Wednesday, 16 April, 2008
Optical detection of single-electron spin resonance in a quantum dot
M. Kroner, K.M. Weiss, B. Biedermann, S. Seidl, S. Manus, A.W. Holleitner, A. Badolato, P.M. Petroff, B.D. Gerardot, R.J. Warburton, K. Karrai -Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 156803 (2008)
We demonstrate optically detected spin resonance of a single electron confined to a self-assembled quantum dot. The dot is rendered dark by resonant optical pumping of the spin with a laser. Contrast is restored by applying a radio frequency (rf) magnetic field at the spin resonance. The scheme is sensitive even to rf fields of just a few mu T. In one case, the spin resonance behaves as a driven 3-level lambda system with weak damping; in another one, the dot exhibits remarkably strong (67% signal recovery) and narrow (0.34 MHz) spin resonances with fluctuating resonant positions, evidence of unusual dynamic processes.