Controlling the nuclear polarization in quantum dots using optical pulses with a modest bandwidth

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that optical pulses with moderate bandwidth can effectively polarize nuclear spins in InAs quantum dots by exploiting spectral selectivity and coherent electron spin precession, leading to controlled nuclear polarization.

Contribution

It introduces a method to control nuclear polarization in quantum dots using detuned optical pulses with modest spectral width, emphasizing a mechanism based on optical spin rotations.

Findings

Nuclear polarization can be achieved with pulses of modest bandwidth.

Spectral selectivity enables discrete nuclear spin precession modes.

Optical spin rotations, not relaxation, drive polarization.

Abstract

We show that detuned optical pulse trains with a modest spectral width can polarize nuclear spins in InAs quantum dots. The pulse bandwidth is large enough to excite a coherent superposition of both electron spin eigenstates in these negatively charged dots but narrow enough to give partial spectral selectivity between the eigenstates. The coherent precession of electron spin states and periodic excitation focuses the nuclear spin distribution, producing a discrete set of precession modes. The spectral selectivity generates a net nuclear polarization, through a mechanism that relies on optical spin rotations rather than electron spin relaxation.