Spatial Structure in Mode Population Induced by Coherent Pumping in a Ballistic Quantum Channel

TL;DR

This paper predicts spatial variations in mode populations in a ballistic quantum channel under THz pumping, demonstrating Rabi oscillations and proposing a gate array for detection of mode dynamics and effects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to observe mode population oscillations in quantum channels using gate arrays and predicts Rabi oscillations induced by resonant coupling.

Findings

Prediction of spatially varying mode populations

Proposal of gate array detection method

Identification of photovoltaic and photoconductive effects

Abstract

We predict a spatially varying mode population to appear in a GaAs/AlGaAs-2DEG ballistic quantum channel pumped by a THz-field. If a resonant coupling between two modes is suddenly switched on at the entrance, Rabi oscillations in the mode population will arise. We propose to use an array of gates in order to simulate a moving quantum point contact for detecting the mode population oscillations, since they discriminate between different modes. By consecutively activating them we expect to see both photovoltaic effects and photoconductive effects which can easily be distinguished from noise.