Bloch sphere representation for Rabi oscillation driven by Rashba field in the two-dimensional harmonic confinement

TL;DR

This paper introduces a Bloch sphere representation combined with a two-state rotating wave approach to analyze Rabi oscillations driven by Rashba fields in a 2D harmonic system, revealing detailed dynamical features and phase behavior.

Contribution

It develops a novel Bloch sphere-based framework and effective parameters to understand complex multi-Rabi oscillations beyond traditional approximations.

Findings

Triangular wave pattern in the Bloch sphere zenith angle

Complete spin state reversal at the wave's apex

Linear phase change with phase jumps at poles

Abstract

We studied the dynamical properties of Rabi oscillations driven by an alternating Rashba field applied to a two-dimensional (2D) harmonic confinement system. We solve the time-dependent (TD) Schr\"{o}dinger equation numerically and rewrite the resulting TD wavefunction onto the Bloch sphere (BS) using two BS parameters of the zenith ($\theta_B$) and azimuthal ($\phi_B$) angles, extracting the phase information $\phi_B$ as well as the mixing ratio $\theta_B$ between the two BS-pole states. We employed a two-state rotating wave (TSRW) approach and studied the fundamental features of $\theta_B$ and $\phi_B$ over time. The TSRW approach reveals a triangular wave formation in $\theta_B$. Moreover, at each apex of the triangular wave, the TD wavefunction passes through the BS pole, and the state is completely replaced by the opposite spin state. The TSRW approach also elucidates a linear change in $\phi_B$. The slope of $\phi_B$ vs. time is equal to the difference between the dynamical terms, leading to a confinement potential in the harmonic system. The TSRW approach further demonstrates a jump in the phase difference by $\pi$ when the wavefunction passes through the BS pole. The alternating Rashba field causes multiple successive Rabi transitions in the 2D harmonic system. We then introduce the effective BS (EBS) and transform these complicated transitions into an equivalent "single" Rabi one. Consequently, the EBS parameters $\theta_B^{\mathrm{eff}}$ and $\phi_B^{\mathrm{eff}}$ exhibit mixing and phase difference between two spin states $\alpha$ and $\beta$, leading to a deep understanding of the TD features of multi-Rabi oscillations. Furthermore, the combination of the BS representation with the TSRW approach successfully reveals the dynamical properties of the Rabi oscillation, even beyond the TSRW approximation.