Spin manipulation and decoherence in a quantum dot mediated by a synthetic spin-orbit coupling of broken $T$-symmetry

The electrical control of a spin qubit in a quantum dot relies on spin-orbit coupling (SOC), which could be either intrinsic to the underlying crystal lattice or heterostructure, or extrinsic via, for example, a micro-magnet. In experiments, micromagnets have been used as a synthetic SOC to enable strong coupling of a spin qubit in quantum dots with electric fields. Here we study theoretically the spin relaxation, pure dephasing, spin manipulation, and spin-photon coupling of an electron in a quantum dot due to the synthetic SOC induced spin-orbit mixing. We find qualitative difference in the spin dynamics in the presence of a synthetic SOC compared with the case of the intrinsic SOC. Specifically, spin relaxation due to the synthetic SOC and deformation potential phonon emission (or Johnson noise) shows $B_0^5$ (or $B_0$) dependence with the magnetic field, which is in contrast with the $B_0^7$ (or $B_0^3$) dependence in the case of the intrinsic SOC. Moreover, charge noise induces fast spin dephasing to the first order of the synthetic SOC, which is in sharp contrast with the negligible spin pure dephasing in the case of the intrinsic SOC. These qualitative differences are attributed to the broken time-reversal symmetry ($T$-symmetry) of the synthetic SOC. An SOC with broken $T$-symmetry (such as the synthetic SOC from a micro-magnet) eliminates the ``Van Vleck cancellation'' and causes a finite longitudinal spin-electric coupling that allows the longitudinal coupling between spin and electric field, and in turn allows spin pure dephasing. Finally, through proper choice of magnetic field orientation, the electric-dipole spin resonance via the synthetic SOC can be improved with potential applications in spin-based quantum computing.

Localisation determines the optimal noise rate for quantum transport

Environmental noise plays a key role in determining the efficiency of transport in quantum systems. However, disorder and localisation alter the impact of such noise on energy transport. To provide a deeper understanding of this relationship we perform a systematic study of the connection between eigenstate localisation and the optimal dephasing rate in 1D chains. The effects of energy gradients and disorder on chains of various lengths are evaluated and we demonstrate how optimal transport efficiency is determined by both size-independent, as well as size-dependent factors. By discussing how size-dependent influences emerge from finite size effects we establish when these effects are suppressed, and show that a simple power law captures the interplay between size-dependent and size-independent responses. Moving beyond phenomenological pure dephasing, we implement a finite temperature Bloch-Redfield model that captures detailed balance. We show that the relationship between localisation and optimal environmental coupling strength continues to apply at intermediate and high temperature but breaks down in the low temperature limit.

Unity Yield of Deterministically Positioned Quantum Dot Single Photon Sources

We report on a platform for the production of single photon devices with a fabrication yield of 100%. The sources are based on InAsP quantum dots embedded within position-controlled bottom-up InP nanowires. Using optimized growth conditions, we produce large arrays of structures having highly uniform geometries. Collection efficiencies are as high as 83% and multiphoton emission probabilities as low as 0.6% with the distribution away from optimal values associated with the excitation of other charge complexes and re-excitation processes, respectively, inherent to the above-band excitation employed. Importantly, emission peak lines hapes have Lorentzian profiles indicating that linewidths are not limited by inhomogeneous broadening but rather pure dephasing, likely elastic carrier-phonon scattering due to a high phonon occupation. This work establishes nanowire-based devices as a viable route for the scalable fabrication of efficient single photon sources and provides a valuable resource for hybrid on-chip platforms currently being developed.

Quantum efficiency, purity and stability of a tunable, narrowband microwave single-photon source

We demonstrate an on-demand source of microwave single photons with 71–99% intrinsic quantum efficiency. The source is narrowband (300 kHz) and tuneable over a 600 MHz range around 5.2 GHz. Such a device is an important element in numerous quantum technologies and applications. The device consists of a superconducting transmon qubit coupled to the open end of a transmission line. A π-pulse excites the qubit, which subsequently rapidly emits a single photon into the transmission line. A cancellation pulse then suppresses the reflected π-pulse by 33.5 dB, resulting in 0.005 photons leaking into the photon emission channel. We verify strong antibunching of the emitted photon field and determine its Wigner function. Non-radiative decay and 1/f flux noise both affect the quantum efficiency. We also study the device stability over time and identify uncorrelated discrete jumps of the pure dephasing rate at different qubit frequencies on a time scale of hours, which we attribute to independent two-level system defects in the device dielectrics, dispersively coupled to the qubit. Our single-photon source with only one input port is more compact and scalable compared to standard implementations.

Effects of symmetry breaking of the structurally-disordered Hamiltonian ensembles on the anisotropic decoherence

It is commonly known that the dephasing in open quantum systems is due to the establishment of bipartite correlations with an environment. Recently, a new approach of average over disordered Hamiltonian ensemble is developed and shown to capable of describing both the incoherent dynamical behavior and the nonclassicality of dynamical processes. Here we further extend the approach of Hamiltonian ensemble in the canonical form to the realm of structural disorder. Under the separation of the probability distribution within the Hamiltonian ensemble, the geometrical structural is easily visualized and can be characterized according to the degree of symmetry. We demonstrate four degrees and investigate the effects of different types of symmetry breaking on the incoherent dynamics. With these effects, we obtain rather general master equations, going beyond the previous frameworks of pure dephasing or isotropic depolarization. The practicality of the Hamiltonian ensemble and the theory of process nonclassicality is significantly enhanced.

Characterizing decoherence rates of a superconducting qubit by direct microwave scattering

We experimentally investigate a superconducting qubit coupled to the end of an open transmission line, in a regime where the qubit decay rates to the transmission line and to its own environment are comparable. We perform measurements of coherent and incoherent scattering, on- and off-resonant fluorescence, and time-resolved dynamics to determine the decay and decoherence rates of the qubit. In particular, these measurements let us discriminate between non-radiative decay and pure dephasing. We combine and contrast results across all methods and find consistent values for the extracted rates. The results show that the pure dephasing rate is one order of magnitude smaller than the non-radiative decay rate for our qubit. Our results indicate a pathway to benchmark decoherence rates of superconducting qubits in a resonator-free setting.

Dynamical decoupling with initial system-environment correlations

Dynamical decoupling (DD) technique is one of the most successful methods to suppress decoherence in qubit systems. In this paper, we studied a solvable pure dephasing model and investigated how DD sequences and initial correlations affect this system. We gave the analytical expressions of decoherence functions and compared the decoherence suppression effects of DD pulses in Ohmic, sub-Ohmic and super-Ohmic environments. Our results show that (1) The initial system-environment correlation will cause additional decoherence. In order to control the dynamic process of open quantum system more accurately and effectively, the initial correlation between the system and reservoir must be considered. (2) High frequency DD pulses can significantly reduce the amplitude of the decoherence function even in the presence of initial system-environment correlations.

Efficient modeling of superconducting quantum circuits with tensor networks

We use a tensor network method to compute the low-energy excitations of a large-scale fluxonium qubit up to a desired accuracy. We employ this numerical technique to estimate the pure-dephasing coherence time of the fluxonium qubit due to charge noise and coherent quantum phase slips from first principles, finding an agreement with previously obtained experimental results. By developing an accurate single-mode theory that captures the details of the fluxonium device, we benchmark the results obtained with the tensor network for circuits spanning a Hilbert space as large as 15180. Our algorithm is directly applicable to the wide variety of circuit-QED systems and may be a useful tool for scaling up superconducting quantum technologies.