Aharonov-Bohm Excitons in Stacked Type-II Quantum Dots: Physics, Storage, and Manipulation

非技术摘要：这个项目将研究半导体纳米结构中的所谓Aharonov-Bohm效应，其中载流子位于不同的位置。Aharonov-Bohm效应是量子力学中最令人着迷和最违反直觉的现象之一：带电粒子即使保持在磁场之外，也能“感觉”到磁场。这种效应在经典物理学中是没有解释的。当空间分离的载流子重新结合时发出的光可以被存储-“冻结在原地”，然后根据需要通过适当的外部磁场和电场的组合来释放。这一行为为操纵固体中的光开辟了一条可靠的途径，对信息技术、计算和国家安全具有深远的影响。这项研究将通过使用纳米制造、强磁场、强大激光和复杂计算等先进科学工具来完成。将利用国家实验室现有的先进设施。这个项目将支持博士生的教育，他们将接触到一系列相互关联的成长、特征和理论分析问题，这些问题在历史上一直是教育、学术界和工业中许多科学职业的极好培训。此外，该项目将邀请本科生参与暑期研究，并通过与附近学校的合作吸引高中生。技术摘要：该项目将研究堆叠的第二类量子点中的激子。这些所谓的第二类激子是由空间上分离的电子和空穴产生的；这种具有全部零电荷的激子对拥有一个电偶极子，在磁通存在时产生Aharonov-Bohm相，在光学发射中可以观察到。要利用的技术包括在有和没有外电场的情况下在不同温度下的磁致发光(连续波和时间分辨)。利用磁场和电场的适当组合，可以控制和操纵Aharonov-Bohm激子的寿命。电场的作用是消除轨道动量简并，并根据需要在亮态和暗态之间切换激子。该项目的最终目标是能够将光存储在Aharonov-Bohm激子中，然后该激子可以在受控的时间重新发射光子。预计这些实验将引起科学界的普遍兴趣，并为操纵固体中的光和通过基于激子的集成电路进行量子计算提供一条可靠的途径。这个项目将支持博士生的教育，他们将接触到一系列相互关联的成长、特征和理论分析问题，长期以来，这些问题一直是教育、学术界和工业中许多科学职业的极好培训。此外，该项目将通过与附近学校的合作，让本科生和高中生参与暑期研究。

NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: This project will investigate the so-called Aharonov-Bohm effect in semiconductor nanostructures, where charge carriers reside in different locations. The Aharonov-Bohm effect is one of the most fascinating and counter-intuitive phenomena in quantum mechanics: a charged particle can "feel" a magnetic field even when it remains outside this field. This effect does not have an explanation in classical physics. The light emitted when spatially separated charge carriers recombine can be stored - "frozen in place", then released on demand via a proper combination of external magnetic and electric fields. This behavior opens a credible route for the manipulation of light in solids with profound implications for information technology, computation, and national security. This research will be accomplished by employing such advanced scientific tools as nanofabrication, high magnetic fields, powerful lasers, and sophisticated computation. Advanced facilities available at National Laboratories will be utilized. This project will support the education of a PhD student, who will be exposed to an array of interrelated issues of growth, characterization, and theoretical analysis, which historically has been excellent training for many scientific careers in education, academia, and industry. In addition, the project will involve undergraduate students in summer research as well as attract high-school students through cooperation with neighborhood schools.TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: This project will investigate excitons in stacked type-II quantum dots. These, so-called type-II, excitons are created by a spatially separated electron and hole; such a pair, having overall zero charge, possesses an electric dipole, which in the presence of the magnetic flux give rise to the Aharonov-Bohm phase, observable in optical emission. The techniques to be utilized include magneto-luminescence (continuous wave and time-resolved) at variable temperatures with and without an external electric field. Using the proper combination of the magnetic and electric fields, the lifetime of the Aharonov-Bohm excitons will be controlled and manipulated. The role of the electric field is to remove the orbital momentum degeneracy, and switch the exciton between its bright and dark states on demand. The ultimate goal of this project is to be able to store the light in the Aharonov-Bohm exciton, which then can re-emit a photon at a controlled time. These experiments are expected to be of general interest to the scientific community as well as to provide a credible route for the manipulation of light in solids and for quantum computation via exciton-based integrated circuits. This project will support the education of a PhD student who will be exposed to an array of interrelated issues of growth, characterization, and theoretical analysis, which, for a long time, has been excellent training for many scientific careers in education, academia, and industry. In addition, the project will involve undergraduate students in summer research as well as high-school students, through cooperation with neighborhood schools.