raman scattering methods in the nonconjugated state and after conjugation to different antibodies (Ab): (i) mouse monoclonal [8C9] human papilloma virus Ab, anti-HPV 16-E7 Ab, (ii) mouse monoclonal [C1P5] human papilloma virus HPV16 E6+HPV18 E6 Ab, and (iii) pseudo rabies virus (PRV) Ab. The transformations of PL and Raman scattering spectra of QDs, stimulated by conjugated antibodies, have been revealed and discussed. The energy band diagram of core/shell CdSeTe/ZnS QDs has been designed that helps to analyze the PL spectra and their transformations at the bioconjugation. It is shown that the core in CdSeTe/ZnS QDs is complex and including the type II quantum well. The last fact permits to explain the nature of infrared (IR) optical transitions (1.55-1.60 eV) and the high energy PL band (1.88-1.94 eV) in the nonconjugated and bioconjugated QDs. A set of physical reasons has been analyzed with the aim to explain the transformation of PL spectra in bioconjugated QDs. Finally it is shown that two factors are responsible for the PL spectrum transformation at bioconjugation to charged antibodies: (i) the change of energy band profile in QDs and (ii) the shift of QD energy levels in the strong quantum confinement case. The effect of PL spectrum transformation is useful for the study of QD bioconjugation to specific antibodies and can be a powerful technique for early medical diagnostics.

A Concise Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, Mark S.

2018-02-01

Assuming a background in basic classical physics, multivariable calculus, and differential equations, A Concise Introduction to Quantum Mechanics provides a self-contained presentation of the mathematics and physics of quantum mechanics. The relevant aspects of classical mechanics and electrodynamics are reviewed, and the basic concepts of wave-particle duality are developed as a logical outgrowth of experiments involving blackbody radiation, the photoelectric effect, and electron diffraction. The Copenhagen interpretation of the wave function and its relation to the particle probability density is presented in conjunction with Fourier analysis and its generalization to function spaces. These concepts are combined to analyze the system consisting of a particle confined to a box, developing the probabilistic interpretation of observations and their associated expectation values. The Schrödinger equation is then derived by using these results and demanding both Galilean invariance of the probability density and Newtonian energy-momentum relations. The general properties of the Schrödinger equation and its solutions are analyzed, and the theory of observables is developed along with the associated Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Basic applications of wave mechanics are made to free wave packet spreading, barrier penetration, the simple harmonic oscillator, the Hydrogen atom, and an electric charge in a uniform magnetic field. In addition, Dirac notation, elements of Hilbert space theory, operator techniques, and matrix algebra are presented and used to analyze coherent states, the linear potential, two state oscillations, and electron diffraction. Applications are made to photon and electron spin and the addition of angular momentum, and direct product multiparticle states are used to formulate both the Pauli exclusion principle and quantum decoherence. The book concludes with an introduction to the rotation group and the general properties of angular momentum.

ZnO nanostructures with different morphology for enhanced photocatalytic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, I. John; Praveen, E.; Vignesh, G.; Nithiananthi, P.

2017-12-01

ZnO nanomaterials of different morphologies have been synthesized and the effect of morphology on Photocatalytic activity on natural dye has been investigated. Crystalline size and lattice strain of the synthesized particles are determined by XRD analysis and Williamson-Hall (W-H) method respectively. All other important physical parameters such as strain, stress and energy density values are also calculated using W-H analysis using different models such as uniform deformation model, uniform deformation stress model and uniform deformation energy density model. A shift in the peak of FTIR spectrum of ZnO is observed due to morphology effects. The SEM analysis reveals that the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles appear as flake, rod and dot. ZnO quantum dot exhibits higher photocatalytic activity comparing to the other morphologies. Larger surface area, high adsorption rate, large charge separation and the slow recombination of electrons/holes in ZnO dots establish dots as favorable morphology for good photocatalysis. Among the three, ZnO quantum dot shows three-times enhancement in the kinetic rate constants of photocatalysis. The results confirm that availability of specific (active) surface area, photocatalytic potential and quantum confinement of photo-induced carriers differ with morphology.

Effect of the deposition of cobalt on the optoelectronic properties of quantum-confined In(Ga)As/GaAs heteronanostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Volkova, N. S., E-mail: volkovans88@mail.ru; Gorshkov, A. P.; Zdoroveyshchev, A. V.

2015-12-15

The systematic features of the inf luence of defect formation during the deposition of a cobalt contact on the optoelectronic characteristics of structures containing InAs/GaAs quantum dots and In{sub x}Ga{sub 1–x}As/GaAs quantum wells are studied. From analysis of the temperature dependences of the photosensitivity of the InAs/GaAs quantum-dot structures, the values of the resultant recombination lifetime of photoexcited charge carriers in quantum dots at different conditions of Co deposition and at different structural parameters are determined.

Uncertainty Quantification For Physical and Numerical Diffusion Models In Inertial Confinement Fusion Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rana, Verinder S.

This thesis concerns simulations of Inertial Confinement Fusion. Inertial confinement is carried out in a large scale facility at National Ignition Facility. The experiments have failed to reproduce design calculations, and so uncertainty quantification of calculations is an important asset. Uncertainties can be classified as aleatoric or epistemic. This thesis is concerned with aleatoric uncertainty quantification. Among the many uncertain aspects that affect the simulations, we have narrowed our study of possible uncertainties. The first source of uncertainty we present is the amount of pre-heating of the fuel done by hot electrons. The second source of uncertainty we consider is the effect of the algorithmic and physical transport diffusion and their effect on the hot spot thermodynamics. Physical transport mechanisms play an important role for the entire duration of the ICF capsule, so modeling them correctly becomes extremely vital. In addition, codes that simulate material mixing introduce numerical (algorithmically) generated transport across the material interfaces. This adds another layer of uncertainty in the solution through the artificially added diffusion. The third source of uncertainty we consider is physical model uncertainty. The fourth source of uncertainty we focus on a single localized surface perturbation (a divot) which creates a perturbation to the solution that can potentially enter the hot spot to diminish the thermonuclear environment. Jets of ablator material are hypothesized to enter the hot spot and cool the core, contributing to the observed lower reactions than predicted levels. A plasma transport package, Transport for Inertial Confinement Fusion (TICF) has been implemented into the Radiation Hydrodynamics code FLASH, from the University of Chicago. TICF has thermal, viscous and mass diffusion models that span the entire ICF implosion regime. We introduced a Quantum Molecular Dynamics calibrated thermal conduction model due to Hu for thermal transport. The numerical approximation uncertainties are introduced by the choice of a hydrodynamic solver for a particular flow. Solvers tend to be diffusive at material interfaces and the Front Tracking (FT) algorithm, which is an already available software code in the form of an API, helps to ameliorate such effects. The FT algorithm has also been implemented in FLASH and we use this to study the effect that divots can have on the hot spot properties.

Squeezing the Efimov effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandoval, J. H.; Bellotti, F. F.; Yamashita, M. T.; Frederico, T.; Fedorov, D. V.; Jensen, A. S.; Zinner, N. T.

2018-03-01

The quantum mechanical three-body problem is a source of continuing interest due to its complexity and not least due to the presence of fascinating solvable cases. The prime example is the Efimov effect where infinitely many bound states of identical bosons can arise at the threshold where the two-body problem has zero binding energy. An important aspect of the Efimov effect is the effect of spatial dimensionality; it has been observed in three dimensional systems, yet it is believed to be impossible in two dimensions. Using modern experimental techniques, it is possible to engineer trap geometry and thus address the intricate nature of quantum few-body physics as function of dimensionality. Here we present a framework for studying the three-body problem as one (continuously) changes the dimensionality of the system all the way from three, through two, and down to a single dimension. This is done by considering the Efimov favorable case of a mass-imbalanced system and with an external confinement provided by a typical experimental case with a (deformed) harmonic trap.

Single Molecule Analysis of Serotonin Transporter Regulation Using Antagonist-Conjugated Quantum Dots Reveals Restricted, p38 MAPK-Dependent Mobilization Underlying Uptake Activation

PubMed Central

Chang, Jerry C.; Tomlinson, Ian D.; Warnement, Michael R.; Ustione, Alessandro; Carneiro, Ana M. D.; Piston, David W.; Blakely, Randy D.; Rosenthal, Sandra J.

2012-01-01

The presynaptic serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SERT) is targeted by widely prescribed antidepressant medications. Altered SERT expression or regulation has been implicated in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression and autism. Here, we implement a generalizable strategy that exploits antagonist-conjugated quantum dots (Qdots) to monitor, for the first time, single SERT proteins on the surface of serotonergic cells. We document two pools of SERT proteins defined by lateral mobility, one that exhibits relatively free diffusion, and a second, localized to cholesterol and GM1 ganglioside-enriched microdomains, that displays restricted mobility. Receptor-linked signalling pathways that enhance SERT activity mobilize transporters that, nonetheless, remain confined to membrane microdomains. Mobilization of transporters arise from a p38 MAPK-dependent untethering of the SERT C-terminus from the juxtamembrane actin cytoskeleton. Our studies establish the utility of ligand-conjugated Qdots for analysis of the behaviour of single membrane proteins and reveal a physical basis for signaling-mediated SERT regulation. PMID:22745492

Condensates in quantum chromodynamics and the cosmological constant

PubMed Central

Brodsky, Stanley J.; Shrock, Robert

2011-01-01

Casher and Susskind [Casher A, Susskind L (1974) Phys Rev 9:436–460] have noted that in the light-front description, spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking is a property of hadronic wavefunctions and not of the vacuum. Here we show from several physical perspectives that, because of color confinement, quark and gluon condensates in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) are associated with the internal dynamics of hadrons. We discuss condensates using condensed matter analogues, the Anti de Sitter/conformal field theory correspondence, and the Bethe–Salpeter–Dyson–Schwinger approach for bound states. Our analysis is in agreement with the Casher and Susskind model and the explicit demonstration of “in-hadron” condensates by Roberts and coworkers [Maris P, Roberts CD, Tandy PC (1998) Phys Lett B 420:267–273], using the Bethe–Salpeter–Dyson–Schwinger formalism for QCD-bound states. These results imply that QCD condensates give zero contribution to the cosmological constant, because all of the gravitational effects of the in-hadron condensates are already included in the normal contribution from hadron masses.

Modulation Doping of Silicon using Aluminium-induced Acceptor States in Silicon Dioxide

PubMed Central

König, Dirk; Hiller, Daniel; Gutsch, Sebastian; Zacharias, Margit; Smith, Sean

2017-01-01

All electronic, optoelectronic or photovoltaic applications of silicon depend on controlling majority charge carriers via doping with impurity atoms. Nanoscale silicon is omnipresent in fundamental research (quantum dots, nanowires) but also approached in future technology nodes of the microelectronics industry. In general, silicon nanovolumes, irrespective of their intended purpose, suffer from effects that impede conventional doping due to fundamental physical principles such as out-diffusion, statistics of small numbers, quantum- or dielectric confinement. In analogy to the concept of modulation doping, originally invented for III-V semiconductors, we demonstrate a heterostructure modulation doping method for silicon. Our approach utilizes a specific acceptor state of aluminium atoms in silicon dioxide to generate holes as majority carriers in adjacent silicon. By relocating the dopants from silicon to silicon dioxide, Si nanoscale doping problems are circumvented. In addition, the concept of aluminium-induced acceptor states for passivating hole selective tunnelling contacts as required for high-efficiency photovoltaics is presented and corroborated by first carrier lifetime and tunnelling current measurements. PMID:28425460

Harmonic Generation in InAs Nanowire Double Quantum Dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schroer, M. D.; Jung, M.; Petersson, K. D.; Petta, J. R.

2012-02-01

InAs nanowires provide a useful platform for investigating the physics of confined electrons subjected to strong spin-orbit coupling. Using tunable, bottom-gated double quantum dots, we demonstrate electrical driving of single spin resonance.ootnotetextS. Nadj-Perge et al., Nature 468, 1084 (2010)^,ootnotetextM.D. Schroer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 176811 (2011) We observe a standard spin response when the applied microwave frequency equals the Larmour frequency f0. However, we also observe an anomalous signal at frequencies fn= f0/ n for integer n up to n ˜5. This is equivalent to generation of harmonics of the spin resonance field. While a f0/2 signal has observed,ootnotetextE.A. Laird et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 246601 (2007) we believe this is the first observation of higher harmonics in spin resonance. Possible mechanisms will be discussed.ootnotetextE.I. Rashba, arXiv:1110.6569 (2011) Acknowledgements: Research supported by the Sloan and Packard Foundations, the NSF, and Army Research Office.

Si/SiGe heterointerfaces in one-, two-, and three-dimensional nanostructures: their impact on SiGe light emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lockwood, David; Wu, Xiaohua; Baribeau, Jean-Marc; Mala, Selina; Wang, Xialou; Tsybeskov, Leonid

2016-03-01

Fast optical interconnects together with an associated light emitter that are both compatible with conventional Si-based complementary metal-oxide- semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit technology is an unavoidable requirement for the next-generation microprocessors and computers. Self-assembled Si/Si1-xGex nanostructures, which can emit light at wavelengths within the important optical communication wavelength range of 1.3 - 1.55 μm, are already compatible with standard CMOS practices. However, the expected long carrier radiative lifetimes observed to date in Si and Si/Si1-xGex nanostructures have prevented the attainment of efficient light-emitting devices including the desired lasers. Thus, the engineering of Si/Si1-xGex heterostructures having a controlled composition and sharp interfaces is crucial for producing the requisite fast and efficient photoluminescence (PL) at energies in the range 0.8-0.9 eV. In this paper we assess how the nature of the interfaces between SiGe nanostructures and Si in heterostructures strongly affects carrier mobility and recombination for physical confinement in three dimensions (corresponding to the case of quantum dots), two dimensions (corresponding to quantum wires), and one dimension (corresponding to quantum wells). The interface sharpness is influenced by many factors such as growth conditions, strain, and thermal processing, which in practice can make it difficult to attain the ideal structures required. This is certainly the case for nanostructure confinement in one dimension. However, we demonstrate that axial Si/Ge nanowire (NW) heterojunctions (HJs) with a Si/Ge NW diameter in the range 50 - 120 nm produce a clear PL signal associated with band-to-band electron-hole recombination at the NW HJ that is attributed to a specific interfacial SiGe alloy composition. For three-dimensional confinement, the experiments outlined here show that two quite different Si1-xGex nanostructures incorporated into a Si0.6Ge0.4 wavy superlattice structure display PL of high intensity while exhibiting a characteristic decay time that is up to 1000 times shorter than that found in conventional Si/SiGe nanostructures. The non-exponential PL decay found experimentally in Si/SiGe nanostructures can be interpreted as resulting from variations in the separation distance between electrons and holes at the Si/SiGe heterointerface. The results demonstrate that a sharp Si/SiGe heterointerface acts to reduce the carrier radiative recombination lifetime and increase the PL quantum

Time-Resolved Photoluminescence Spectroscopy Of The Carrier Dynamics In GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs Quantum Wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polland, Hans J.; Kuhl, Jurgen; Gobel, Ernst O.

1988-08-01

Picosecond photoluminescence experiments at low temperature (6K) have been employed to study the trapping dynamics of photoexcited carriers in GaAs/AlGaAs single quantum wells for different shapes of the AlxGai_xAs confinement layers. We have obtained the following results by analyzing the spectral and temporal distribution of the photoluminescence after picosecond pulse excitation: Trapping efficiency is ==, 40% for a standard ungraded cladding layer (A10.3G1.7As with constant band gap and 5nm thick wells) but increases to ,-, 60% and 100% for samp es with a spatially parabolic or linear band gap profile of the confinement layers, respectively. Trapping times are appreciably shorter than the luminescence risetime which is between 60ps to 100ps. Thus carrier trapping does not impose severe limitations on the modulation speed of single quantum well devices up to frequencies in the order of 10GHz. Similar results are obtained for a well with a width of 1.2nm. Inhomogeneities in the carrier trapping mechanism due to well width fluctuations are not observed in our samples. In the second part we describe the photoluminescence properties of GaAs/A1,Gai_x As quantum wells (x=0.3) under the influence of electric fields perpendicular to the layers. We observe a drastic red shift and a concomitant strong increase of the electron-hole recombination lifetime for well widths > lOnm due to the quantum-confined Stark effect. At high fields (50-100kV/cm) field ionization due to tunneling leads to a decrease of both the photoluminescence yield and decay time, in accordance with a simple WKB theory

Topological order, entanglement, and quantum memory at finite temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazáč, Dalimil; Hamma, Alioscia

2012-09-01

We compute the topological entropy of the toric code models in arbitrary dimension at finite temperature. We find that the critical temperatures for the existence of full quantum (classical) topological entropy correspond to the confinement-deconfinement transitions in the corresponding Z2 gauge theories. This implies that the thermal stability of topological entropy corresponds to the stability of quantum (classical) memory. The implications for the understanding of ergodicity breaking in topological phases are discussed.

Intrinsic optical confinement for ultrathin InAsN quantum well superlattices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sakri, A.; Robert, C.; Pedesseau, L.

We study energy-band engineering with InAsN monolayer in GaAs/GaP quantum well structure. A tight-binding calculation indicates that both type I alignment along with direct band-gap behavior can be obtained. We show that the optical transitions are less sensitive to the position of the probe.

Optical Field-Strength Polarization of Two-Mode Single-Photon States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linares, J.; Nistal, M. C.; Barral, D.; Moreno, V.

2010-01-01

We present a quantum analysis of two-mode single-photon states based on the probability distributions of the optical field strength (or position quadrature) in order to describe their quantum polarization characteristics, where polarization is understood as a significative confinement of the optical field-strength values on determined regions of…

Novel attributes of bandstructure effect on the performance of germanium Schottky barrier MOSFET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahangari, Zahra

2018-07-01

A detailed study of the bandstructure effect on the performance of a double-gate germanium Schottky barrier MOSFET (Ge-SBFET) is investigated. An accurate calculation of the thickness-dependent 2D bandstructure is employed within a 20 orbital sp 3 d 5 s* tight-binding formalism, and the quantum transport of the carriers is elucidated based on the non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism. Quantum confinement considerably changes the bandstructure profile of the Ge-SBFET and causes the energy difference of the | {{Γ }}-L| valleys to rearrange. For a channel thickness of about 1.5 nm, the two-fold X 2 type valleys with major axes at the {{Γ }} point form a subband with minimum energy, and the | {{Γ }}-L| energy split is reduced to 13 meV, which compensates for the lack of density of states in the nanoscale regime. Moreover, the strong transverse confinement of the ultra-thin body Ge-SBFET increases the effective Schottky barrier height and a parabolic potential profile with discrete resonant states is formed along the current transport direction, mainly at low drain voltages. Resonant tunnelling creates oscillations in the transfer characteristic, especially at low temperatures and at a reduced value of drain voltages. The impact of the physical and structural parameters, which may affect the resonant tunnelling in a Ge-SBFET, is thoroughly analysed. The results in this paper pave the way towards elucidating the applications of nanoscale Ge-SBFETs.

States of direct and indirect excitons in strained zinc-blende GaN/InGaN asymmetric quantum wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojas-Briseño, J. G.; Martínez-Orozco, J. C.; Mora-Ramos, M. E.

2017-12-01

The total and binding energies of excitons in step-like asymmetric quantum wells made of zincblende GaN/InxlGa(1-xl)N/InxrGa(1-xr)N/GaN are theoretically reported. It is discussed how the asymmetry in the carrier confinement leads to singular behaviors in the exciton binding energy, allowing to observe both direct and indirect exciton states in the heterostructure. The study is carried out with the use of the effective mass approximation. The effects of strain are taken into account and a comparison of the results obtained for both strained and unstrained situations is presented. Exciton energy shows a decreasing behavior when the size of the effective confinement region is augmented. The total exciton energy as well as the binding energy are reported as functions of the indium concentration and quantum well width. In addition, the results of the calculation of the photoluminescence peak are presented. For this latter quantity, our results for the limiting case of a single zinc-blende GaN/InGaN quantum well show very good agreement with published experimental ones.

Silicon coupled with plasmon nanocavities generates bright visible hot luminescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Chang-Hee; Aspetti, Carlos O.; Park, Joohee; Agarwal, Ritesh

2013-04-01

To address the limitations in device speed and performance in silicon-based electronics, there have been extensive studies on silicon optoelectronics with a view to achieving ultrafast optical data processing. The biggest challenge has been to develop an efficient silicon-based light source, because the indirect bandgap of silicon gives rise to extremely low emission efficiencies. Although light emission in quantum-confined silicon at sub-10 nm length scales has been demonstrated, there are difficulties in integrating quantum structures with conventional electronics. It is desirable to develop new concepts to obtain emission from silicon at length scales compatible with current electronic devices (20-100 nm), which therefore do not utilize quantum-confinement effects. Here, we demonstrate an entirely new method to achieve bright visible light emission in `bulk-sized' silicon coupled with plasmon nanocavities at room temperature, from non-thermalized carrier recombination. The highly enhanced emission (internal quantum efficiency of >1%) in plasmonic silicon, together with its size compatibility with current silicon electronics, provides new avenues for developing monolithically integrated light sources on conventional microchips.

Magneto-exciton transitions in laterally coupled quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barticevic, Zdenka; Pacheco, Monica; Duque, Carlos A.; Oliveira, Luiz E.

2008-03-01

We present a study of the electronic and optical properties of laterally coupled quantum dots. The excitonic spectra of this system under the effects of an external magnetic field applied perpendicular to the plane of the dots is obtained, with the potential of every individual dot taken as the superposition of a quantum well potential along the axial direction with a lateral parabolic confinement potential, and the coupled two- dot system then modeled by a superposition of the potentials of each dot, with their minima at different positions and truncated at the intersection plane. The wave functions and eigenvalues are obtained in the effective-mass approximation by using an extended variational approach in which the magneto- exciton states are simultaneously obtained [1]. The allowed magneto-exciton transitions are investigated by using circularly polarized radiation in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. We present results on the excitonic absorption coefficient as a function of the photon energy for different geometric quantum-dot confinement and magnetic-field values. Reference: [1] Z. Barticevic, M. Pacheco, C. A. Duque and L. E. Oliveira, Phys. Rev. B 68, 073312 (2003).

Physics of Ultrathin Films and Heterostructures of Rare-Earth Nickelates

DOE PAGES

Middey, Srimanta; Chakhalian, J.; Mahadevan, P.; ...

2016-04-06

The electronic structure of transition metal oxides featuring correlated electrons can be rationalized within the Zaanen-Sawatzky-Allen framework. Following a brief description of the present paradigms of electronic behavior, we focus on the physics of rare-earth nickelates as an archetype of complexity emerging within the charge transfer regime. The intriguing prospect of realizing the physics of high- Tc cuprates through heterostructuring resulted in a massive endeavor to epitaxially stabilize these materials in ultrathin form. A plethora of new phenomena unfolded in such artificial structures due to the effect of epitaxial strain, quantum confinement, and interfacial charge transfer. Here we review themore » present status of artificial rare-earth nickelates in an effort to uncover the interconnection between the electronic and magnetic behavior and the underlying crystal structure. Here, we conclude by discussing future directions to disentangle the puzzle regarding the origin of the metal-insulator transition, the role of oxygen holes, and the true nature of the antiferromagnetic spin configuration in the ultrathin limit.« less

Surface induced molecular dynamics of thin lipid films confined to submicron cavities: A 1H multiple-quantum NMR study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagadeesh, B.; Prabhakar, A.; Demco, D. E.; Buda, A.; Blümich, B.

2005-03-01

The dynamics and molecular order of thin lipid (lecithin) films confined to 200, 100 and 20 nm cylindrical pores with varying surface coverage, were investigated by 1H multiple-quantum NMR. The results show that the molecular dynamics in the surface controlled layers are less hindered compared to those in the bulk. Dynamic heterogeneity among terminal CH 3 groups is evident. Enhanced dynamic freedom is observed for films with area per molecule, ˜ 128 Å 2. The results are discussed in terms of changes in the lipid molecular organization with respect to surface concentration, its plausible motional modes and dynamic heterogeneity.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saxena, Shailendra K., E-mail: phd1211512@iiti.ac.in; Sahu, Gayatri; Sagdeo, Pankaj R.

Quantum confinement effect has been studied in cheese like silicon nano-structures (Ch-SiNS) fabricated by metal induced chemical etching using different etching times. Scanning electron microscopy is used for the morphological study of these Ch-SiNS. A visible photoluminescence (PL) emission is observed from the samples under UV excitation at room temperature due to quantum confinement effect. The average size of Silicon Nanostructures (SiNS) present in the samples has been estimated by bond polarizability model using Raman Spectroscopy from the red-shift observed from SiNSs as compared to its bulk counterpart. The sizes of SiNS present in the samples decreases as etching timemore » increase from 45 to 75 mintunes.« less

Universal Expression of Efficiency at Maximum Power: A Quantum-Mechanical Brayton Engine Working with a Single Particle Confined in a Power-Law Trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Zhuo-Lin; Li, Wei-Sheng; Lai, Yi-Ming; He, Ji-Zhou; Wang, Jian-Hui

2015-12-01

We propose a quantum-mechanical Brayton engine model that works between two superposed states, employing a single particle confined in an arbitrary power-law trap as the working substance. Applying the superposition principle, we obtain the explicit expressions of the power and efficiency, and find that the efficiency at maximum power is bounded from above by the function: η+ = θ/(θ + 1), with θ being a potential-dependent exponent. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11505091, 11265010, and 11365015, and the Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation under Grant No. 20132BAB212009

Glass-based confined structures enabling light control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chiappini, Andrea; Normani, Simone; Chiasera, Alessandro

2015-04-24

When a luminescent ion is confined in a system characterized by one or more specific properties such as spatial size, geometrical dimension and shape, refractive index, local crystal field, cut-off vibrational energy and so on, it's possible to control its emission. The control of branching ratios as a function of the composition, the luminescence enhancement induced by a photonic crystal, or the laser action in a microresonator, are well known examples of light control. Photonic glass-based structures are extremely viable systems to exploit the above mentioned properties and in our research team we have successfully fabricated luminescent photonic structures bymore » different techniques, including sol-gel, rf sputtering, drawing, melting, and physical vapour deposition. Here we will discuss some of them with the aim to make the reader aware of the chemical-physical properties related to each specific system. We will demonstrate that glass ceramic waveguides in some cases present superior spectroscopic properties in respect to the parent glass, that compositional properties can play a positive role in reducing luminescence quenching and in developing novel planar waveguides and fibers, that colloids allow to obtain high internal quantum efficiency and that photonic crystals, microcavities and microresonators can enable the handling of the rare earth luminescence. Finally, the pros and cons of the systems and of the different techniques employed for their fabrication will be discussed and some perspectives concerning the glass photonics will be proposed looking at both possible applications and investigation of physical properties.« less

Quantum phases of dipolar rotors on two-dimensional lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abolins, B. P.; Zillich, R. E.; Whaley, K. B.

2018-03-01

The quantum phase transitions of dipoles confined to the vertices of two-dimensional lattices of square and triangular geometry is studied using path integral ground state quantum Monte Carlo. We analyze the phase diagram as a function of the strength of both the dipolar interaction and a transverse electric field. The study reveals the existence of a class of orientational phases of quantum dipolar rotors whose properties are determined by the ratios between the strength of the anisotropic dipole-dipole interaction, the strength of the applied transverse field, and the rotational constant. For the triangular lattice, the generic orientationally disordered phase found at zero and weak values of both dipolar interaction strength and applied field is found to show a transition to a phase characterized by net polarization in the lattice plane as the strength of the dipole-dipole interaction is increased, independent of the strength of the applied transverse field, in addition to the expected transition to a transverse polarized phase as the electric field strength increases. The square lattice is also found to exhibit a transition from a disordered phase to an ordered phase as the dipole-dipole interaction strength is increased, as well as the expected transition to a transverse polarized phase as the electric field strength increases. In contrast to the situation with a triangular lattice, on square lattices, the ordered phase at high dipole-dipole interaction strength possesses a striped ordering. The properties of these quantum dipolar rotor phases are dominated by the anisotropy of the interaction and provide useful models for developing quantum phases beyond the well-known paradigms of spin Hamiltonian models, implementing in particular a novel physical realization of a quantum rotor-like Hamiltonian that possesses an anisotropic long range interaction.

Effect of organic materials used in the synthesis on the emission from CdSe quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jae-Won; Yang, Ho-Soon; Hong, K. S.; Kim, S. M.

2013-12-01

Quantum-dot nanocrystals have particular optical properties due to the quantum confinement effect and the surface effect. This study focuses on the effect of surface conditions on the emission from quantum dots. The quantum dots prepared with 1-hexadecylamine (HDA) in the synthesis show strong emission while the quantum dots prepared without HDA show weak emission, as well as emission from surface energy traps. The comparison of the X-ray patterns of these two sets of quantum dots reveals that HDA forms a layer on the surface of quantum dot during the synthesis. This surface passivation with a layer of HDA reduces surface energy traps, therefore the emission from surface trap levels is suppressed in the quantum dots synthesized with HDA.

Spin relaxation in semiconductor quantum rings and dots--a comparative study.

PubMed

Zipper, Elżbieta; Kurpas, Marcin; Sadowski, Janusz; Maśka, Maciej M

2011-03-23

We calculate spin relaxation times due to spin-orbit-mediated electron-phonon interactions for experimentally accessible semiconductor quantum ring and dot architectures. We elucidate the differences between the two systems due to different confinement. The estimated relaxation times (at B = 1 T) are in the range between a few milliseconds to a few seconds. This high stability of spin in a quantum ring allows us to test it as a spin qubit. A brief discussion of quantum state manipulations with such a qubit is presented.

Efficiency at Maximum Power Output of a Quantum-Mechanical Brayton Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Yuan; He, Ji-Zhou; Gao, Yong; Wang, Jian-Hui

2014-03-01

The performance in finite time of a quantum-mechanical Brayton engine cycle is discussed, without introduction of temperature. The engine model consists of two quantum isoenergetic and two quantum isobaric processes, and works with a single particle in a harmonic trap. Directly employing the finite-time thermodynamics, the efficiency at maximum power output is determined. Extending the harmonic trap to a power-law trap, we find that the efficiency at maximum power is independent of any parameter involved in the model, but depends on the confinement of the trapping potential.

The infrared behaviour of QCD Green's functions. Confinement, dynamical symmetry breaking, and hadrons as relativistic bound states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alkofer, Reinhard; von Smekal, Lorenz

2001-11-01

Recent studies of QCD Green's functions and their applications in hadronic physics are reviewed. We discuss the definition of the generating functional in gauge theories, in particular, the rôle of redundant degrees of freedom, possibilities of a complete gauge fixing versus gauge fixing in presence of Gribov copies, BRS invariance and positivity. The apparent contradiction between positivity and colour antiscreening in combination with BRS invariance in QCD is considered. Evidence for the violation of positivity by quarks and transverse gluons in the covariant gauge is collected, and it is argued that this is one manifestation of confinement. We summarise the derivation of the Dyson-Schwinger equations (DSEs) of QED and QCD. For the latter, the implications of BRS invariance on the Green's functions are explored. The possible influence of instantons on DSEs is discussed in a two-dimensional model. In QED in (2+1) and (3+1) dimensions, the solutions for Green's functions provide tests of truncation schemes which can under certain circumstances be extended to the DSEs of QCD. We discuss some limitations of such extensions and assess the validity of assumptions for QCD as motivated from studies in QED. Truncation schemes for DSEs are discussed in axial and related gauges, as well as in the Landau gauge. Furthermore, we review the available results from a systematic non-perturbative expansion scheme established for Landau gauge QCD. Comparisons to related lattice results, where available, are presented. The applications of QCD Green's functions to hadron physics are summarised. Properties of ground state mesons are discussed on the basis of the ladder Bethe-Salpeter equation for quarks and antiquarks. The Goldstone nature of pseudoscalar mesons and a mechanism for diquark confinement beyond the ladder approximation are reviewed. We discuss some properties of ground state baryons based on their description as Bethe-Salpeter/Faddeev bound states of quark-diquark correlations in the quantum field theory of confined quarks and gluons.

Electro-optical resonance modulation of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers.

PubMed

Germann, Tim David; Hofmann, Werner; Nadtochiy, Alexey M; Schulze, Jan-Hindrik; Mutig, Alex; Strittmatter, André; Bimberg, Dieter

2012-02-27

Optical and electrical investigations of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) with a monolithically integrated electro-optical modulator (EOM) allow for a detailed physical understanding of this complex compound cavity laser system. The EOM VCSEL light output is investigated to identify optimal working points. An electro-optic resonance feature triggered by the quantum confined Stark effect is used to modulate individual VCSEL modes by more than 20 dB with an extremely small EOM voltage change of less than 100 mV. Spectral mode analysis reveals modulation of higher order modes and very low wavelength chirp of < 0.5 nm. Dynamic experiments and simulation predict an intrinsic bandwidth of the EOM VCSEL exceeding 50 GHz.

Physical confinement signals regulate the organization of stem cells in three dimensions

PubMed Central

Sean, David; Ignacio, Maxime; Godin, Michel; Slater, Gary W.; Pelling, Andrew E.

2016-01-01

During embryogenesis, the spherical inner cell mass (ICM) proliferates in the confined environment of a blastocyst. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from the ICM, and mimicking embryogenesis in vitro, mouse ESCs (mESCs) are often cultured in hanging droplets. This promotes the formation of a spheroid as the cells sediment and aggregate owing to increased physical confinement and cell–cell interactions. In contrast, mESCs form two-dimensional monolayers on flat substrates and it remains unclear if the difference in organization is owing to a lack of physical confinement or increased cell–substrate versus cell–cell interactions. Employing microfabricated substrates, we demonstrate that a single geometric degree of physical confinement on a surface can also initiate spherogenesis. Experiment and computation reveal that a balance between cell–cell and cell–substrate interactions finely controls the morphology and organization of mESC aggregates. Physical confinement is thus an important regulatory cue in the three-dimensional organization and morphogenesis of developing cells. PMID:27798278

Quantum Dot Nanobioelectronics and Selective Antimicrobial Redox Interventions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, Samuel Martin

The unique properties of nanomaterials have engendered a great deal of interest in applying them for applications ranging from solid state physics to bio-imaging. One class of nanomaterials, known collectively as quantum dots, are defined as semiconducting crystals which have a characteristic dimension smaller than the excitonic radius of the bulk material which leads to quantum confinement effects. In this size regime, excited charge carriers behave like prototypical particles in a box, with their energy levels defined by the dimensions of the constituent particle. This is the source of the tunable optical properties which have drawn a great deal of attention with regards to finding appropriate applications for these materials. This dissertation is divided into multiple sections grouped by the type of application explored. The first sectoin investigates the energetic interactions of physically-coupled quantum dots and DNA, with the goal of gaining insight into how self-assembled molecular wires can bridge the energetic states of physically separated nanocrystals. Chapter 1 begins with an introduction to the properties of quantum dots, the conductive properties of DNA, and the common characterization methods used to characterize materials on the nanoscale. In Chapter 2 scanning tunneling measurements of QD-DNA constructs on the single particle level are presented which show the tunable coupling between the two materials and their resulting hybrid electronic structure. This is expanded upon in Chapter 3 where the conduction of photogenerated charges in QD-DNA hybrid thin films are characterized, which exhibit different charge transfer pathways through the constituent nucleobases depending on the energy of the incident light and resulting electrons. Complementary investigations of energy transfer mediated through DNA are presented in Chapter 4, with confirmation of Dexter-like transfer being facilitated through the oligonucleotides. The second section quantifies the use of cadmium telluride quantum dots as light-activated therapeutics for treating multi-drug resistant bacterial infectoins. A review of the physiological effects of cadmium chalcogenide quantum dots is first presented in Chapter 5 which provides a foundation for understanding the inherent toxicity of these materials. The phototoxic effect induced by CdTe quantum dots is then introduced in Chapter 6 showing the reduction in growth of gram-negative bacteria. Additional insight is provided in Chapter 7 which discusses the therapeutic mechanism and the oxygen-centered radical species which are formed by the application of light in aqueous media. The section closes with Chapter 8 describing efforts to improve the stability and bio-compatibility of the dots using various surface treatments, and shows that stability can be improved by the passivation of the quantum dots' anionic facets, though at the cost of overall radical generation.

CALL FOR PAPERS: Topical issue on the nonstationary Casimir effect and quantum systems with moving boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barton, Gabriel; Dodonov, Victor V.; Man'ko, Vladimir I.

2004-05-01

The past few years have seen a growing interest in quantum mechanical systems with moving boundaries. One of its manifestations was the First International Workshop on Problems with Moving Boundaries organized by Professor J Dittrich in Prague in October 2003. Another event in this series will be the (first) International Workshop on the Dynamical Casimir Effect in Padua in June 2004, organized by Professor G Carugno (see webpage www.pd.infn.it/casimir/ for details). As Guest Editors we invite researchers working in any area related to moving boundaries to contribute to a Topical Issue of Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics on the nonstationary Casimir effect and quantum systems with moving boundaries. Our intention is to cover a wide range of topics. In particular, we envisage possible contributions in the following areas: Theoretical and experimental studies on quantum fields in cavities with moving boundaries and time-dependent media. This area includes, in particular, various manifestations of the nonstationary (dynamical) Casimir effect, such as creation of quanta and modifications of Casimir force due to the motion of boundaries. Other relevant subjects are: generation and evolution of nonclassical states of fields and moving mirrors; interaction between quantized fields and atoms in cavities with moving boundaries; decoherence and entanglement due to the motion of boundaries; field quantization in nonideal cavities with moving boundaries taking into account losses and dispersion; nano-devices with moving boundaries. Quantum particles in domains confined with moving boundaries. This area includes: new exact and approximate solutions of the evolution equations (Schrödinger, Klein-Gordon, Dirac, Fokker-Planck, etc); quantum carpets and revivals; escape and tunnelling through moving barriers; evolution of quantum packets in the presence of moving boundaries; ultracold atoms (ions) in traps with moving boundaries. The topical issue is scheduled for publication in March 2005 and the deadline for submission of contributions is 1 August 2004. The Editorial Division of Institute of Physics Publishing at the P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute in Moscow will oversee editorial procedures in association with the main Publishing Office in Bristol. All contributions will be peer-reviewed in accordance with the normal refereeing procedures and standards of Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics. Submissions should preferably be in either standard LaTeX form or Microsoft Word. Advice on publishing your work in the journal may be found at www.iop.org/journals/authors/jopb. There are no page charges for publication. Contributions to the topical issue, quoting `Topical Issue/NCE', should be submitted by e-mail to IOPP@sci.lebedev.ru or as hard copy (enclosing the electronic code) to IOPP Division, P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Leninskii Prospect 53, Moscow 119991 Russia.

Band structure engineering strategies of metal oxide semiconductor nanowires and related nanostructures: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piyadasa, Adimali; Wang, Sibo; Gao, Pu-Xian

2017-07-01

The electronic band structure of a solid state semiconductor determines many of its physical and chemical characteristics such as electrical, optical, physicochemical, and catalytic activity. Alteration or modification of the band structure could lead to significant changes in these physical and chemical characteristics, therefore we introduce new mechanisms of creating novel solid state materials with interesting properties. Over the past three decades, research on band structure engineering has allowed development of various methods to modify the band structure of engineered materials. Compared to bulk counterparts, nanostructures generally exhibit higher band structure modulation capabilities due to the quantum confinement effect, prominent surface effect, and higher strain limit. In this review we will discuss various band structure engineering strategies in semiconductor nanowires and other related nanostructures, mostly focusing on metal oxide systems. Several important strategies of band structure modulation are discussed in detail, such as doping, alloying, straining, interface and core-shell nanostructuring.

One-dimensional carrier confinement in “Giant” CdS/CdSe excitonic nanoshells

DOE PAGES

Razgoniaeva, Natalia; Moroz, Pavel; Yang, Mingrui; ...

2017-05-23

Here, the emerging generation of quantum dot optoelectronic devices offers an appealing prospect of a size-tunable band gap. The confinement-enabled control over electronic properties, however, requires nanoparticles to be sufficiently small, which leads to a large area of interparticle boundaries in a film. Such interfaces lead to a high density of surface traps which ultimately increase the electrical resistance of a solid. To address this issue, we have developed an inverse energy-gradient core/shell architecture supporting the quantum confinement in nanoparticles larger than the exciton Bohr radius. The assembly of such nanostructures exhibits a relatively low surface-to-volume ratio, which was manifestedmore » in this work through the enhanced conductance of solution-processed films. The reported core/shell geometry was realized by growing a narrow gap semiconductor layer (CdSe) on the surface of a wide-gap core material (CdS) promoting the localization of excitons in the shell domain, as was confirmed by ultrafast transient absorption and emission lifetime measurements. The band gap emission of fabricated nanoshells, ranging from 15 to 30 nm in diameter, has revealed a characteristic size-dependent behavior tunable via the shell thickness with associated quantum yields in the 4.4–16.0% range.« less

Equation of motion approach for describing allowed transitions in Ne and Al3+ under classical and quantum plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhuri, Supriya K.; Mukherjee, Prasanta K.; Chaudhuri, Rajat K.; Chattopadhyay, Sudip

2018-04-01

The equation of motion coupled cluster methodology within relativistic framework has been applied to analyze the electron correlation effects on the low lying dipole allowed excited states of Ne and Al3+ under classical and quantum plasma environments. The effect of confinement due to classical plasma has been incorporated through screened Coulomb potential, while that of quantum plasma has been treated by exponential cosine screened Coulomb potential. The confined structural properties investigated are the depression of ionization potential, low lying excitation energies (dipole allowed), oscillator strengths, transition probabilities, and frequency dependent polarizabilities under systematic variation of the plasma-atom coupling strength determined through the screening parameter. Specific atomic systems are chosen for their astrophysical importance and availability of experimental data related to laboratory plasma with special reference to Al3+ ion. Here, we consider 1 s22 s22 p6(1S0)→1 s22 s22 p5 n s /n d (1P1) (n =3 ,4 ) dipole allowed transitions of Ne and Al3+. Results for the free (isolated) atomic systems agree well with those available in the literature. Spectroscopic properties under confinement show systematic and interesting pattern with respect to plasma screening parameter.

Intraband magneto-optical absorption in InAs/GaAs quantum dots: Orbital Zeeman splitting and the Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum rule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.-Z.; Galbraith, I.

2008-05-01

Using perturbation theory, intraband magneto-optical absorption is calculated for InAs/GaAs truncated pyramidal quantum dots in a magnetic field applied parallel to the growth direction z . The effects of the magnetic field on the electronic states as well as the intraband transitions are systematically studied. Selection rules governing the intraband transitions are discussed based on the symmetry properties of the electronic states. While the broadband z -polarized absorption is almost insensitive to the magnetic field, the orbital Zeeman splitting is the dominant feature in the in-plane polarized spectrum. Strong in-plane polarized magneto-absorption features are located in the far-infrared region, while z -polarized absorption occurs at higher frequencies. This is due to the dot geometry (the base length is much larger than the height) yielding different quantum confinement in the vertical and lateral directions. The Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum rule, including the magnetic field effect, is applied together with the selection rules to the absorption spectra. The orbital Zeeman splitting depends on both the dot size and the confining potential—the splitting decreases as the dot size or the confining potential decreases. Our calculated Zeeman splittings are in agreement with experimental data.

One-dimensional carrier confinement in “Giant” CdS/CdSe excitonic nanoshells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Razgoniaeva, Natalia; Moroz, Pavel; Yang, Mingrui

Here, the emerging generation of quantum dot optoelectronic devices offers an appealing prospect of a size-tunable band gap. The confinement-enabled control over electronic properties, however, requires nanoparticles to be sufficiently small, which leads to a large area of interparticle boundaries in a film. Such interfaces lead to a high density of surface traps which ultimately increase the electrical resistance of a solid. To address this issue, we have developed an inverse energy-gradient core/shell architecture supporting the quantum confinement in nanoparticles larger than the exciton Bohr radius. The assembly of such nanostructures exhibits a relatively low surface-to-volume ratio, which was manifestedmore » in this work through the enhanced conductance of solution-processed films. The reported core/shell geometry was realized by growing a narrow gap semiconductor layer (CdSe) on the surface of a wide-gap core material (CdS) promoting the localization of excitons in the shell domain, as was confirmed by ultrafast transient absorption and emission lifetime measurements. The band gap emission of fabricated nanoshells, ranging from 15 to 30 nm in diameter, has revealed a characteristic size-dependent behavior tunable via the shell thickness with associated quantum yields in the 4.4–16.0% range.« less

Electronic and optical properties of exciton, trions and biexciton in II-VI parabolic quantum dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sujanah, P.; John Peter, A.; Woo Lee, Chang

2015-08-01

Binding energies of exciton, trions and biexciton and their interband optical transition energies are studied in a CdTe/ZnTe quantum dot nanostructure taking into consideration the geometrical confinement effect. The radial spread of the wavefunctions, binding energies, optical transition energies, oscillator strength, radiative life time and the absorption coefficients of exciton, positively and negatively charged excitons and biexciton are carried out. It is found that the ratio of the radiative life time of exciton with the trions and biexciton enhances with the reduction of geometrical confinement. The results show that (i) the binding energies of exciton, positive and negative trions and the biexciton have strong influence on the reduction of geometrical confinement effect, (ii) the binding energy is found to decrease from the binding energies of exciton to positive trion through biexciton and negative trion binding energies, (iii) the oscillator strength of trions is found to be lesser than exciton and the biexciton and (iv) the electronic and optical properties of exciton, trions and the biexciton are considerably dependent on the spatial confinement, incident photon energy and the radiative life time. The obtained results are in good agreement with the other existing literature.

Quantum ballistic transport by interacting two-electron states in quasi-one-dimensional channels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Danhong; Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard St SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106; Gumbs, Godfrey

2015-11-15

For quantum ballistic transport of electrons through a short conduction channel, the role of Coulomb interaction may significantly modify the energy levels of two-electron states at low temperatures as the channel becomes wide. In this regime, the Coulomb effect on the two-electron states is calculated and found to lead to four split energy levels, including two anticrossing-level and two crossing-level states. Moreover, due to the interplay of anticrossing and crossing effects, our calculations reveal that the ground two-electron state will switch from one anticrossing state (strong confinement) to a crossing state (intermediate confinement) as the channel width gradually increases andmore » then back to the original anticrossing state (weak confinement) as the channel width becomes larger than a threshold value. This switching behavior leaves a footprint in the ballistic conductance as well as in the diffusion thermoelectric power of electrons. Such a switching is related to the triple spin degeneracy as well as to the Coulomb repulsion in the central region of the channel, which separates two electrons away and pushes them to different channel edges. The conductance reoccurrence region expands from the weak to the intermediate confinement regime with increasing electron density.« less

Exciton confinement in strain-engineered metamorphic InAs/I nxG a1 -xAs quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khattak, S. A.; Hayne, M.; Huang, J.; Vanacken, J.; Moshchalkov, V. V.; Seravalli, L.; Trevisi, G.; Frigeri, P.

2017-11-01

We report a comprehensive study of exciton confinement in self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) in strain-engineered metamorphic I nxG a1 -xAs confining layers on GaAs using low-temperature magnetophotoluminescence. As the lattice mismatch (strain) between QDs and confining layers (CLs) increases from 4.8% to 5.7% the reduced mass of the exciton increases, but saturates at higher mismatches. At low QD-CL mismatch there is clear evidence of spillover of the exciton wave function due to small localization energies. This is suppressed as the In content x in the CLs decreases (mismatch and localization energy increasing). The combined effects of low effective mass and wave-function spillover at high x result in a diamagnetic shift coefficient that is an order of magnitude larger than for samples where In content in the barrier is low (mismatch is high and localization energy is large). Finally, an anomalously small measured Bohr radius in samples with the highest x is attributed to a combination of thermalization due to low localization energy, and its enhancement with magnetic field, a mechanism which results in small dots in the ensemble dominating the measured Bohr radius.

Quantum Confined Semiconductors

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-01

diodes [8-10], metamaterials [11-13], and solar cells [14,15]. As a consequence, the optical and electrical stability of colloidal quantum dots...PbS quantum dot solar cells with high fill factor,” ACS Nano, 4 (7), 3743–3752 (2010). [15] Gur, I., Fromer, N. A., Geier, M. L. and Alivisatos, A...P., “Air-stable all-inorganic nanocrystal solar cells processed from solution,” Sci. 310, 462–465 (2005). [16] Dai, Q., Wang, Y. N., Zhang, Y

Electrical tuning of a quantum plasmonic resonance

DOE PAGES

Liu, Xiaoge; Kang, Ju -Hyung; Yuan, Hongtao; ...

2017-06-12

Surface plasmon (SP) excitations in metals facilitate confinement of light into deep-subwavelength volumes and can induce strong light–matter interaction. Generally, the SP resonances supported by noble metal nanostructures are explained well by classical models, at least until the nanostructure size is decreased to a few nanometres, approaching the Fermi wavelength λ F of the electrons. Although there is a long history of reports on quantum size effects in the plasmonic response of nanometre-sized metal particles systematic experimental studies have been hindered by inhomogeneous broadening in ensemble measurements, as well as imperfect control over size, shape, faceting, surface reconstructions, contamination, chargingmore » effects and surface roughness in single-particle measurements. In particular, observation of the quantum size effect in metallic films and its tuning with thickness has been challenging as they only confine carriers in one direction. Here, we show active tuning of quantum size effects in SP resonances supported by a 20-nm-thick metallic film of indium tin oxide (ITO), a plasmonic material serving as a low-carrier-density Drude metal. An ionic liquid (IL) is used to electrically gate and partially deplete the ITO layer. The experiment shows a controllable and reversible blue-shift in the SP resonance above a critical voltage. As a result, a quantum-mechanical model including the quantum size effect reproduces the experimental results, whereas a classical model only predicts a red shift.« less

Electrical tuning of a quantum plasmonic resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaoge; Kang, Ju-Hyung; Yuan, Hongtao; Park, Junghyun; Kim, Soo Jin; Cui, Yi; Hwang, Harold Y.; Brongersma, Mark L.

2017-09-01

Surface plasmon (SP) excitations in metals facilitate confinement of light into deep-subwavelength volumes and can induce strong light-matter interaction. Generally, the SP resonances supported by noble metal nanostructures are explained well by classical models, at least until the nanostructure size is decreased to a few nanometres, approaching the Fermi wavelength λF of the electrons. Although there is a long history of reports on quantum size effects in the plasmonic response of nanometre-sized metal particles, systematic experimental studies have been hindered by inhomogeneous broadening in ensemble measurements, as well as imperfect control over size, shape, faceting, surface reconstructions, contamination, charging effects and surface roughness in single-particle measurements. In particular, observation of the quantum size effect in metallic films and its tuning with thickness has been challenging as they only confine carriers in one direction. Here, we show active tuning of quantum size effects in SP resonances supported by a 20-nm-thick metallic film of indium tin oxide (ITO), a plasmonic material serving as a low-carrier-density Drude metal. An ionic liquid (IL) is used to electrically gate and partially deplete the ITO layer. The experiment shows a controllable and reversible blue-shift in the SP resonance above a critical voltage. A quantum-mechanical model including the quantum size effect reproduces the experimental results, whereas a classical model only predicts a red shift.

Large Exciton Energy Shifts by Reversible Surface Exchange in 2D II-VI Nanocrystals.

PubMed

Zhou, Yang; Wang, Fudong; Buhro, William E

2015-12-09

Reaction of n-octylamine-passivated {CdSe[n-octylamine](0.53±0.06)} quantum belts with anhydrous metal carboxylates M(oleate)2 (M = Cd, Zn) results in a rapid exchange of the L-type amine passivation for Z-type M(oleate)2 passivation. The cadmium-carboxylate derivative is determined to have the composition {CdSe[Cd(oleate)2](0.19±0.02)}. The morphologies and crystal structures of the quantum belts are largely unaffected by the exchange processes. Addition of n-octylamine or oleylamine to the M(oleate)2-passivated quantum belts removes M(oleate)2 and restores the L-type amine passivation. Analogous, reversible surface exchanges are also demonstrated for CdS quantum platelets. The absorption and emission spectra of the quantum belts and platelets are reversibly shifted to lower energy by M(oleate)2 passivation vs amine passivation. The largest shift of 140 meV is observed for the Cd(oleate)2-passivated CdSe quantum belts. These shifts are attributed entirely to changes in the strain states in the Zn(oleate)2-passivated nanocrystals, whereas changes in strain states and confinement dimensions contribute roughly equally to the shifts in the Cd(oleate)2-passivated nanocrystals. Addition of Cd(oleate)2, which electronically couples to the nanocrystal lattices, increases the effective thickness of the belts and platelets by approximately a half of a monolayer, thus increasing the confinement dimension.

Laser-driven two-electron quantum dot in plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahar, M. K.; Soylu, A.

2018-06-01

We have investigated the energies of two-electron parabolic quantum dots (TEPQdots) embedded in plasmas characterized by more general exponential cosine screened Coulomb (MGECSC) potential under the action of a monochromatic, linearly polarized laser field by solving the corresponding Schrödinger equation numerically via the asymptotic iteration method. The four different cases of the MGECSC potential constituted by various sets of the potential parameters are reckoned in modeling of the interactions in the plasma environments which are Debye and quantum plasmas. The plasma environment is a remarkable experimental argument for the quantum dots and the interactions in plasma environments are different compared to the interactions in an environment without plasma and the screening specifications of the plasmas can be controlled through the plasma parameters. These findings constitute our major motivation in consideration of the plasma environments. An appreciable confinement effect is made up by implementing the laser field on the TEPQdot. The influences of the laser field on the system are included by using the Ehlotzky approximation, and then Kramers-Henneberger transformation is carried out for the corresponding Schrödinger equation. The influences of the ponderomotive force on two-electron quantum dots embedded in plasmas are investigated. The behaviours, the similarities and the functionalities of the laser field, the plasma environment, and the quantum dot confinement are also scrutinized. In addition, the role of the plasma environments in the mentioned analysis is also discussed in detail.

Long-Range Repulsion Between Spatially Confined van der Waals Dimers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadhukhan, Mainak; Tkatchenko, Alexandre

2017-05-01

It is an undisputed textbook fact that nonretarded van der Waals (vdW) interactions between isotropic dimers are attractive, regardless of the polarizability of the interacting systems or spatial dimensionality. The universality of vdW attraction is attributed to the dipolar coupling between fluctuating electron charge densities. Here, we demonstrate that the long-range interaction between spatially confined vdW dimers becomes repulsive when accounting for the full Coulomb interaction between charge fluctuations. Our analytic results are obtained by using the Coulomb potential as a perturbation over dipole-correlated states for two quantum harmonic oscillators embedded in spaces with reduced dimensionality; however, the long-range repulsion is expected to be a general phenomenon for spatially confined quantum systems. We suggest optical experiments to test our predictions, analyze their relevance in the context of intermolecular interactions in nanoscale environments, and rationalize the recent observation of anomalously strong screening of the lateral vdW interactions between aromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on metal surfaces.

Current-current interactions, dynamical symmetry-breaking, and quantum chromodynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neuenschwander, D.E. Jr.

1983-01-01

Quantum Chromodynamics with massive gluons (gluon mass triple bond xm/sub p/) in a contact-interaction limit called CQCD (strong coupling g..-->..infinity; x..-->..infinity), despite its non-renormalizability and lack of hope of confinement, is nevertheless interesting for at least two reasons. Some authors have suggested a relation between 4-Fermi and Yang-Mills theories. If g/x/sup 2/ much less than 1, then CQCD is not merely a 4-Fermi interaction, but includes 4,6,8 etc-Fermi non-Abelian contact interactions. With possibility of infrared slavery, perturbative evaluation of QCD in the infrared is a dubious practice. However, if g/sup 2//x/sup 2/ much less than 1 in CQCD, then themore » simplest 4-Fermi interaction is dominant, and CQCD admits perturbative treatment, but only in the infrared. With the dominant interaction, a dynamical Nambu-Goldstone realization of chiral symmetry-breaking (XSB) is found. Although in QCD the relation between confinement and XSB is controversial, XSB occurs in CQCD provided confinement is sacrificed.« less

Quantum Physics for Beginners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strand, J.

1981-01-01

Suggests a new approach for teaching secondary school quantum physics. Reviews traditional approaches and presents some characteristics of the three-part "Quantum Physics for Beginners" project, including: quantum physics, quantum mechanics, and a short historical survey. (SK)

Kenneth Wilson and Lattice QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ukawa, Akira

2015-09-01

We discuss the physics and computation of lattice QCD, a space-time lattice formulation of quantum chromodynamics, and Kenneth Wilson's seminal role in its development. We start with the fundamental issue of confinement of quarks in the theory of the strong interactions, and discuss how lattice QCD provides a framework for understanding this phenomenon. A conceptual issue with lattice QCD is a conflict of space-time lattice with chiral symmetry of quarks. We discuss how this problem is resolved. Since lattice QCD is a non-linear quantum dynamical system with infinite degrees of freedom, quantities which are analytically calculable are limited. On the other hand, it provides an ideal case of massively parallel numerical computations. We review the long and distinguished history of parallel-architecture supercomputers designed and built for lattice QCD. We discuss algorithmic developments, in particular the difficulties posed by the fermionic nature of quarks, and their resolution. The triad of efforts toward better understanding of physics, better algorithms, and more powerful supercomputers have produced major breakthroughs in our understanding of the strong interactions. We review the salient results of this effort in understanding the hadron spectrum, the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements and CP violation, and quark-gluon plasma at high temperatures. We conclude with a brief summary and a future perspective.

Carrier multiplication and charge transport in artificial quantum-dot solids probed by ultrafast photocurrent spectroscopy (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimov, Victor I.

2017-05-01

Understanding and controlling carrier transport and recombination dynamics in colloidal quantum dot films is key to their application in electronic and optoelectronic devices. Towards this end, we have conducted transient photocurrent measurements to monitor transport through quantum confined band edge states in lead selenide quantum dots films as a function of pump fluence, temperature, electrical bias, and surface treatment. Room temperature dynamics reveal two distinct timescales of intra-dot geminate processes followed by non-geminate inter-dot processes. The non-geminate kinetics is well described by the recombination of holes with photoinjected and pre-existing electrons residing in mid-gap states. We find the mobility of the quantum-confined states shows no temperature dependence down to 6 K, indicating a tunneling mechanism of early time photoconductance. We present evidence of the importance of the exciton fine structure in controlling the low temperature photoconductance, whereby the nanoscale enhanced exchange interaction between electrons and holes in quantum dots introduces a barrier to charge separation. Finally, side-by-side comparison of photocurrent transients using excitation with low- and high-photon energies (1.5 vs. 3.0 eV) reveals clear signatures of carrier multiplication (CM), that is, generation of multiple excitons by single photons. Based on photocurrent measurements of quantum dot solids and optical measurements of solution based samples, we conclude that the CM efficiency is unaffected by strong inter-dot coupling. Therefore, the results of previous numerous spectroscopic CM studies conducted on dilute quantum dot suspensions should, in principle, be reproducible in electronically coupled QD films used in devices.

Effect of the shell material and confinement type on the conversion efficiency of core/shell quantum dot nanocrystal solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahin, Mehmet

2018-05-01

In this study, the effects of the shell material and confinement type on the conversion efficiency of core/shell quantum dot nanocrystal (QDNC) solar cells have been investigated in detail. For this purpose, the conventional, i.e. original, detailed balance model, developed by Shockley and Queisser to calculate an upper limit for the conversion efficiency of silicon p–n junction solar cells, is modified in a simple and effective way to calculate the conversion efficiency of core/shell QDNC solar cells. Since the existing model relies on the gap energy () of the solar cell, it does not make an estimation about the effect of QDNC materials on the efficiency of the solar cells, and gives the same efficiency values for several QDNC solar cells with the same . The proposed modification, however, estimates a conversion efficiency in relation to the material properties and also the confinement type of the QDNCs. The results of the modified model show that, in contrast to the original one, the conversion efficiencies of different QDNC solar cells, even if they have the same , become different depending upon the confinement type and shell material of the core/shell QDNCs, and this is crucial in the design and fabrication of the new generation solar cells to predict the confinement type and also appropriate QDNC materials for better efficiency.

On the AlGaInP-bulk and AlGaInP/GaAs-superlattice confinement effects for heterostructure-emitter bipolar transistors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsai, Jung-Hui, E-mail: jhtsai@nknucc.nknu.edu.tw

2015-02-09

The confinement effect and electrical characteristics of heterostructure-emitter bipolar transistors with an AlGaInP bulk-confinement layer and an AlGaInP/GaAs superlattice-confinement layer are first demonstrated and compared by experimentally results. In the two devices, the relatively large valence band discontinuity at AlGaInP/GaAs heterojunction provides excellent confinement effect for holes to enhance current gain. As to the AlGaInP/GaAs superlattice-confinement device, part of thermionic-emission electrons will be trapped in the GaAs quantum wells of the superlattice. This will result in lower collector current and current gain as compared with the bulk-confinement device. Nevertheless, the superlattice-confinement device exhibits a larger current-gain cutoff frequency, which canmore » be attributed that the tunneling behavior is included in the carrier transportation and transporting time across the emitter region could be substantially reduced.« less

Quantum dot SOA input power dynamic range improvement for differential-phase encoded signals.

PubMed

Vallaitis, T; Bonk, R; Guetlein, J; Hillerkuss, D; Li, J; Brenot, R; Lelarge, F; Duan, G H; Freude, W; Leuthold, J

2010-03-15

Experimentally we find a 10 dB input power dynamic range advantage for amplification of phase encoded signals with quantum dot SOA as compared to low-confinement bulk SOA. An analysis of amplitude and phase effects shows that this improvement can be attributed to the lower alpha-factor found in QD SOA.

ZnO nanorods for electronic and photonic device applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Gyu-Chul; Yoo, Jinkyoung; Park, Won Il; Jung, Sug Woo; An, Sung Jin; Kim, H. J.; Kim, D. W.

2005-11-01

We report on catalyst-free growth of ZnO nanorods and their nano-scale electrical and optical device applications. Catalyst-free metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) enables fabrication of size-controlled high purity ZnO single crystal nanorods. Various high quality nanorod heterostructures and quantum structures based on ZnO nanorods were also prepared using the MOVPE method and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and optical spectroscopy. From the photoluminescence spectra of ZnO/Zn 0.8Mg 0.2O nanorod multi-quantum-well structures, in particular, we observed a systematic blue-shift in their PL peak position due to quantum confinement effect of carriers in nanorod quantum structures. For ZnO/ZnMgO coaxial nanorod heterostructures, photoluminescence intensity was significantly increased presumably due to surface passivation and carrier confinement. In addition to the growth and characterizations of ZnO nanorods and their quantum structures, we fabricated nanoscale electronic devices based on ZnO nanorods. We report on fabrication and device characteristics of metal-oxidesemiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), Schottky diodes, and metal-semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs) as examples of the nanodevices. In addition, electroluminescent devices were fabricated using vertically aligned ZnO nanorods grown p-type GaN substrates, exhibiting strong visible electroluminescence.

Quantum Dots and Their Multimodal Applications: A Review

PubMed Central

Bera, Debasis; Qian, Lei; Tseng, Teng-Kuan; Holloway, Paul H.

2010-01-01

Semiconducting quantum dots, whose particle sizes are in the nanometer range, have very unusual properties. The quantum dots have band gaps that depend in a complicated fashion upon a number of factors, described in the article. Processing-structure-properties-performance relationships are reviewed for compound semiconducting quantum dots. Various methods for synthesizing these quantum dots are discussed, as well as their resulting properties. Quantum states and confinement of their excitons may shift their optical absorption and emission energies. Such effects are important for tuning their luminescence stimulated by photons (photoluminescence) or electric field (electroluminescence). In this article, decoupling of quantum effects on excitation and emission are described, along with the use of quantum dots as sensitizers in phosphors. In addition, we reviewed the multimodal applications of quantum dots, including in electroluminescence device, solar cell and biological imaging.

Studies of quantum dots in the quantum Hall regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldmann, Eyal

We present two studies of quantum dots in the quantum Hall regime. In the first study, presented in Chapter 3, we investigate the edge reconstruction phenomenon believed to occur when the quantum dot filling fraction is n≲1 . Our approach involves the examination of large dots (≤40 electrons) using a partial diagonalization technique in which the occupancies of the deep interior orbitals are frozen. To interpret the results of this calculation, we evaluate the overlap between the diagonalized ground state and a set of trial wavefunctions which we call projected necklace (PN) states. A PN state is simply the angular momentum projection of a maximum density droplet surrounded by a ring of localized electrons. Our calculations reveal that PN states have up to 99% overlap with the diagonalized ground states, and are lower in energy than the states identified in Chamon and Wen's study of the edge reconstruction. In the second study, presented in Chapter 4, we investigate quantum dots in the fractional quantum Hall regime using a Hartree formulation of composite fermion theory. We find that under appropriate conditions, the chemical potential of the dots oscillates periodically with B due to the transfer of composite fermions between quasi-Landau bands. This effect is analogous the addition spectrum oscillations which occur in quantum dots in the integer quantum Hall regime. Period f0 oscillations are found in sharply confined dots with filling factors nu = 2/5 and nu = 2/3. Period 3 f0 oscillations are found in a parabolically confined nu = 2/5 dot. More generally, we argue that the oscillation period of dots with band pinning should vary continuously with B, whereas the period of dots without band pinning is f0 .

Global thermodynamics of confined inhomogeneous dilute gases: A semi-classical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poveda-Cuevas, F. J.; Reyes-Ayala, I.; Seman, J. A.; Romero-Rochín, V.

2018-04-01

In this work we present our contribution to the Latin American School of Physics "Marcos Moshinsky" 2017 on Quantum Correlations which was held in Mexico City during the summer of 2017. We review the efforts that have been done to construct a global thermodynamic description of ultracold dilute gases confined in inhomogeneous potentials. This is difficult because the presence of this non-uniform trap makes the pressure of the gas to be a spatially dependent variable and its volume an ambiguously defined quantity. In this paper we introduce new global thermodynamic variables, equivalent to pressure and volume, and propose a realistic model of the equation of state of the system. This model is based on a mean-field approach which asymptotically reaches the Thomas-Fermi limit for a weakly interacting Bose gas. We put special emphasis to the transition between the normal and superfluid phases by studying the behavior of the isothermal compressibility across the transition. We reveal how the potential modifies the critical properties of the transition by determining the critical exponents associated to the divergences not of the susceptibilities but of their derivatives.

Spin coherence in silicon/silicon-germanium nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truitt, James L.

This thesis investigates the spin coherence of electrons in silicon/silicon-germanium (Si/SiGe) quantum wells. With a long spin coherence time, an electron trapped in a quantum dot in Si/SiGe is a prime candidate for a quantum bit (qubit) in a solid state implementation of a quantum computer. In particular, the mechanisms responsible for decoherence are examined in a variety of Si/SiGe quantum wells, and it is seen that their behavior does not correspond to published theories of decoherence in these structures. Transport data are analyzed for all samples to determine the electrical properties of each, taking into account a parallel conduction path seen in all samples. Furthermore, the effect of confining the electrons into nanostructures of varying size in one of the samples is studied. All but one of the samples examined are grown by ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The nanostructures are patterned on a sample provided by IBM using the Nabity Pattern Generation Software (NPGS) on a LEO1530 Scanning Electron Microscope, and etched using SF6 in an STS reactive ion etcher. Continuous-wave electron spin resonance studies are done using a Bruker ESP300E spectrometer, with a 4.2K continuous flow cryostat and X-band cavity. In order to fully characterize the sample, electrical measurements were done. Hall bars are etched into the 2DEGs, and Ohmic contacts are annealed in to provide a current path through the 2DEG. Measurements are made both from room temperature down to 2K in a Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS), and at 300mK using a custom built probe in a one shot 3He cryostat made by Oxford Instruments. The custom built probe also allows high frequency excitations, facilitating electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) experiments. In many of the samples, an orientationally dependent electron spin resonance linewidth is seen whose anisotropy is much larger at small angles than that predicted by published theories. The anisotropy is further increased through lateral confinement of the electrons, and a change in the coherence and relaxation times may be seen as a function of dot size as well. Finally, an outlook on the direction the lab is taking from 2DEGs to dots with electron spin resonance is given, with some promising electrically detected magnetic resonance results shown.

Correlated Electrons in Reduced Dimensions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonesteel, Nicholas E

2015-01-31

This report summarizes the work accomplished under the support of US DOE grant # DE-FG02-97ER45639, "Correlated Electrons in Reduced Dimensions." The underlying hypothesis of the research supported by this grant has been that studying the unique behavior of correlated electrons in reduced dimensions can lead to new ways of understanding how matter can order and how it can potentially be used. The systems under study have included i) fractional quantum Hall matter, which is realized when electrons are confined to two-dimensions and placed in a strong magnetic field at low temperature, ii) one-dimensional chains of spins and exotic quasiparticle excitationsmore » of topologically ordered matter, and iii) electrons confined in effectively ``zero-dimensional" semiconductor quantum dots.« less

Quantum Behavior of Water Molecules Confined to Nanocavities in Gemstones.

PubMed

Gorshunov, Boris P; Zhukova, Elena S; Torgashev, Victor I; Lebedev, Vladimir V; Shakurov, Gil'man S; Kremer, Reinhard K; Pestrjakov, Efim V; Thomas, Victor G; Fursenko, Dimitry A; Dressel, Martin

2013-06-20

When water is confined to nanocavities, its quantum mechanical behavior can be revealed by terahertz spectroscopy. We place H2O molecules in the nanopores of a beryl crystal lattice and observe a rich and highly anisotropic set of absorption lines in the terahertz spectral range. Two bands can be identified, which originate from translational and librational motions of the water molecule isolated within the cage; they correspond to the analogous broad bands in liquid water and ice. In the present case of well-defined and highly symmetric nanocavities, the observed fine structure can be explained by macroscopic tunneling of the H2O molecules within a six-fold potential caused by the interaction of the molecule with the cavity walls.

Electrons and Phonons in Semiconductor Multilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridley, B. K.

1996-11-01

This book provides a detailed description of the quantum confinement of electrons and phonons in semiconductor wells, superlattices and quantum wires, and shows how this affects their mutual interactions. It discusses the transition from microscopic to continuum models, emphasizing the use of quasi-continuum theory to describe the confinement of optical phonons and electrons. The hybridization of optical phonons and their interactions with electrons are treated, as are other electron scattering mechanisms. The book concludes with an account of the electron distribution function in three-, two- and one-dimensional systems, in the presence of electrical or optical excitation. This text will be of great use to graduate students and researchers investigating low-dimensional semiconductor structures, as well as to those developing new devices based on these systems.

Quantum Dynamics of H2 Trapped within Organic Clathrate Cages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strobel, Timothy A.; Ramirez-Cuesta, Anibal J.; Daemen, Luke L.; Bhadram, Venkata S.; Jenkins, Timothy A.; Brown, Craig M.; Cheng, Yongqiang

2018-03-01

The rotational and translational dynamics of molecular hydrogen trapped within β -hydroquinone clathrate (H2 @β -HQ)—a practical example of a quantum particle trapped within an anisotropic confining potential—were investigated using inelastic neutron scattering and Raman spectroscopy. High-resolution vibrational spectra, including those collected from the VISION spectrometer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, indicate relatively strong attractive interaction between guest and host with a strikingly large splitting of rotational energy levels compared with similar guest-host systems. Unlike related molecular systems in which confined H2 exhibits nearly free rotation, the behavior of H2 @β -HQ is explained using a two-dimensional (2D) hindered rotor model with barrier height more than 2 times the rotational constant (-16.2 meV ).

Effect of geometry on the pressure induced donor binding energy in semiconductor nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalpana, P.; Jayakumar, K.; Nithiananthi, P.

2015-09-01

The effect of geometry on an on-center hydrogenic donor impurity in a GaAs/(Ga,Al)As quantum wire (QWW) and quantum dot (QD) under the influence of Γ-X band mixing due to an applied hydrostatic pressure is theoretically studied. Numerical calculations are performed in an effective mass approximation. The ground state impurity energy is obtained by variational procedure. Both the effects of pressure and geometry are to exert an additional confinement on the impurity inside the wire as well as dot. We found that the donor binding energy is modified by the geometrical effects as well as by the confining potential when it is subjected to external pressure. The results are presented and discussed.

S-Duality, Deconstruction and Confinement for a Marginal Deformation of N=4 SUSY Yang-Mills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorey, Nick

2004-08-01

We study an exactly marginal deformation of Script N = 4 SUSY Yang-Mills with gauge group U(N) using field theory and string theory methods. The classical theory has a Higgs branch for rational values of the deformation parameter. We argue that the quantum theory also has an S-dual confining branch which cannot be seen classically. The low-energy effective theory on these branches is a six-dimensional non-commutative gauge theory with sixteen supercharges. Confinement of magnetic and electric charges, on the Higgs and confining branches respectively, occurs due to the formation of BPS-saturated strings in the low energy theory. The results also suggest a new way of deconstructing Little String Theory as a large-N limit of a confining gauge theory in four dimensions.

The impact of quantum dot filling on dual-band optical transitions via intermediate quantum states

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Jiang, E-mail: jiang.wu@ucl.ac.uk; Passmore, Brandon; Manasreh, M. O.

2015-08-28

InAs/GaAs quantum dot infrared photodetectors with different doping levels were investigated to understand the effect of quantum dot filling on both intraband and interband optical transitions. The electron filling of self-assembled InAs quantum dots was varied by direct doping of quantum dots with different concentrations. Photoresponse in the near infrared and middle wavelength infrared spectral region was observed from samples with low quantum dot filling. Although undoped quantum dots were favored for interband transitions with the absence of a second optical excitation in the near infrared region, doped quantum dots were preferred to improve intraband transitions in the middle wavelengthmore » infrared region. As a result, partial filling of quantum dot was required, to the extent of maintaining a low dark current, to enhance the dual-band photoresponse through the confined electron states.« less

Engineered Models of Confined Cell Migration

PubMed Central

Paul, Colin D.; Hung, Wei-Chien; Wirtz, Denis; Konstantopoulos, Konstantinos

2017-01-01

Cells in the body are physically confined by neighboring cells, tissues, and the extracellular matrix. Although physical confinement modulates intracellular signaling and the underlying mechanisms of cell migration, it is difficult to study in vivo. Furthermore, traditional two-dimensional cell migration assays do not recapitulate the complex topographies found in the body. Therefore, a number of experimental in vitro models that confine and impose forces on cells in well-defined microenvironments have been engineered. We describe the design and use of microfluidic microchannel devices, grooved substrates, micropatterned lines, vertical confinement devices, patterned hydrogels, and micropipette aspiration assays for studying cell responses to confinement. Use of these devices has enabled the delineation of changes in cytoskeletal reorganization, cell–substrate adhesions, intracellular signaling, nuclear shape, and gene expression that result from physical confinement. These assays and the physiologically relevant signaling pathways that have been elucidated are beginning to have a translational and clinical impact. PMID:27420571

Holographic repulsion and confinement in gauge theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husain, Viqar; Kothawala, Dawood

2013-02-01

We show that for asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AdS) backgrounds with negative energy, such as the AdS soliton and regulated negative-mass AdS-Schwarzshild metrics, the Wilson loop expectation value in the AdS/CFT conjecture exhibits a Coulomb to confinement transition. We also show that the quark-antiquark (q \\bar{q}) potential can be interpreted as affine time along null geodesics on the minimal string worldsheet and that its intrinsic curvature provides a signature of transition to confinement phase. Our results suggest a generic (holographic) relationship between confinement in gauge theory and repulsive gravity, which in turn is connected with singularity avoidance in quantum gravity. Communicated by P R L V Moniz

Lifetimes of the Vibrational States of DNA Molecules in Functionalized Complexes of Semiconductor Quantum Dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayramov, F. B.; Poloskin, E. D.; Chernev, A. L.; Toporov, V. V.; Dubina, M. V.; Sprung, C.; Lipsanen, H. K.; Bairamov, B. Kh.

2018-01-01

Results of studying nanocrystalline nc-Si/SiO2 quantum dots (QDs) functionalized by short oligonucleotides show that complexes of isolated crystalline semiconductor QDs are unique objects for detecting the manifestation of new quantum confinement phenomena. It is established that narrow lines observed in high-resolution spectra of inelastic light scattering can be used for determining the characteristic time scale of vibrational excitations of separate nucleotide molecules and for studying structural-dynamic properties of fast oscillatory processes in biomacromolecules.

Subsystem functional and the missing ingredient of confinement physics in density functionals.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Armiento, Rickard Roberto; Mattsson, Ann Elisabet; Hao, Feng

2010-08-01

The subsystem functional scheme is a promising approach recently proposed for constructing exchange-correlation density functionals. In this scheme, the physics in each part of real materials is described by mapping to a characteristic model system. The 'confinement physics,' an essential physical ingredient that has been left out in present functionals, is studied by employing the harmonic-oscillator (HO) gas model. By performing the potential {yields} density and the density {yields} exchange energy per particle mappings based on two model systems characterizing the physics in the interior (uniform electron-gas model) and surface regions (Airy gas model) of materials for the HO gases,more » we show that the confinement physics emerges when only the lowest subband of the HO gas is occupied by electrons. We examine the approximations of the exchange energy by several state-of-the-art functionals for the HO gas, and none of them produces adequate accuracy in the confinement dominated cases. A generic functional that incorporates the description of the confinement physics is needed.« less

Quantum memory with optically trapped atoms.

PubMed

Chuu, Chih-Sung; Strassel, Thorsten; Zhao, Bo; Koch, Markus; Chen, Yu-Ao; Chen, Shuai; Yuan, Zhen-Sheng; Schmiedmayer, Jörg; Pan, Jian-Wei

2008-09-19

We report the experimental demonstration of quantum memory for collective atomic states in a far-detuned optical dipole trap. Generation of the collective atomic state is heralded by the detection of a Raman scattered photon and accompanied by storage in the ensemble of atoms. The optical dipole trap provides confinement for the atoms during the quantum storage while retaining the atomic coherence. We probe the quantum storage by cross correlation of the photon pair arising from the Raman scattering and the retrieval of the atomic state stored in the memory. Nonclassical correlations are observed for storage times up to 60 mus.

Mid-infrared intersubband absorption from p-Ge quantum wells grown on Si substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gallacher, K.; Millar, R. W.; Paul, D. J., E-mail: Douglas.Paul@glasgow.ac.uk

2016-02-29

Mid-infrared intersubband absorption from p-Ge quantum wells with Si{sub 0.5}Ge{sub 0.5} barriers grown on a Si substrate is demonstrated from 6 to 9 μm wavelength at room temperature and can be tuned by adjusting the quantum well thickness. Fourier transform infra-red transmission and photoluminescence measurements demonstrate clear absorption peaks corresponding to intersubband transitions among confined hole states. The work indicates an approach that will allow quantum well intersubband photodetectors to be realized on Si substrates in the important atmospheric transmission window of 8–13 μm.

Graphene and Carbon Quantum Dot-Based Materials in Photovoltaic Devices: From Synthesis to Applications

PubMed Central

Paulo, Sofia; Palomares, Emilio; Martinez-Ferrero, Eugenia

2016-01-01

Graphene and carbon quantum dots have extraordinary optical and electrical features because of their quantum confinement properties. This makes them attractive materials for applications in photovoltaic devices (PV). Their versatility has led to their being used as light harvesting materials or selective contacts, either for holes or electrons, in silicon quantum dot, polymer or dye-sensitized solar cells. In this review, we summarize the most common uses of both types of semiconducting materials and highlight the significant advances made in recent years due to the influence that synthetic materials have on final performance. PMID:28335285

Ultrafast atomic-scale visualization of acoustic phonons generated by optically excited quantum dots

PubMed Central

Vanacore, Giovanni M.; Hu, Jianbo; Liang, Wenxi; Bietti, Sergio; Sanguinetti, Stefano; Carbone, Fabrizio; Zewail, Ahmed H.

2017-01-01

Understanding the dynamics of atomic vibrations confined in quasi-zero dimensional systems is crucial from both a fundamental point-of-view and a technological perspective. Using ultrafast electron diffraction, we monitored the lattice dynamics of GaAs quantum dots—grown by Droplet Epitaxy on AlGaAs—with sub-picosecond and sub-picometer resolutions. An ultrafast laser pulse nearly resonantly excites a confined exciton, which efficiently couples to high-energy acoustic phonons through the deformation potential mechanism. The transient behavior of the measured diffraction pattern reveals the nonequilibrium phonon dynamics both within the dots and in the region surrounding them. The experimental results are interpreted within the theoretical framework of a non-Markovian decoherence, according to which the optical excitation creates a localized polaron within the dot and a travelling phonon wavepacket that leaves the dot at the speed of sound. These findings indicate that integration of a phononic emitter in opto-electronic devices based on quantum dots for controlled communication processes can be fundamentally feasible. PMID:28852685

Quantum phase transition modulation in an atomtronic Mott switch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLain, Marie A.; Carr, Lincoln D.

2018-07-01

Mott insulators provide stable quantum states and long coherence times due to small number fluctuations, making them good candidates for quantum memory and atomic circuits. We propose a proof-of-principle for a 1D Mott switch using an ultracold Bose gas and optical lattice. With time-evolving block decimation simulations—efficient matrix product state methods—we design a means for transient parameter characterization via a local excitation for ease of engineering into more complex atomtronics. We perform the switch operation by tuning the intensity of the optical lattice, and thus the interaction strength through a conductance transition due to the confined modifications of the ‘wedding cake’ Mott structure. We demonstrate the time-dependence of Fock state transmission and fidelity of the excitation as a means of tuning up the device in a double well and as a measure of noise performance. Two-point correlations via the g (2) measure provide additional information regarding superfluid fragments on the Mott insulating background due to the confinement of the potential.

Temperature independent infrared responsivity of a quantum dot quantum cascade photodetector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Feng-Jiao; Zhuo, Ning; Liu, Shu-Man, E-mail: liusm@semi.ac.cn

2016-06-20

We demonstrate a quantum dot quantum cascade photodetector with a hybrid active region of InAs quantum dots and an InGaAs quantum well, which exhibited a temperature independent response at 4.5 μm. The normal incident responsivity reached 10.3 mA/W at 120 K and maintained a value of 9 mA/W up to 260 K. It exhibited a specific detectivity above 10{sup 11} cm Hz{sup 1/2} W{sup −1} at 77 K, which remained at 10{sup 8} cm Hz{sup 1/2} W{sup −1} at 260 K. We ascribe the device's good thermal stability of infrared response to the three-dimensional quantum confinement of the InAs quantum dots incorporated in the active region.

Using Quantum Mechanics to Facilitate the Introduction of a Broad Range of Chemical Concepts to First-Year Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

deSouza, Romualdo T.; Iyengar, Srinivasan S.

2013-01-01

A first-year undergraduate course that introduces students to chemistry through a conceptually detailed description of quantum mechanics is outlined. Quantization as arising from the confinement of a particle is presented and these ideas are used to introduce the reasons behind resonance, molecular orbital theory, degeneracy of electronic states,…

The Biharmonic Oscillator and Asymmetric Linear Potentials: From Classical Trajectories to Momentum-Space Probability Densities in the Extreme Quantum Limit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruckle, L. J.; Belloni, M.; Robinett, R. W.

2012-01-01

The biharmonic oscillator and the asymmetric linear well are two confining power-law-type potentials for which complete bound-state solutions are possible in both classical and quantum mechanics. We examine these problems in detail, beginning with studies of their trajectories in position and momentum space, evaluation of the classical probability…

Electrostatically confined trilayer graphene quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzakhani, M.; Zarenia, M.; Vasilopoulos, P.; Peeters, F. M.

2017-04-01

Electrically gating of trilayer graphene (TLG) opens a band gap offering the possibility to electrically engineer TLG quantum dots. We study the energy levels of such quantum dots and investigate their dependence on a perpendicular magnetic field B and different types of stacking of the graphene layers. The dots are modeled as circular and confined by a truncated parabolic potential which can be realized by nanostructured gates or position-dependent doping. The energy spectra exhibit the intervalley symmetry EKe(m ) =-EK'h(m ) for the electron (e ) and hole (h ) states, where m is the angular momentum quantum number and K and K ' label the two valleys. The electron and hole spectra for B =0 are twofold degenerate due to the intervalley symmetry EK(m ) =EK'[-(m +1 ) ] . For both ABC [α =1.5 (1.2) for large (small) R ] and ABA (α =1 ) stackings, the lowest-energy levels show approximately a R-α dependence on the dot radius R in contrast with the 1 /R3 one for ABC-stacked dots with infinite-mass boundary. As functions of the field B , the oscillator strengths for dipole-allowed transitions differ drastically for the two types of stackings.

Nanostructure and optoelectronic phenomena in germanium-transparent conductive oxide (Ge:TCO) composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, Grace Hwei-Pyng

Nanostructured composites are attracting intense interest for electronic and optoelectronic device applications, specifically as active elements in thin film photovoltaic (PV) device architectures. These systems implement fundamentally different concepts of enhancing energy conversion efficiencies compared to those seen in current commercial devices. This is possible through considerable flexibility in the manipulation of device-relevant properties through control of the interplay between the nanostructure and the optoelectronic response. In the present work, inorganic nanocomposites of semiconductor Ge embedded in transparent conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) as well as Ge in zinc oxide (ZnO) were produced by a single step RF-magnetron sputter deposition process. It is shown that, by controlling the design of the nanocomposites as well as heat treatment conditions, decreases in the physical dimensions of Ge nanophase size provided an effective tuning of the optical absorption and charge transport properties. This effect of changes in the optical properties of nanophase semiconductors with respect to size is known as the quantum confinement effect. Variation in the embedding matrix material between ITO and ZnO with corresponding characterization of optoelectronic properties exhibit notable differences in the presence and evolution of an interfacial oxide within these composites. Further studies of interfacial structures were performed using depth-profiling XPS and Raman spectroscopy, while study of the corresponding electronic effects were performed using room temperature and temperature-dependent Hall Effect. Optical absorption was noted to shift to higher onset energies upon heat treatment with a decrease in the observed Ge domain size, indicating quantum confinement effects within these systems. This contrasts to previous investigations that have involved the introduction of nanoscale Ge into insulating, amorphous oxides. Comparison of these different matrix chemistries highlights the overarching role of interfacial structures on quantum-size characteristics. The opportunity to tune the spectral response of these PV materials, via control of semiconductor phase assembly in the nanocomposite, directly impacts the potential for the use of these materials as sensitizing elements for enhanced solar cell conversion efficiency.

Cavity QED with hybrid nanocircuits: from atomic-like physics to condensed matter phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cottet, Audrey; Dartiailh, Matthieu C.; Desjardins, Matthieu M.; Cubaynes, Tino; Contamin, Lauriane C.; Delbecq, Matthieu; Viennot, Jérémie J.; Bruhat, Laure E.; Douçot, Benoit; Kontos, Takis

2017-11-01

Circuit QED techniques have been instrumental in manipulating and probing with exquisite sensitivity the quantum state of superconducting quantum bits coupled to microwave cavities. Recently, it has become possible to fabricate new devices in which the superconducting quantum bits are replaced by hybrid mesoscopic circuits combining nanoconductors and metallic reservoirs. This mesoscopic QED provides a new experimental playground to study the light-matter interaction in electronic circuits. Here, we present the experimental state of the art of mesoscopic QED and its theoretical description. A first class of experiments focuses on the artificial atom limit, where some quasiparticles are trapped in nanocircuit bound states. In this limit, the circuit QED techniques can be used to manipulate and probe electronic degrees of freedom such as confined charges, spins, or Andreev pairs. A second class of experiments uses cavity photons to reveal the dynamics of electron tunneling between a nanoconductor and fermionic reservoirs. For instance, the Kondo effect, the charge relaxation caused by grounded metallic contacts, and the photo-emission caused by voltage-biased reservoirs have been studied. The tunnel coupling between nanoconductors and fermionic reservoirs also enable one to obtain split Cooper pairs, or Majorana bound states. Cavity photons represent a qualitatively new tool to study these exotic condensed matter states.

Cavity QED with hybrid nanocircuits: from atomic-like physics to condensed matter phenomena.

PubMed

Cottet, Audrey; Dartiailh, Matthieu C; Desjardins, Matthieu M; Cubaynes, Tino; Contamin, Lauriane C; Delbecq, Matthieu; Viennot, Jérémie J; Bruhat, Laure E; Douçot, Benoit; Kontos, Takis

2017-11-01

Circuit QED techniques have been instrumental in manipulating and probing with exquisite sensitivity the quantum state of superconducting quantum bits coupled to microwave cavities. Recently, it has become possible to fabricate new devices in which the superconducting quantum bits are replaced by hybrid mesoscopic circuits combining nanoconductors and metallic reservoirs. This mesoscopic QED provides a new experimental playground to study the light-matter interaction in electronic circuits. Here, we present the experimental state of the art of mesoscopic QED and its theoretical description. A first class of experiments focuses on the artificial atom limit, where some quasiparticles are trapped in nanocircuit bound states. In this limit, the circuit QED techniques can be used to manipulate and probe electronic degrees of freedom such as confined charges, spins, or Andreev pairs. A second class of experiments uses cavity photons to reveal the dynamics of electron tunneling between a nanoconductor and fermionic reservoirs. For instance, the Kondo effect, the charge relaxation caused by grounded metallic contacts, and the photo-emission caused by voltage-biased reservoirs have been studied. The tunnel coupling between nanoconductors and fermionic reservoirs also enable one to obtain split Cooper pairs, or Majorana bound states. Cavity photons represent a qualitatively new tool to study these exotic condensed matter states.

The Electrochemical Society, Inc. Meeting Program (181st), Held in St. Louis, Missouri on May 17-22, 1992. Including: State-of-the-Art Program on Compound Semiconductors XVI, Fullerenes: Chemistry, Physics, and New Directions, Quantum Confinement, Micromachining and Microstructures, Electronics/Dielectric Science and Technology Joint Recent News Papers

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-04-28

evening. After the boat has crusied for Division Executive Committee a while, you will be served a buffet-style dinner of baked ham. chicken a Is...you would like to discuss. a The Pox Theatre and St. Louis Science Center are spectacular sites member of the Society Headquarters Staff will be...be no larger than 8 In 1929 by William Pox of 20th Century Pon fame, as crown jewel of 1" i 11’. ie empire, It be earned the name "The Fabulous Pox

Control of interlayer physics in 2H transition metal dichalcogenides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kuang-Chung; Stanev, Teodor K.; Valencia, Daniel; Charles, James; Henning, Alex; Sangwan, Vinod K.; Lahiri, Aritra; Mejia, Daniel; Sarangapani, Prasad; Povolotskyi, Michael; Afzalian, Aryan; Maassen, Jesse; Klimeck, Gerhard; Hersam, Mark C.; Lauhon, Lincoln J.; Stern, Nathaniel P.; Kubis, Tillmann

2017-12-01

It is assessed in detail both experimentally and theoretically how the interlayer coupling of transition metal dichalcogenides controls the electronic properties of the respective devices. Gated transition metal dichalcogenide structures show electrons and holes to either localize in individual monolayers, or delocalize beyond multiple layers—depending on the balance between spin-orbit interaction and interlayer hopping. This balance depends on the layer thickness, momentum space symmetry points, and applied gate fields. The design range of this balance, the effective Fermi levels, and all relevant effective masses is analyzed in great detail. A good quantitative agreement of predictions and measurements of the quantum confined Stark effect in gated MoS2 systems unveils intralayer excitons as the major source for the observed photoluminescence.

Nonequilibrium Hall Response After a Topological Quench

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unal, F. Nur; Mueller, Erich; Oktel, M. O.

2017-04-01

We theoretically study the Hall response of a lattice system following a quench where the topology of a filled band is suddenly changed. In the limit where the physics is dominated by a single Dirac cone, we find that the change in the Hall conductivity is two-thirds of the quantum of conductivity. We explore this universal behavior in the Haldane model, and discuss cold-atom experiments for its observation. Beyond linear response, the Hall effect crosses over from fractional to integer values. We investigate finite-size effects, and the role of the harmonic confinement. Furthermore, we explore the magnetic field quenches in ladders formed in synthetic dimensions. This work is supported by TUBITAK, NSFPHY-1508300, ARO-MURI W9111NF-14-1-0003.

Electronic and Optical Properties of Two-Dimensional GaN from First-Principles.

PubMed

Sanders, Nocona; Bayerl, Dylan; Shi, Guangsha; Mengle, Kelsey A; Kioupakis, Emmanouil

2017-12-13

Gallium nitride (GaN) is an important commercial semiconductor for solid-state lighting applications. Atomically thin GaN, a recently synthesized two-dimensional material, is of particular interest because the extreme quantum confinement enables additional control of its light-emitting properties. We performed first-principles calculations based on density functional and many-body perturbation theory to investigate the electronic, optical, and excitonic properties of monolayer and bilayer two-dimensional (2D) GaN as a function of strain. Our results demonstrate that light emission from monolayer 2D GaN is blueshifted into the deep ultraviolet range, which is promising for sterilization and water-purification applications. Light emission from bilayer 2D GaN occurs at a similar wavelength to its bulk counterpart due to the cancellation of the effect of quantum confinement on the optical gap by the quantum-confined Stark shift. Polarized light emission at room temperature is possible via uniaxial in-plane strain, which is desirable for energy-efficient display applications. We compare the electronic and optical properties of freestanding two-dimensional GaN to atomically thin GaN wells embedded within AlN barriers in order to understand how the functional properties are influenced by the presence of barriers. Our results provide microscopic understanding of the electronic and optical characteristics of GaN at the few-layer regime.

The thermoelectric efficiency of quantum dots in indium arsenide/indium phosphide nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, Eric A.

State of the art semiconductor materials engineering provides the possibility to fabricate devices on the lower end of the mesoscopic scale and confine only a handful of electrons to a region of space. When the thermal energy is reduced below the energetic quantum level spacing, the confined electrons assume energy levels akin to the core-shell structure of natural atoms. Such "artificial atoms", also known as quantum dots, can be loaded with electrons, one-by-one, and subsequently unloaded using source and drain electrical contacts. As such, quantum dots are uniquely tunable platforms for performing quantum transport and quantum control experiments. Voltage-biased electron transport through quantum dots has been studied extensively. Far less attention has been given to thermoelectric effects in quantum dots, that is, electron transport induced by a temperature gradient. This dissertation focuses on the efficiency of direct thermal-to-electric energy conversion in InAs/InP quantum dots embedded in nanowires. The efficiency of thermoelectric heat engines is bounded by the same maximum efficiency as cyclic heat engines; namely, by Carnot efficiency. The efficiency of bulk thermoelectric materials suffers from their inability to transport charge carriers selectively based on energy. Owing to their three-dimensional momentum quantization, quantum dots operate as electron energy filters---a property which can be harnessed to minimize entropy production and therefore maximize efficiency. This research was motivated by the possibility to realize experimentally a thermodynamic heat engine operating with near-Carnot efficiency using the unique behavior of quantum dots. To this end, a microscopic heating scheme for the application of a temperature difference across a quantum dot was developed in conjunction with a novel quantum-dot thermometry technique used for quantifying the magnitude of the applied temperature difference. While pursuing high-efficiency thermoelectric performance, many mesoscopic thermoelectric effects were observed and studied, including Coulomb-blockade thermovoltage oscillations, thermoelectric power generation, and strong nonlinear behavior. In the end, a quantum-dot-based thermoelectric heat engine was achieved and demonstrated an electronic efficiency of up to 95% Carnot efficiency.

Fisher information in confined hydrogen-like ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherjee, Neetik; Majumdar, Sangita; Roy, Amlan K.

2018-01-01

Fisher information (I) is investigated for confined hydrogen atom (CHA)-like systems in conjugate r and p spaces. A comparative study between CHA and free H atom (with respect to I) is pursued. A detailed systematic result of I with respect to variation of confinement radius rc is presented, with particular emphasis on non-zero- (l, m) states. In certain respect, inferences in CHA are significantly different from free counterpart, such as (i) dependence on n, l quantum numbers (ii) appearance of maxima in Ip plots for | m | ≠ 0 . The role of atomic number and atomic radius is discussed.

Nonlocal response in plasmonic waveguiding with extreme light confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toscano, Giuseppe; Raza, Søren; Yan, Wei; Jeppesen, Claus; Xiao, Sanshui; Wubs, Martijn; Jauho, Antti-Pekka; Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.; Mortensen, N. Asger

2013-07-01

We present a novel wave equation for linearized plasmonic response, obtained by combining the coupled real-space differential equations for the electric field and current density. Nonlocal dynamics are fully accounted for, and the formulation is very well suited for numerical implementation, allowing us to study waveguides with subnanometer cross-sections exhibiting extreme light confinement. We show that groove and wedge waveguides have a fundamental lower limit in their mode confinement, only captured by the nonlocal theory. The limitation translates into an upper limit for the corresponding Purcell factors, and thus has important implications for quantum plasmonics.

Nonperturbative confinement in quantum chromodynamics. I. Study of an approximate equation of Mandelstam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkinson, D.; Drohm, J. K.; Johnson, P. W.; Stam, K.

1981-11-01

An approximated form of the Dyson-Schwinger equation for the gluon propagator in quarkless QCD is subjected to nonlinear functional and numerical analysis. It is found that solutions exist, and that these have a double pole at the origin of the square of the propagator momentum, together with an accumulation of soft branch points. This analytic structure is strongly suggestive of confinement by infrared slavery.

Effect of magnetic field on the donor impurity in CdTe/Cd1-xMnxTe quantum well wire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalpana, P.; Reuben, A. Merwyn Jasper D.; Nithiananthi, P.; Jayakumar, K.

2016-05-01

The donor impurity binding energy in CdTe / Cd1-xMnxTe QWW with square well confinement along x - direction and parabolic confinement along y - direction under the influence of externally applied magnetic field has been computed using variational principle in the effective mass approximation. The spin polaronic shift has also been computed. The results are presented and discussed.

Electronic and transport properties of zigzag carbon nanotubes with the presence of periodical antidot and boron/nitride doping defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zoghi, Milad; Yazdanpanah Goharrizi, Arash; Mirjalili, Seyed Mohammad; Kabir, M. Z.

2018-06-01

Electronic and transport properties of Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are affected by the presence of physical or chemical defects in their structures. In this paper, we present novel platforms of defected zigzag CNTs (Z-CNTs) in which two topologies of antidot and Boron/Nitride (BN) doping defects are periodically imposed throughout the length of perfect tubes. Using the tight binding model and the non-equilibrium Green’s function method, it is realized that the quantum confinement of Z-CNTs is modified by the presence of such defects. This new quantum confinement results in the appearance of mini bands and mini gaps in the transmission spectra, as well as a modified band structure and band gap size. The modified band gap could be either larger or smaller than the intrinsic band gap of a perfect tube, which is determined by the category of Z-CNT. The in-depth analysis shows that the size of the modified band gap is the function of several factors consisting of: the radii of tube (D r), the distance between adjacent defects (d d), the utilized defect topology, and the kind of defect (antidot or BN doping). Furthermore, taking advantage of the tunable band gap size of Z-CNT with the presence of periodical defects, new platforms of defect-based Z-CNT resonant tunneling diode (RTD) are proposed for the first time. Our calculations demonstrate the apparition of resonances in transmission spectra and the negative differential resistance in the I-V characteristics for such RTD platforms.

AdS/QCD and Applications of Light-Front Holography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brodsky, Stanley J.; /SLAC /Southern Denmark U., CP3-Origins; Cao, Fu-Guang

2012-02-16

Light-Front Holography leads to a rigorous connection between hadronic amplitudes in a higher dimensional anti-de Sitter (AdS) space and frame-independent light-front wavefunctions of hadrons in 3 + 1 physical space-time, thus providing a compelling physical interpretation of the AdS/CFT correspondence principle and AdS/QCD, a useful framework which describes the correspondence between theories in a modified AdS5 background and confining field theories in physical space-time. To a first semiclassical approximation, where quantum loops and quark masses are not included, this approach leads to a single-variable light-front Schroedinger equation which determines the eigenspectrum and the light-front wavefunctions of hadrons for general spinmore » and orbital angular momentum. The coordinate z in AdS space is uniquely identified with a Lorentz-invariant coordinate {zeta} which measures the separation of the constituents within a hadron at equal light-front time. The internal structure of hadrons is explicitly introduced and the angular momentum of the constituents plays a key role. We give an overview of the light-front holographic approach to strongly coupled QCD. In particular, we study the photon-to-meson transition form factors (TFFs) F{sub M{gamma}}(Q{sup 2}) for {gamma}{gamma}* {yields} M using light-front holographic methods. The results for the TFFs for the {eta} and {eta}' mesons are also presented. Some novel features of QCD are discussed, including the consequences of confinement for quark and gluon condensates. A method for computing the hadronization of quark and gluon jets at the amplitude level is outlined.« less

Enhancing Kondo coupling in alkaline-earth-metal atomic gases with confinement-induced resonances in mixed dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yanting; Zhang, Ren; Zhang, Peng; Zhai, Hui

2017-12-01

The Kondo effect describes the spin-exchange interaction between localized impurities and itinerant fermions. The ultracold alkaline-earth atomic gas provides a natural platform for quantum simulation of the Kondo model, utilizing its long-lived clock state and the nuclear-spin exchange interaction between clock state and ground state. One of the key issue now is whether the Kondo temperature can be high enough to be reached in current experiments, for which we have proposed to use transverse confinement to confine atoms into a one-dimensional tube and to use the confinement-induced resonance to enhance Kondo coupling. In this work, we further consider the (1 +0 ) -dimensional scattering problem when the clock state is further confined by an axial harmonic confinement. We show that this axial confinement for the clock-state atoms not only plays a role for localizing them, but can also act as an additional control knob to reach the confinement-induced resonance. We show that, in the presence of both the transverse and the axial confinements, the confinement-induced resonance can be reached in the practical conditions and the Kondo effect can be attainable in this system.

From quantum foundations to applications and back.

PubMed

Gisin, Nicolas; Fröwis, Florian

2018-07-13

Quantum non-locality has been an extremely fruitful subject of research, leading the scientific revolution towards quantum information science, in particular, to device-independent quantum information processing. We argue that the time is ripe to work on another basic problem in the foundations of quantum physics, the quantum measurement problem, which should produce good physics in theoretical, mathematical, experimental and applied physics. We briefly review how quantum non-locality contributed to physics (including some outstanding open problems) and suggest ways in which questions around macroscopic quantumness could equally contribute to all aspects of physics.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Foundations of quantum mechanics and their impact on contemporary society'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Effect of the shell material and confinement type on the conversion efficiency of core/shell quantum dot nanocrystal solar cells.

PubMed

Sahin, Mehmet

2018-05-23

In this study, the effects of the shell material and confinement type on the conversion efficiency of core/shell quantum dot nanocrystal (QDNC) solar cells have been investigated in detail. For this purpose, the conventional, i.e. original, detailed balance model, developed by Shockley and Queisser to calculate an upper limit for the conversion efficiency of silicon p-n junction solar cells, is modified in a simple and effective way to calculate the conversion efficiency of core/shell QDNC solar cells. Since the existing model relies on the gap energy ([Formula: see text]) of the solar cell, it does not make an estimation about the effect of QDNC materials on the efficiency of the solar cells, and gives the same efficiency values for several QDNC solar cells with the same [Formula: see text]. The proposed modification, however, estimates a conversion efficiency in relation to the material properties and also the confinement type of the QDNCs. The results of the modified model show that, in contrast to the original one, the conversion efficiencies of different QDNC solar cells, even if they have the same [Formula: see text], become different depending upon the confinement type and shell material of the core/shell QDNCs, and this is crucial in the design and fabrication of the new generation solar cells to predict the confinement type and also appropriate QDNC materials for better efficiency.

Spatially confined synthesis of SiOx nano-rod with size-controlled Si quantum dots in nano-porous anodic aluminum oxide membrane.

PubMed

Pai, Yi-Hao; Lin, Gong-Ru

2011-01-17

By depositing Si-rich SiOx nano-rod in nano-porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane using PECVD, the spatially confined synthesis of Si quantum-dots (Si-QDs) with ultra-bright photoluminescence spectra are demonstrated after low-temperature annealing. Spatially confined SiOx nano-rod in nano-porous AAO membrane greatly increases the density of nucleated positions for Si-QD precursors, which essentially impedes the route of thermally diffused Si atoms and confines the degree of atomic self-aggregation. The diffusion controlled growth mechanism is employed to determine the activation energy of 6.284 kJ mole(-1) and diffusion length of 2.84 nm for SiO1.5 nano-rod in nano-porous AAO membrane. HRTEM results verify that the reduced geometric dimension of the SiOx host matrix effectively constrain the buried Si-QD size at even lower annealing temperature. The spatially confined synthesis of Si-QD essentially contributes the intense PL with its spectral linewidth shrinking from 210 to 140 nm and its peak intensity enhancing by two orders of magnitude, corresponding to the reduction on both the average Si-QD size and its standard deviation from 2.6 to 2.0 nm and from 25% to 12.5%, respectively. The red-shifted PL wavelength of the Si-QD reveals an inverse exponential trend with increasing temperature of annealing, which is in good agree with the Si-QD size simulation via the atomic diffusion theory.

Optimal Silicon Doping Layers of Quantum Barriers in the Growth Sequence Forming Soft Confinement Potential of Eight-Period In0.2Ga0.8N/GaN Quantum Wells of Blue LEDs.

PubMed

Wang, Hsiang-Chen; Chen, Meng-Chu; Lin, Yen-Sheng; Lu, Ming-Yen; Lin, Kuang-I; Cheng, Yung-Chen

2017-11-09

The features of eight-period In 0.2 Ga 0.8 N/GaN quantum wells (QWs) with silicon (Si) doping in the first two to five quantum barriers (QBs) in the growth sequence of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are explored. Epilayers of QWs' structures are grown on 20 pairs of In 0.02 Ga 0.98 N/GaN superlattice acting as strain relief layers (SRLs) on patterned sapphire substrates (PSSs) by a low-pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD) system. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectra, current versus voltage (I-V) curves, light output power versus injection current (L-I) curves, and images of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) of epilayers are measured. The consequences show that QWs with four Si-doped QBs have larger carrier localization energy (41 meV), lower turn-on (3.27 V) and breakdown (- 6.77 V) voltages, and higher output power of light of blue LEDs at higher injection current than other samples. Low barrier height of QBs in a four-Si-doped QB sample results in soft confinement potential of QWs and lower turn-on and breakdown voltages of the diode. HRTEM images give the evidence that this sample has relatively diffusive interfaces of QWs. Uniform spread of carriers among eight QWs and superior localization of carriers in each well are responsible for the enhancement of light output power, in particular, for high injection current in the four-Si-doped QB sample. The results demonstrate that four QBs of eight In 0.2 Ga 0.8 N/GaN QWs with Si doping not only reduce the quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) but also improve the distribution and localization of carriers in QWs for better optical performance of blue LEDs.

Optimal Silicon Doping Layers of Quantum Barriers in the Growth Sequence Forming Soft Confinement Potential of Eight-Period In0.2Ga0.8N/GaN Quantum Wells of Blue LEDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hsiang-Chen; Chen, Meng-Chu; Lin, Yen-Sheng; Lu, Ming-Yen; Lin, Kuang-I.; Cheng, Yung-Chen

2017-11-01

The features of eight-period In0.2Ga0.8N/GaN quantum wells (QWs) with silicon (Si) doping in the first two to five quantum barriers (QBs) in the growth sequence of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are explored. Epilayers of QWs' structures are grown on 20 pairs of In0.02Ga0.98N/GaN superlattice acting as strain relief layers (SRLs) on patterned sapphire substrates (PSSs) by a low-pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD) system. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectra, current versus voltage ( I- V) curves, light output power versus injection current ( L- I) curves, and images of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) of epilayers are measured. The consequences show that QWs with four Si-doped QBs have larger carrier localization energy (41 meV), lower turn-on (3.27 V) and breakdown (- 6.77 V) voltages, and higher output power of light of blue LEDs at higher injection current than other samples. Low barrier height of QBs in a four-Si-doped QB sample results in soft confinement potential of QWs and lower turn-on and breakdown voltages of the diode. HRTEM images give the evidence that this sample has relatively diffusive interfaces of QWs. Uniform spread of carriers among eight QWs and superior localization of carriers in each well are responsible for the enhancement of light output power, in particular, for high injection current in the four-Si-doped QB sample. The results demonstrate that four QBs of eight In0.2Ga0.8N/GaN QWs with Si doping not only reduce the quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) but also improve the distribution and localization of carriers in QWs for better optical performance of blue LEDs.

Quantum scattering problem without partial-wave analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Melezhik, V. S., E-mail: melezhik@theor.jinr.ru

2013-02-15

We have suggested a method for treating different quantum few-body dynamics without traditional using of the partial-wave analysis. It happened that this approach was very efficient in quantitative analysis of low-dimensional ultracold few-body systems arising in confined geometry of atomic traps. Here we discuss its application to a recently suggested mechanism of resonant molecule formation in confined two-component atomic mixture with transferring the energy release to the center-of-mass excitation of forming molecules. The author considers this result as one of the most significant in his scientific carrier which started from the model of resonant muonic molecule formation [S.I. Vinitsky etmore » al., Sov. Phys. JETP 47, 444 (1978)], one of the most citing works of S.I. Vinitsky.« less

Analytical model for the threshold voltage of III-V nanowire transistors including quantum effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marin, E. G.; Ruiz, F. G.; Tienda-Luna, I. M.; Godoy, A.; Gámiz, F.

2014-02-01

In this work we propose an analytical model for the threshold voltage (VT) of III-V cylindrical nanowires, that takes into consideration the two dimensional quantum confinement of the carriers, the Fermi-Dirac statistics, the wave-function penetration into the gate insulator and the non-parabolicity of the conduction band structure. A simple expression for VT is obtained assuming some suitable approximations. The model results are compared to those of a 2D self consistent Schrödinger-Poisson solver, demonstrating a good fit for different III-V materials, insulator thicknesses and nanowire sizes with diameter down to 5 nm. The VT dependence on the confinement effective mass is discussed. The different contributions to VT are analyzed showing significant variations among different III-V materials.

Linear and nonlinear magneto-optical properties of an off-center single dopant in a spherical core/shell quantum dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feddi, E.; Talbi, A.; Mora-Ramos, M. E.; El Haouari, M.; Dujardin, F.; Duque, C. A.

2017-11-01

Using the effective mass approximation and a variational procedure, we have investigated the nonlinear optical absorption coefficient and the relative refractive index changes associated to a single dopant confined in core/shell quantum dots considering the influences of the core/shell dimensions, externally applied magnetic field, and dielectric mismatch. The results show that the optical absorption coefficient and the coefficients of relative refractive index change depend strongly on the core/shell sizes and they are blue shifted when the spatial confinement increases so this effect is magnified by higher structural dimensions. Additionally, it is obtained that both studied optical properties are sensitive to the dielectric environment in such a way that their amplitudes are very affected by the local field corrections.

On spectroscopy for a whole Abelian model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauca, J.; Doria, R.

2012-10-01

Postulated on the whole meaning a whole abelian gauge symmetry is being introduced. Various physical areas as complexity, statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics are partially supporting this approach where the whole is at origin. However, the reductionist crisis given by quark confinement definitely sustains this insight. It says that fundamental parts can not be seen isolatedely. Consequently, there is an experimental situation where the parts should be substituted by something more. This makes us to look for writing the wholeness principle under gauge theory. For this, one reinterprets the gauge parameter where instead of compensating fields it is organizing a systemic gauge symmetry. Now, it introduces a fields set {AμI} rotating under a common gauge symmetry. Thus, given a fields collection {AμI} as origin, the effort at this work is to investigate on its spectroscopy. Analyze for the abelian case the correspondent involved quanta. Understand that for a whole model diversity replaces elementarity. Derive the associated quantum numbers as spin, mass, charge, discrete symmetries in terms of such systemic symmetry. Observe how the particles diversity is manifested in terms of wholeness.

High-throughput exploration of thermoelectric and mechanical properties of amorphous NbO2 with transition metal additions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Music, Denis; Geyer, Richard W.; Hans, Marcus

2016-07-01

To increase the thermoelectric efficiency and reduce the thermal fatigue upon cyclic heat loading, alloying of amorphous NbO2 with all 3d and 5d transition metals has systematically been investigated using density functional theory. It was found that Ta fulfills the key design criteria, namely, enhancement of the Seebeck coefficient and positive Cauchy pressure (ductility gauge). These quantum mechanical predictions were validated by assessing the thermoelectric and elastic properties on combinatorial thin films, which is a high-throughput approach. The maximum power factor is 2813 μW m-1 K-2 for the Ta/Nb ratio of 0.25, which is a hundredfold increment compared to pure NbO2 and exceeds many oxide thermoelectrics. Based on the elasticity measurements, the consistency between theory and experiment for the Cauchy pressure was attained within 2%. On the basis of the electronic structure analysis, these configurations can be perceived as metallic, which is consistent with low electrical resistivity and ductile behavior. Furthermore, a pronounced quantum confinement effect occurs, which is identified as the physical origin for the Seebeck coefficient enhancement.

Magic angle for barrier-controlled double quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xu-Chen; Wang, Xin

2018-01-01

We show that the exchange interaction of a singlet-triplet spin qubit confined in double quantum dots, when being controlled by the barrier method, is insensitive to a charged impurity lying along certain directions away from the center of the double-dot system. These directions differ from the polar axis of the double dots by the magic angle, equaling arccos(1 /√{3 })≈54 .7∘ , a value previously found in atomic physics and nuclear magnetic resonance. This phenomenon can be understood from an expansion of the additional Coulomb interaction created by the impurity, but also relies on the fact that the exchange interaction solely depends on the tunnel coupling in the barrier-control scheme. Our results suggest that for a scaled-up qubit array, when all pairs of double dots rotate their respective polar axes from the same reference line by the magic angle, crosstalk between qubits can be eliminated, allowing clean single-qubit operations. While our model is a rather simplified version of actual experiments, our results suggest that it is possible to minimize unwanted couplings by judiciously designing the layout of the qubits.

Strongly Interacting Fermi Gases In Two Dimensions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-03

Correlated Quantum Fluids: From Ultracold Quantum Gases to QCD Plasmas. Figure 2 Spin Transport in Spin-Imbalanced, strongly interacting...atoms becomes confined to a stack of two-dimensional layers formed by a one-dimensional optical lattice . Decreasing the dimensionality leads to the...opening of a gap in radiofrequency spectra, even on the BCS-side of a Feshbach resonance. With increasing lattice depth, the measured binding energy

Chiral quantum optics.

PubMed

Lodahl, Peter; Mahmoodian, Sahand; Stobbe, Søren; Rauschenbeutel, Arno; Schneeweiss, Philipp; Volz, Jürgen; Pichler, Hannes; Zoller, Peter

2017-01-25

Advanced photonic nanostructures are currently revolutionizing the optics and photonics that underpin applications ranging from light technology to quantum-information processing. The strong light confinement in these structures can lock the local polarization of the light to its propagation direction, leading to propagation-direction-dependent emission, scattering and absorption of photons by quantum emitters. The possibility of such a propagation-direction-dependent, or chiral, light-matter interaction is not accounted for in standard quantum optics and its recent discovery brought about the research field of chiral quantum optics. The latter offers fundamentally new functionalities and applications: it enables the assembly of non-reciprocal single-photon devices that can be operated in a quantum superposition of two or more of their operational states and the realization of deterministic spin-photon interfaces. Moreover, engineered directional photonic reservoirs could lead to the development of complex quantum networks that, for example, could simulate novel classes of quantum many-body systems.

High-fidelity quantum gates on quantum-dot-confined electron spins in low-Q optical microcavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tao; Gao, Jian-Cun; Deng, Fu-Guo; Long, Gui-Lu

2018-04-01

We propose some high-fidelity quantum circuits for quantum computing on electron spins of quantum dots (QD) embedded in low-Q optical microcavities, including the two-qubit controlled-NOT gate and the multiple-target-qubit controlled-NOT gate. The fidelities of both quantum gates can, in principle, be robust to imperfections involved in a practical input-output process of a single photon by converting the infidelity into a heralded error. Furthermore, the influence of two different decay channels is detailed. By decreasing the quality factor of the present microcavity, we can largely increase the efficiencies of these quantum gates while their high fidelities remain unaffected. This proposal also has another advantage regarding its experimental feasibility, in that both quantum gates can work faithfully even when the QD-cavity systems are non-identical, which is of particular importance in current semiconductor QD technology.

Laser location and manipulation of a single quantum tunneling channel in an InAs quantum dot.

PubMed

Makarovsky, O; Vdovin, E E; Patané, A; Eaves, L; Makhonin, M N; Tartakovskii, A I; Hopkinson, M

2012-03-16

We use a femtowatt focused laser beam to locate and manipulate a single quantum tunneling channel associated with an individual InAs quantum dot within an ensemble of dots. The intensity of the directed laser beam tunes the tunneling current through the targeted dot with an effective optical gain of 10(7) and modifies the curvature of the dot's confining potential and the spatial extent of its ground state electron eigenfunction. These observations are explained by the effect of photocreated hole charges which become bound close to the targeted dot, thus acting as an optically induced gate electrode.

Confinement-Driven Phase Separation of Quantum Liquid Mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prisk, T. R.; Pantalei, C.; Kaiser, H.; Sokol, P. E.

2012-08-01

We report small-angle neutron scattering studies of liquid helium mixtures confined in Mobil Crystalline Material-41 (MCM-41), a porous silica glass with narrow cylindrical nanopores (d=3.4nm). MCM-41 is an ideal model adsorbent for fundamental studies of gas sorption in porous media because its monodisperse pores are arranged in a 2D triangular lattice. The small-angle scattering consists of a series of diffraction peaks whose intensities are determined by how the imbibed liquid fills the pores. Pure He4 adsorbed in the pores show classic, layer-by-layer film growth as a function of pore filling, leaving the long range symmetry of the system intact. In contrast, the adsorption of He3-He4 mixtures produces a structure incommensurate with the pore lattice. Neither capillary condensation nor preferential adsorption of one helium isotope to the pore walls can provide the symmetry-breaking mechanism. The scattering is consistent with the formation of randomly distributed liquid-liquid microdomains ˜2.3nm in size, providing evidence that confinement in a nanometer scale capillary can drive local phase separation in quantum liquid mixtures.

On the harmonic-type and linear-type confinement of a relativistic scalar particle yielded by Lorentz symmetry breaking effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bakke, K., E-mail: kbakke@fisica.ufpb.br; Belich, H., E-mail: belichjr@gmail.com

2016-10-15

Based on the Standard Model Extension, we investigate relativistic quantum effects on a scalar particle in backgrounds of the Lorentz symmetry violation defined by a tensor field. We show that harmonic-type and linear-type confining potentials can stem from Lorentz symmetry breaking effects, and thus, relativistic bound state solutions can be achieved. We first analyse a possible scenario of the violation of the Lorentz symmetry that gives rise to a harmonic-type potential. In the following, we analyse another possible scenario of the breaking of the Lorentz symmetry that induces both harmonic-type and linear-type confining potentials. In this second case, we alsomore » show that not all values of the parameter associated with the intensity of the electric field are permitted in the search for polynomial solutions to the radial equation, where the possible values of this parameter are determined by the quantum numbers of the system and the parameters associated with the violation of the Lorentz symmetry.« less

Optical properties of a-plane (Al, Ga)N/GaN multiple quantum wells grown on strain engineered Zn1-xMgxO layers by molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Y.; Brault, J.; Nemoz, M.; Teisseire, M.; Vinter, B.; Leroux, M.; Chauveau, J.-M.

2011-12-01

Nonpolar (112¯0) Al0.2Ga0.8N/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (112¯0) Zn0.74Mg0.26O templates on r-plane sapphire substrates. The quantum wells exhibit well-resolved photoluminescence peaks in the ultra-violet region, and no sign of quantum confined Stark effect is observed in the complete multiple quantum well series. The results agree well with flat band quantum well calculations. Furthermore, we show that the MQW structures are strongly polarized along the [0001] direction. The origin of the polarization is discussed in terms of the strain anisotropy dependence of the exciton optical oscillator strengths.

Scalable photonic quantum computing assisted by quantum-dot spin in double-sided optical microcavity.

PubMed

Wei, Hai-Rui; Deng, Fu-Guo

2013-07-29

We investigate the possibility of achieving scalable photonic quantum computing by the giant optical circular birefringence induced by a quantum-dot spin in a double-sided optical microcavity as a result of cavity quantum electrodynamics. We construct a deterministic controlled-not gate on two photonic qubits by two single-photon input-output processes and the readout on an electron-medium spin confined in an optical resonant microcavity. This idea could be applied to multi-qubit gates on photonic qubits and we give the quantum circuit for a three-photon Toffoli gate. High fidelities and high efficiencies could be achieved when the side leakage to the cavity loss rate is low. It is worth pointing out that our devices work in both the strong and the weak coupling regimes.

Phase-Tuned Entangled State Generation between Distant Spin Qubits.

PubMed

Stockill, R; Stanley, M J; Huthmacher, L; Clarke, E; Hugues, M; Miller, A J; Matthiesen, C; Le Gall, C; Atatüre, M

2017-07-07

Quantum entanglement between distant qubits is an important feature of quantum networks. Distribution of entanglement over long distances can be enabled through coherently interfacing qubit pairs via photonic channels. Here, we report the realization of optically generated quantum entanglement between electron spin qubits confined in two distant semiconductor quantum dots. The protocol relies on spin-photon entanglement in the trionic Λ system and quantum erasure of the Raman-photon path information. The measurement of a single Raman photon is used to project the spin qubits into a joint quantum state with an interferometrically stabilized and tunable relative phase. We report an average Bell-state fidelity for |ψ^{(+)}⟩ and |ψ^{(-)}⟩ states of 61.6±2.3% and a record-high entanglement generation rate of 7.3 kHz between distant qubits.

Phase-Tuned Entangled State Generation between Distant Spin Qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stockill, R.; Stanley, M. J.; Huthmacher, L.; Clarke, E.; Hugues, M.; Miller, A. J.; Matthiesen, C.; Le Gall, C.; Atatüre, M.

2017-07-01

Quantum entanglement between distant qubits is an important feature of quantum networks. Distribution of entanglement over long distances can be enabled through coherently interfacing qubit pairs via photonic channels. Here, we report the realization of optically generated quantum entanglement between electron spin qubits confined in two distant semiconductor quantum dots. The protocol relies on spin-photon entanglement in the trionic Λ system and quantum erasure of the Raman-photon path information. The measurement of a single Raman photon is used to project the spin qubits into a joint quantum state with an interferometrically stabilized and tunable relative phase. We report an average Bell-state fidelity for |ψ(+)⟩ and |ψ(-)⟩ states of 61.6 ±2.3 % and a record-high entanglement generation rate of 7.3 kHz between distant qubits.

Quantum Tunneling of Water in Beryl. A New State of the Water Molecule

DOE PAGES

Kolesnikov, Alexander I.; Reiter, George F.; Choudhury, Narayani; ...

2016-04-22

When using neutron scattering and ab initio simulations, we document the discovery of a new “quantum tunneling state” of the water molecule confined in 5 Å channels in the mineral beryl, characterized by extended proton and electron delocalization. We observed a number of peaks in the inelastic neutron scattering spectra that were uniquely assigned to water quantum tunneling. Additionally, the water proton momentum distribution was measured with deep inelastic neutron scattering, which directly revealed coherent delocalization of the protons in the ground state.

Study on Locally Confined Deposition of Si Nanocrystals in High-Aspect-Ratio Si Nano-Pillar Array for Nano-Electronic and Nano-Photonic Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-23

reflection, thus increasing the quantum efficiency by one order of magnitude and improving the light extraction from the nano-roughened device surface by...respectively. At a biased current of 400 A, the highest external quantum efficiency is over 0.2% to obtain the maximum EL power of >1 W. In...processing techniques for improving the internal and external quantum efficiencies of Si MOSLEDs via detuning the size and density of high-aspect-ratio Si

Quantum Tunneling of Water in Beryl. A New State of the Water Molecule

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kolesnikov, Alexander I.; Reiter, George F.; Choudhury, Narayani

When using neutron scattering and ab initio simulations, we document the discovery of a new “quantum tunneling state” of the water molecule confined in 5 Å channels in the mineral beryl, characterized by extended proton and electron delocalization. We observed a number of peaks in the inelastic neutron scattering spectra that were uniquely assigned to water quantum tunneling. Additionally, the water proton momentum distribution was measured with deep inelastic neutron scattering, which directly revealed coherent delocalization of the protons in the ground state.

Dark channels in resonant tunneling transport through artificial atoms.

PubMed

Vaz, Eduardo; Kyriakidis, Jordan

2008-07-14

We investigate sequential tunneling through a multilevel quantum dot confining multiple electrons in the regime where several channels are available for transport within the bias window. By analyzing solutions to the master equations of the reduced density matrix, we give general conditions on when the presence of a second transport channel in the bias window quenches transport through the quantum dot. These conditions are in terms of distinct tunneling anisotropies which may aid in explaining the occurrence of negative differential conductance in quantum dots in the nonlinear regime.

Nanopatterned Quantum Dot Lasers for High Speed, High Efficiency, Operation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-27

significant inhomogeneous broadening of the spectral gain. SK QDs inherently form on top of a two-dimensional “ wetting layer”, leading to weak...QDs inherently form on top of a two-dimensional “ wetting layer”, leading to weak electron and hole confinement to the QD, which results in low gain...exhibit full three- dimensional nano-scale confinement and elimination of the wetting layer states. The objectives of this project were to develop

Slow Auger Relaxation in HgTe Colloidal Quantum Dots.

PubMed

Melnychuk, Christopher; Guyot-Sionnest, Philippe

2018-05-03

The biexciton lifetimes in HgTe colloidal quantum dots are measured as a function of particle size. Samples produced by two synthetic methods, leading to partially aggregated or well-dispersed particles, exhibit markedly different dynamics. The relaxation characteristics of partially aggregated HgTe inhibit reliable determinations of the Auger lifetime. In well-dispersed HgTe quantum dots, the biexciton lifetime increases approximately linearly with particle volume, confirming trends observed in other systems. The extracted Auger coefficient is three orders of magnitude smaller than that for bulk HgCdTe materials with similar energy gaps. We discuss these findings in the context of understanding Auger relaxation in quantum-confined systems and their relevance to mid-infrared optoelectronic devices based on HgTe colloidal quantum dots.

The Qubit as Key to Quantum Physics Part II: Physical Realizations and Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dür, Wolfgang; Heusler, Stefan

2016-01-01

Using the simplest possible quantum system--the qubit--the fundamental concepts of quantum physics can be introduced. This highlights the common features of many different physical systems, and provides a unifying framework when teaching quantum physics at the high school or introductory level. In a previous "TPT" article and in a…

Embedding beyond electrostatics-The role of wave function confinement.

PubMed

Nåbo, Lina J; Olsen, Jógvan Magnus Haugaard; Holmgaard List, Nanna; Solanko, Lukasz M; Wüstner, Daniel; Kongsted, Jacob

2016-09-14

We study excited states of cholesterol in solution and show that, in this specific case, solute wave-function confinement is the main effect of the solvent. This is rationalized on the basis of the polarizable density embedding scheme, which in addition to polarizable embedding includes non-electrostatic repulsion that effectively confines the solute wave function to its cavity. We illustrate how the inclusion of non-electrostatic repulsion results in a successful identification of the intense π → π(∗) transition, which was not possible using an embedding method that only includes electrostatics. This underlines the importance of non-electrostatic repulsion in quantum-mechanical embedding-based methods.

Long range spin qubit interaction mediated by microcavity polaritons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piermarocchi, Carlo; Quinteiro, Guillermo F.; Fernandez-Rossier, Joaquin

2007-03-01

Planar microcavities are semiconductor devices that confine the electromagnetic field by means of two parallel semiconductor mirrors. When a quantum well (QW) is placed inside a planar microcavity, the excitons in the QW couple to confined electromagnetic modes. In the strong-coupling regime, excitons and cavity photons give rise to new states, cavity polaritons, which appear in two branches separated by a vacuum Rabi splitting. We study theoretically the dynamics of localized spins in the QW interacting with cavity polaritons. Our calculations consider localized electron spins of shallow neutral donors in GaAs (e.g., Si), but the theory is valid for other impurities and host semiconductors, as well as to charged quantum dots. In the strong-coupling regime, the vacuum Rabi splitting introduces anisotropies in the spin coupling. Moreover, due to their photon-like mass, polaritons provide an extremely long spin coupling range. This suggests the realization of two-qubit all-optical quantum operations within tens of picoseconds with spins localized as far as hundreds of nanometers apart. [G. F. Quinteiro et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97 097401, (2006)].

Single molecule quantum-confined Stark effect measurements of semiconductor nanoparticles at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Kyoung Won; Deutsch, Zvicka; Li, J. Jack; Oron, Dan; Weiss, Shimon

2013-02-01

We investigate the quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE) of various nanoparticles (NPs) on the single molecule level at room temperature. We tested 8 different NPs with different geometry, material composition and electronic structure, and measured their QCSE by single molecule spectroscopy. This study reveals that suppressing the Coulomb interaction force between electron and hole by asymmetric type-II interface is critical for an enhanced QCSE. For example, ZnSe-CdS and CdSe(Te)-CdS-CdZnSe asymmetric nanorods (type-II) display respectively twice and more than three times larger QCSE than that of simple type-I nanorods (CdSe). In addition, wavelength blue-shift of QCSE and roughly linear Δλ-F (emission wavelength shift vs. the applied electric field) relation are observed for the type-II nanorods. Experimental results (Δλ-F or ΔE-F) are successfully reproduced by self-consistent quantum mechanical calculation. Intensity reduction in blue-shifted spectrum is also accounted for. Both calculations and experiments suggest that the magnitude of the QCSE is predominantly determined by the degree of initial charge separation in these structures.

Bulk assembly of organic metal halide nanotubes

DOE PAGES

Lin, Haoran; Zhou, Chenkun; Tian, Yu; ...

2017-10-16

The organic metal halide hybrids welcome a new member with a one-dimensional (1D) tubular structure. Herein we report the synthesis and characterization of a single crystalline bulk assembly of organic metal halide nanotubes, (C 6H 13N 4) 3Pb 2Br 7. In a metal halide nanotube, six face-sharing metal halide dimers (Pb 2Br 9 5–) connect at the corners to form rings that extend in one dimension, of which the inside and outside surfaces are coated with protonated hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) cations (C 6H 13N 4 +). This unique 1D tubular structure possesses highly localized electronic states with strong quantum confinement, resultingmore » in the formation of self-trapped excitons that give strongly Stokes shifted broadband yellowish-white emission with a photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQE) of ~7%. Finally, having realized single crystalline bulk assemblies of two-dimensional (2D) wells, 1D wires, and now 1D tubes using organic metal halide hybrids, our work significantly advances the research on bulk assemblies of quantum-confined materials.« less

Evidence for the confinement of magnetic monopoles in quantum spin ice.

PubMed

Sarte, P M; Aczel, A A; Ehlers, G; Stock, C; Gaulin, B D; Mauws, C; Stone, M B; Calder, S; Nagler, S E; Hollett, J W; Zhou, H D; Gardner, J S; Attfield, J P; Wiebe, C R

2017-10-19

Magnetic monopoles are hypothesised elementary particles connected by Dirac strings that behave like infinitely thin solenoids (Dirac 1931 Proc. R. Soc. A 133 60). Despite decades of searching, free magnetic monopoles and their Dirac strings have eluded experimental detection, although there is substantial evidence for deconfined magnetic monopole quasiparticles in spin ice materials (Castelnovo et al 2008 Nature 326 411). Here we report the detection of a hierarchy of unequally-spaced magnetic excitations via high resolution inelastic neutron spectroscopic measurements on the quantum spin ice candidate [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]. These excitations are well-described by a simple model of monopole pairs bound by a linear potential (Coldea et al Science 327 177) with an effective tension of 0.642(8) K [Formula: see text] at 1.65 K. The success of the linear potential model suggests that these low energy magnetic excitations are direct spectroscopic evidence for the confinement of magnetic monopole quasiparticles in the quantum spin ice candidate [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text].

3D Localized Trions in Monolayer WSe2 in a Charge Tunable van der Waals Heterostructure.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Chitraleema; Qiu, Liangyu; Konthasinghe, Kumarasiri; Mukherjee, Arunabh; Dhara, Sajal; Vamivakas, Nick

2018-05-09

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have recently emerged as a host material for localized optically active quantum emitters that generate single photons. (1-5) Here, we investigate fully localized excitons and trions from such TMDC quantum emitters embedded in a van der Waals heterostructure. We use direct electrostatic doping through the vertical heterostructure device assembly to generate quantum confined trions. Distinct spectral jumps as a function of applied voltage bias, and excitation power-dependent charging, demonstrate the observation of the two different excitonic complexes. We also observe a reduction of the intervalley electron-hole exchange interaction in the confined trion due to the addition of an extra electron, which is manifested by a decrease in its fine structure splitting. We further confirm this decrease of exchange interaction for the case of the charged states by a comparative study of the circular polarization resolved photoluminescence from individual excitonic states. The valley polarization selection rules inherited by the localized trions will provide a pathway toward realizing a localized spin-valley-photon interface.

Density-Gradient Theory: A Macroscopic Approach to Quantum Confinement and Tunneling in Semiconductor Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

that are attractive as luminescent biolabels, and possibly also for optoelectronic devices and solar cells . The equilibrium nature of such situations...The boundary layers as- sociated with the diffusion and Debye lengths are familiar, while that of LQ defines the layer in which the quantum in...circuits, transmission lines Diffusion -drift, density-gradient Semi-classical electron dynamics, Boltzmann transport Schrödinger, density- matrix, Wigner

Temperature and hydrostatic pressure effects on single dopant states in hollow cylindrical core-shell quantum dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Yadri, M.; Aghoutane, N.; El Aouami, A.; Feddi, E.; Dujardin, F.; Duque, C. A.

2018-05-01

This work reports on theoretical investigation of the temperature and hydrostatic pressure effects on the confined donor impurity in a AlGaAs-GaAs hollow cylindrical core-shell quantum dot. The charges are assumed to be completely confined to the interior of the shell with approximately rigid walls. Within the framework of the effective-mass approximation and by using a variational approach, we have computed the donor binding energies as a function of the shell size in order to study the behavior of the electron-impurity attraction for a very small thickness under the influence of both temperature and hydrostatic pressure. Our results show that the temperature and hydrostatic pressure have a significant influence on the impurity binding energy for large shell quantum dots. It will be shown that the binding energy is more pronounced with increasing pressure and decreasing temperature for any impurity position and quantum dot size. The photoionization cross section is also analyzed by considering only the in-plane incident radiation polarization. Its behavior is investigated as a function of photon energy for different values of pressure and temperature. The opposite effects caused by temperature and hydrostatic pressure reveal a big practical interest and offer an alternative way to tuning of correlated electron-impurity transitions in optoelectronic devices.

Independent variations of applied voltage and injection current for controlling the quantum-confined Stark effect in an InGaN/GaN quantum-well light-emitting diode.

PubMed

Chen, Horng-Shyang; Liu, Zhan Hui; Shih, Pei-Ying; Su, Chia-Ying; Chen, Chih-Yen; Lin, Chun-Han; Yao, Yu-Feng; Kiang, Yean-Woei; Yang, C C

2014-04-07

A reverse-biased voltage is applied to either device in the vertical configuration of two light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on patterned and flat Si (110) substrates with weak and strong quantum-confined Stark effects (QCSEs), respectively, in the InGaN/GaN quantum wells for independently controlling the applied voltage across and the injection current into the p-i-n junction in the lateral configuration of LED operation. The results show that more carrier supply is needed in the LED of weaker QCSE to produce a carrier screening effect for balancing the potential tilt in increasing the forward-biased voltage, when compared with the LED of stronger QCSE. The small spectral shift range in increasing injection current in the LED of weaker QCSE is attributed not only to the weaker QCSE, but also to its smaller device resistance such that a given increment of applied voltage leads to a larger increment of injection current. From a viewpoint of practical application in LED operation, by applying a reverse-biased voltage in the vertical configuration, the applied voltage and injection current in the lateral configuration can be independently controlled by adjusting the vertical voltage for keeping the emission spectral peak fixed.

Physics at the FQMT'11 conference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Špička, V.; Nieuwenhuizen, Th M.; Keefe, P. D.

2012-11-01

This paper deals with the recent state of the art of the following topics presented at the FQMT'11 conference: foundations of quantum physics, quantum measurement; nonequilibrium quantum statistical physics; quantum thermodynamics; quantum measurement, entanglement and coherence; dissipation, dephasing, noise, and decoherence; quantum optics; macroscopic quantum behavior; e.g. cold atoms; Bose-Einstein condensates; physics of quantum computing and quantum information; mesoscopic, nano-electro-mechanical systems and nano-optical systems; spin systems and their dynamics; biological systems and molecular motors; and cosmology, gravitation and astrophysics. The lectures and discussions at the FQMT'11 conference, as well as the contributions to the related topical issue, reveal important themes for future development. The recent literature is included.

Crystal-Phase Quantum Wires: One-Dimensional Heterostructures with Atomically Flat Interfaces.

PubMed

Corfdir, Pierre; Li, Hong; Marquardt, Oliver; Gao, Guanhui; Molas, Maciej R; Zettler, Johannes K; van Treeck, David; Flissikowski, Timur; Potemski, Marek; Draxl, Claudia; Trampert, Achim; Fernández-Garrido, Sergio; Grahn, Holger T; Brandt, Oliver

2018-01-10

In semiconductor quantum-wire heterostructures, interface roughness leads to exciton localization and to a radiative decay rate much smaller than that expected for structures with flat interfaces. Here, we uncover the electronic and optical properties of the one-dimensional extended defects that form at the intersection between stacking faults and inversion domain boundaries in GaN nanowires. We show that they act as crystal-phase quantum wires, a novel one-dimensional quantum system with atomically flat interfaces. These quantum wires efficiently capture excitons whose radiative decay gives rise to an optical doublet at 3.36 eV at 4.2 K. The binding energy of excitons confined in crystal-phase quantum wires is measured to be more than twice larger than that of the bulk. As a result of their unprecedented interface quality, these crystal-phase quantum wires constitute a model system for the study of one-dimensional excitons.

Implementation of the semiclassical quantum Fourier transform in a scalable system.

PubMed

Chiaverini, J; Britton, J; Leibfried, D; Knill, E; Barrett, M D; Blakestad, R B; Itano, W M; Jost, J D; Langer, C; Ozeri, R; Schaetz, T; Wineland, D J

2005-05-13

We report the implementation of the semiclassical quantum Fourier transform in a system of three beryllium ion qubits (two-level quantum systems) confined in a segmented multizone trap. The quantum Fourier transform is the crucial final step in Shor's algorithm, and it acts on a register of qubits to determine the periodicity of the quantum state's amplitudes. Because only probability amplitudes are required for this task, a more efficient semiclassical version can be used, for which only single-qubit operations conditioned on measurement outcomes are required. We apply the transform to several input states of different periodicities; the results enable the location of peaks corresponding to the original periods. This demonstration incorporates the key elements of a scalable ion-trap architecture, suggesting the future capability of applying the quantum Fourier transform to a large number of qubits as required for a useful quantum factoring algorithm.

Quantum Control of Graphene Plasmon Excitation and Propagation at Heaviside Potential Steps.

PubMed

Wang, Dongli; Fan, Xiaodong; Li, Xiaoguang; Dai, Siyuan; Wei, Laiming; Qin, Wei; Wu, Fei; Zhang, Huayang; Qi, Zeming; Zeng, Changgan; Zhang, Zhenyu; Hou, Jianguo

2018-02-14

Quantum mechanical effects of single particles can affect the collective plasmon behaviors substantially. In this work, the quantum control of plasmon excitation and propagation in graphene is demonstrated by adopting the variable quantum transmission of carriers at Heaviside potential steps as a tuning knob. First, the plasmon reflection is revealed to be tunable within a broad range by varying the ratio γ between the carrier energy and potential height, which originates from the quantum mechanical effect of carrier propagation at potential steps. Moreover, the plasmon excitation by free-space photos can be regulated from fully suppressed to fully launched in graphene potential wells also through adjusting γ, which defines the degrees of the carrier confinement in the potential wells. These discovered quantum plasmon effects offer a unified quantum-mechanical solution toward ultimate control of both plasmon launching and propagating, which are indispensable processes in building plasmon circuitry.

Entropy, temperature and internal energy of trapped gravitons and corrections to the Black Hole entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viaggiu, Stefano

2017-12-01

In this paper we study the proposal present in Viaggiu (2017) concerning the statistical description of trapped gravitons and applied to derive the semi-classical black hole (BH) entropy SBH. We study the possible configurations depending on physically reasonable expressions for the internal energy U. In particular, we show that expressions for U ∼Rk , k ≥ 1, with R the radius of the confining spherical box, can have a semi-classical description, while behaviors with k < 1 derive from thermodynamic or quantum fluctuations. There, by taking a suitable physically motivated expression for U(R) , we obtain the well known logarithmic corrections to the BH entropy, with the usual behaviors present in the literature of BH entropy. Moreover, a phase transition emerges with a positive specific heat C at Planckian lengths instead of the usual negative one at non-Planckian scales, in agreement with results present in the literature. Finally, we show that evaporation stops at a radius R of the order of the Planck length.

Modern Elementary Particle Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kane, Gordon

2017-02-01

1. Introduction; 2. Relativistic notation, Lagrangians, and interactions; 3. Gauge invariance; 4. Non-abelian gauge theories; 5. Dirac notation for spin; 6. The Standard Model Lagrangian; 7. The electroweak theory and quantum chromodynamics; 8. Masses and the Higgs mechanism; 9. Cross sections, decay widths, and lifetimes: W and Z decays; 10. Production and properties of W± and Zᴼ; 11. Measurement of electroweak and QCD parameters: the muon lifetime; 12. Accelerators - present and future; 13. Experiments and detectors; 14. Low energy and non-accelerator experiments; 15. Observation of the Higgs boson at the CERN LHC: is it the Higgs boson?; 16. Colliders and tests of the Standard Model: particles are pointlike; 17. Quarks and gluons, confinement and jets; 18. Hadrons, heavy quarks, and strong isospin invariance; 19. Coupling strengths depend on momentum transfer and on virtual particles; 20. Quark (and lepton) mixing angles; 21. CP violation; 22. Overview of physics beyond the Standard Model; 23. Grand unification; 24. Neutrino masses; 25. Dark matter; 26. Supersymmetry.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Middey, Srimanta; Chakhalian, J.; Mahadevan, P.

The electronic structure of transition metal oxides featuring correlated electrons can be rationalized within the Zaanen-Sawatzky-Allen framework. Following a brief description of the present paradigms of electronic behavior, we focus on the physics of rare-earth nickelates as an archetype of complexity emerging within the charge transfer regime. The intriguing prospect of realizing the physics of high- Tc cuprates through heterostructuring resulted in a massive endeavor to epitaxially stabilize these materials in ultrathin form. A plethora of new phenomena unfolded in such artificial structures due to the effect of epitaxial strain, quantum confinement, and interfacial charge transfer. Here we review themore » present status of artificial rare-earth nickelates in an effort to uncover the interconnection between the electronic and magnetic behavior and the underlying crystal structure. Here, we conclude by discussing future directions to disentangle the puzzle regarding the origin of the metal-insulator transition, the role of oxygen holes, and the true nature of the antiferromagnetic spin configuration in the ultrathin limit.« less

Spin Relaxation and Manipulation in Spin-orbit Qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borhani, Massoud; Hu, Xuedong

2012-02-01

We derive a generalized form of the Electric Dipole Spin Resonance (EDSR) Hamiltonian in the presence of the spin-orbit interaction for single spins in an elliptic quantum dot (QD) subject to an arbitrary (in both direction and magnitude) applied magnetic field. We predict a nonlinear behavior of the Rabi frequency as a function of the magnetic field for sufficiently large Zeeman energies, and present a microscopic expression for the anisotropic electron g-tensor. Similarly, an EDSR Hamiltonian is devised for two spins confined in a double quantum dot (DQD). Finally, we calculate two-electron-spin relaxation rates due to phonon emission, for both in-plane and perpendicular magnetic fields. Our results have immediate applications to current EDSR experiments on nanowire QDs, g-factor optimization of confined carriers, and spin decay measurements in DQD spin-orbit qubits.