Self-Sustaining Dynamical Nuclear Polarization Oscillations in Quantum Dots

M. S. Rudner and L. S. Levitov
Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 086601 – Published 20 February 2013

Abstract

Early experiments on spin-blockaded double quantum dots revealed robust, large-amplitude current oscillations in the presence of a static (dc) source-drain bias. Despite experimental evidence implicating dynamical nuclear polarization, the mechanism has remained a mystery. Here we introduce a minimal albeit realistic model of coupled electron and nuclear spin dynamics which supports self-sustained oscillations. Our mechanism relies on a nuclear spin analog of the tunneling magnetoresistance phenomenon (spin-dependent tunneling rates in the presence of an inhomogeneous Overhauser field) and nuclear spin diffusion, which governs dynamics of the spatial profile of nuclear polarization. The proposed framework naturally explains the differences in phenomenology between vertical and lateral quantum dot structures as well as the extremely long oscillation periods.

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  • Received 13 September 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.086601

© 2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. S. Rudner1,2,3 and L. S. Levitov4

  • 1The Niels Bohr International Academy, Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 2Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, 191 West Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
  • 3Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  • 4Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

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Issue

Vol. 110, Iss. 8 — 22 February 2013

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