| Ongoing projects: *Electron wavepacket in edge channels in the quantum Hall regime. *Electron-phonon coupling controlled with surface acoustic wave *Charge and spin measurements in semiconductor quantum dots |
Static quantum dot on a large potential hilltop for generating and analyzing hot electrons in the quantum Hall regime We propose and demonstrate a static quantum dot on a potential hilltop
to generate and analyze ballistic hot electrons along a quantum Hall edge
channel well above the chemical potential. High-energy resolution associated
with discrete energy levels is attractive for studying hot-electron dynamics.
In particular, the energy distribution function of hot electrons weakly
coupled to cold electrons is investigated to reveal spectral diffusion
with energy relaxation. The analysis allows us to estimate the maximum
energy exchange per scattering, which is a key parameter to describe interacting
electrons in the edge channel.R. Oishi, Y. Hongu, T. Hata, C.J. Lin, T. Akiho, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Rev. Applied 22, 034043 (2024) |
Resonant Plasmon-Assisted Tunneling in a Double Quantum Dot Coupled to
a Quantum Hall Plasmon Resonator Edge magnetoplasmon is an emergent chiral bosonic mode promising for studying
electronic quantum optics. While the plasmon transport has been investigated
with various techniques for decades, its coupling to a mesoscopic device
remained unexplored. Here, we demonstrate the coupling between a single
plasmon mode in a quantum Hall plasmon resonator and a double quantum dot
(DQD). Resonant plasmon-assisted tunneling is observed in the DQD through
absorbing or emitting plasmons stored in the resonator. By using the DQD
as a spectrometer, the plasmon energy and the coupling strength are evaluated,
which can be controlled by changing the electrostatic environment of the
quantum Hall edge. The observed plasmon-electron coupling encourages us
for studying strong coupling regimes of plasmonic cavity quantum electrodynamics.C-J Lin, K Futamata, T. Akiho, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 036301 (2024), |
Tunable tunnel coupling in a double quantum antidot with cotunneling via localized state Controlling tunnel coupling between quantum antidots (QADs) in the quantum
Hall (QH) regime is problematic. We propose and demonstrate a scheme for
tunable tunnel coupling between two QADs by utilizing a cotunneling process
via a localized state as a third QAD. The effective tunnel coupling can
be tuned by changing the localized level even with constant nearest-neighbor
tunnel couplings. We systematically study the variation of transport characteristics
in the effectively triple QAD system at the Landau level filling factor
ν=2. The tunable tunnel coupling is clarified by analyzing the anticrossing
of Coulomb blockade peaks in the charge stability diagram, in agreement
with numerical simulations based on the master equation. The scheme is
attractive for studying coherence and interaction in QH systems.T. Hata, K. Sada, T. Uchino, D. Endo, T. Akiho, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Rev. B 108, 075432 (2023). |
Non-thermal Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid eventually emerging from hot electrons
in the quantum Hall regime Dynamics of integrable systems, such as Tomonaga-Luttinger (TL) liquids,
is deterministic, and the absence of stochastic thermalization processes
provides unique characteristics, such as long-lived non-thermal metastable
states with many conserved quantities. Here, we show such non-thermal states
can emerge even when the TL liquid is excited with extremely high-energy
hot electrons in chiral quantum-Hall edge channels. This demonstrates the
robustness of the integrable model against the excitation energy. Crossover
from the single-particle hot electrons to the many-body TL liquid is investigated
by using on-chip detectors with a quantum point contact and a quantum dot.
The charge dynamics can be understood with a single-particle picture only
for hot electrons. The resulting electron-hole plasma in the TL liquid
shows a non-thermal metastable state, in which warm and cold electrons
coexist without further thermalization. The multi-temperature constituents
are attractive for transporting information with conserved quantities along
the channels.K. Suzuki, T. Hata, Y. Sato, T. Akiho, K. Muraki and T. Fujisawa, Commun. Phys. 6, 103 (2023). |
Non-uniform heat redistribution among multiple channels in the integer
quantum Hall regime Heat transport in multiple quantum-Hall edge channels at Landau-level filling
factor nu = 2, 4, and 8 is investigated with a quantum point contact as
a heat generator and a quantum dot as a local thermometer. Heat distribution
among the channels remains highly non-uniform, which can be understood
with the plasmon eigenmodes of the multiple channels. The heat transport
can be controlled with another quantum point contact as a quantized heat
valve, as manifested by stepwise increases of heat current at the thermometer.
This encourages developing integrated heat circuits with quantum-Hall edge
channels.R. Konuma, C.J. Lin, T. Hata, T. Hirasawa, T. Akiho, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Rev. B 105, 235302 (2022). |
Time-resolved investigation of plasmon mode along interface channels in
integer and fractional quantum Hall regimes  Quantum Hall (QH) edge channels appear not only along the edge of the electron
gas but also along an interface between two QH regions with different filling
factors. However, the fundamental transport characteristics of such interface
channels are not well understood, particularly in the high-frequency regime.
In this study, we investigate the interface plasmon mode along the edge
of a metal gate electrode with ungated and gated QH regions in both integer
and fractional QH regimes using a time-resolved measurement scheme. The
observed plasmon wave form was delayed and broadened due to the influence
of the charge puddles formed around the channel. The charge velocity and
diffusion constant of the plasmon mode were evaluated by analyzing the
wave form using a distributed circuit model. We found that the conductive
puddles in the gated region induce significant dissipation in plasmon transport.
For instance, a fractional interface channel with a reasonably fast velocity
was obtained by preparing a fractional state in the ungated region and
an integer state in the gated region, whereas a channel in the swapped
configuration was quite dissipative. This reveals a high-quality interface
channel that provides a clean path to transport fractional charges for
studying various fractional QH phenomena.C.J. Lin, M. Hashisaka, T. Akiho, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Rev. B 104, 125304 (2021). |
| Plasmon modes of coupled quantum Hall edge channels in the presence of disorder-induced tunneling Coupled quantum Hall edge channels show i  ntriguing nontrivial modes, for example, charge and neutral modes at Landau
level filling factors 2 and 2/3. We propose an appropriate and effective
model with a Coulomb interaction and disorder-induced tunneling characterized
by coupling capacitances and tunneling conductances, respectively. This
model explains how the transport eigenmodes, within the interaction- and
disorder-dominated regimes, change with the coupling capacitance, tunneling
conductance, and measurement frequency.We propose frequency- and time-domain
transport experiments, from which eigenmodes can be determined using this
model.T. Fujisawa and C.J. Lin, Phys. Rev. B 103, 165302 (2021). |
Quantized charge fractionalization at quantum Hall Y junctions in the disorder
dominated regime Fractionalization is a phenomenon where an elementary excitation partitions
into several pieces. This picture explains non-trivial transport through
a junction of one-dimensional edge channels defined by topologically distinct
quantum Hall states, for example, a hole-conjugate state at Landau-level
filling factor ν = 2/3. Here we employ a time-resolved scheme to identify an elementary fractionalization process; injection of charge q
from a non-interaction region into an interacting and scattering region
of one-dimensional channels results in the formation of a collective
excitation with charge (1−r)q by reflecting fractionalized charge rq. The fractionalization factors, r = 0.34 ± 0.03 for ν = 2/3 and r = 0.49 ± 0.03 for ν
= 2, are consistent with the quantized values of 1/3 and 1/2,
respectively, which are expected in the disorder dominated regime. The
scheme can be used for generating and transporting fractionalized
charges with a well-defined time course along a well-defined path.C.J. Lin et al. Nature Commun. 12, 131 (2021). |
Sensitive current measurement on a quantum antidot with a Corbino-type
electrode Quantum antidots (QAD), which are a potential energy hill in a quantum
Hall state, offer an ideal test-bed to study bound states in quantum Hall
states. So far, electron transport in QAD devices has been investigated
mostly by measuring the voltage between voltage probes, which, however,
may not be suitable to detect small current on the order of pico-amperes
or less. Here, we utilize a Corbino-type electrode to directly measure
the current through the QADs. We find the direct current measurement with
a current–voltage converter provides a more precise tunneling current than
the voltage measurement with a voltage amplifier.T. Hata et al., Japan. J. Appl. Phys. 59, SGGI03 (2020). |
Ballistic hot-electron transport in a quantum
Hall edge channel defined by a double gate Ballistic transport of hot electrons in a quantum Hall edge channel is
attractive for studying the electronic analog of quantum optics, where
the edge potential profile is an important parameter that governs the charge
velocity and scattering by longitudinal-optical (LO) phonons. Here, we
use a parallel double gate to control the electric field of the edge potential
and investigate the ballistic length of the channel by using hot-electron
spectroscopy. The ballistic length is significantly enhanced by reducing
the LO phonon scattering rate in the tailored potential.S. Akiyama et al., Appl. Phys. Lett 115, 243106 (2019). |
Quantum anti-dot formed with an airbridge gate in the quantum Hall regime We demonstrate a quantum antidot (QAD) formed with an airbridge gate on
an AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure, where a sub-micron pillar-shaped surface
gate is biased via the bridge. We study transport through the QAD in the
two regimes; one with a fully depleted region and the other with a partially
depleted region at the center of the QAD. While standard Coulomb blockade
(CB) oscillations with discrete levels are observed in the fully depleted
region, short-period CB oscillations and more complicated patterns with
multiple QADs are seen in the partially depleted region. The device is
promising for investigating the few-particle regime.R. Eguchi et al., Appl. Phys. Express 12, 065002 (2019). |
Charge equilibration in integer and fractional quantum Hall edge channels
in a generalized Hall-bar device Charge equilibration between quantum Hall edge states can be studied to
reveal the geometric structure of edge channels not only in the integer
quantum Hall (IQH) regime but also in the fractional quantum Hall (FQH)
regime, particularly for hole-conjugate states. Here we report on a systematic
study of charge equilibration in both IQH and FQH regimes by using a generalized
Hall bar, in which a quantum Hall state is nested in another quantum Hall
state with different Landau filling factors. This provides a feasible way
to evaluate equilibration in various conditions even in the presence of
scattering in the bulk region. The validity of the analysis is tested in
the IQH regime by confirming consistency with previous works. In the FQH
regime, we find that the equilibration length for counterpropagating δν
= 1 and δν = −1/3 channels along a hole-conjugate state at Landau filling
factor ν = 2/3 is much shorter than that for copropagating δν = 1 and δν
= 1/3 channels along a particle state at ν = 4/3. The difference can be
associated with the distinct geometric structures of the edge channels.
Our analysis with generalized Hall-bar devices would be useful in studying
edge equilibration and edge structures.C. J. Lin et al., Phys. Rev. B .99, 195304 (2019). |
Surface-acoustic-wave resonators with Ti, Cr, and Au metallization on GaAs Surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) resonators, which confine SAW phonons in a small region between two Bragg reflectors, are attractive for studying the acoustic analog of cavity quantum electrodynamics. We have investigated characteristics of SAW resonators fabricated by patterning a metal film of Ti, Cr, and Au on GaAs and AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure surfaces. The resonator modes and the acoustic band gap are identified by measuring the radio-frequency reflection spectrum and local piezoelectric potential with a quantum point contact. Ti metallization, showing a large band gap and small velocity modulation, is the best choice for designing a high-quality SAW resonator for GaAs. R. Takasu, Y. sato, et al., Appl. Phys. Express 12, 055001 (2019). |
|
Spectroscopic study on hot-electron transport in a quantum Hall edge channel |
Electronic energy spectroscopy of monochromatic edge magnetoplasmons in
the quantum Hall regime We investigate electronic excitation in a quantum Hall edge channel when
a monochromatic plasmon wave is excited by applying a radio-frequency voltage
to a long surface gate on an AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure. A quantum-dot
energy spectrometer is employed to evaluate the amplitude of the potential
wave and possible electronic heating. The potential wave is analyzed with
a capacitance model. Non-monotonic frequency dependence observed under
specific conditions can be explained by destructive plasmon interference
in the gated region. The observed small heating effect suggests that the
single plasmon mode is dominantly excited with this scheme.T. Ota et al., J. Phys. Cond. Mat. 30, 345301 (2018). |
Signatures of a Nonthermal Metastable State in Copropagating Quantum Hall
Edge Channels A Tomonaga-Luttinger (TL) liquid is known as an integrable system, in which
a nonequilibrium many-body state survives without relaxing to a thermalized
state. This intriguing characteristic is tested experimentally in copropagating
quantum Hall edge channels at bulk filling factor ν = 2. The unidirectional
transport allows us to investigate the time evolution by measuring the
spatial evolution of the electronic states. The initial state is prepared
with a biased quantum point contact, and its spatial evolution is measured
with a quantum-dot energy spectrometer. We find strong evidence for a nonthermal
metastable state in agreement with the TL theory before the system relaxes
to thermal equilibrium with coupling to the environment.K. Itoh et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 197701 (2018) [Editors' Suggestion] |
| Generation and detection of edge magnetoplasmons in a quantum Hall system
using a photoconductive switch Edge magnetoplasmons (EMPs) are unidirectional charge density waves travelling in an edge channel of a two-dimensional electron gas in the quantum Hall regime. We present both generation and detection schemes with a photoconductive switch (PCS) for EMPs. Here, the conductance of the PCS is modulated by irradiation with a laser beam, whose amplitude can be modulated by an external signal. When the PCS is used as a generato  r, the electrical current from the PCS is injected into the edge channel
to excite EMPs. When the PCS is used as a detector, the electronic potential
induced by EMPs is applied to the PCS with a modulated laser beam so as
to constitute a phase-sensitive measurement. For both experiments, we confirm
that the time of flight for the EMPs increases with the magnetic field
in agreement with the EMP characteristics. Combination of the two schemes
would be useful in investigating and utilizing EMPs at higher frequencies.C.J. Lin et al, Japan. J. Appl. Phys. 57, 04FK02 (2018). |
Two-electron double quantum dot coupled to coherent photon and phonon fields Two-electron states of a double quantum dot (DQD) under irradiation of
coherent boson (photon and phonon) fields are studied by measuring spin-flip
tunneling current in the Pauli spin blockade regime. This measurement scheme
allows us to investigate Rabi splitting and associated boson dressed states
particularly in the deep dispersive regime where the detuning δ ≡ hbarω
− E_AB between the boson energy hbarω and energy spacing E_AB of the two-level
system is significantly large (δ ∼ hbarω), where the permanent dipole moment
in the DQD plays a significant role in the hybridizationY. Sato et al., .Phys. Rev. B 96, 115416 (2017). |
| Negative and positive cross-correlations of current noises in quantum Hall
edge channels at bulk filling factor nu = 1 Cross-correlation noise in electrical currents generated from a series connection of two quantum point contacts (QPCs), the injector and the detector, is described for investigating e  nergy relaxation in quantum Hall edge channels at bulk filling factor nu =
1. We address the importance of tuning the energy bias across the detector
for this purpose. For a long channel with a macroscopic floating ohmic
contact that thermalizes the electrons, the cross-correlation turns from
negative values to the maximally positive value (identical noise in the
two currents) by tuning the effective energy bias to zero. This can be
understood by considering competition between the low-frequency charge
fluctuation generated at the injector, which contributes positive correlation,
and the partition noise at the detector, which gives negative correlation.
Strikingly, even for a short channel without intentional thermalization,
significantly large positive correlation is observed in contrast to negative
values expected for coherent transport between the two QPCs.News&Views: JPhys+ T. Ota et al. J. Phys. Condens. Matter 29, 225302 (2017). |
Waveform measurement of charge- and spin-density wavepackets in a chiral
Tomonaga–Luttinger liquid In contrast to a free-electron system, a Tomonaga–Luttinger (TL) liquid
in a one-dimensional (1D) electron system hosts charge and spin excitations
as independent entities. Whenan electron is injected into a TL liquid, it
transforms into chargeand spin-density wavepackets that propagate at dierent
group velocities and move away from each other. This process, knownas spin–charge
separation, is the hallmark of TL physics. While spin–charge separation
has been probed in momentumor frequency-domain measurements in various
1D systems, waveforms of separated excitations, which are a direct manifestation
of the TL behaviour, have been long awaited to be measured. Here, we present
a waveform measurement for the pseudospin–charge separation process in
a chiral TL liquid comprising quantum Hall edge channels. The chargeand
pseudospin-density waveforms are captured by utilizing a spin-resolved
sampling scope that records the spin-up or -down component of the excitations.
This experimental technique provides full information for time evolution
of the 1D electron system, including not only propagation of TL eigenmodes
but also their decay in a practical device.M. Hashisaka et al., Nature Physics 13, 559-562 (2017) (DOI: 10.1038/NPHYS4062) |
Long-lived binary tunneling spectrum in the quantum Hall Tomonaga-Luttinger
liquid The existence of long-lived nonequilibrium states without showing thermalization,
which has previously been demonstrated in time evolution of ultracold atoms,
suggests the possibility of their spatial analog in transport behavior
of interacting electrons in solid-state systems. Here we report long-lived
nonequilibrium states in one-dimensional edge channels in the integer quantum
Hall regime. An indirect heating scheme in a counterpropagating configuration
is employed to generate a nontrivial binary spectrum consisting of high-
and low-temperature components. This unusual spectrum is sustained even
after traveling 5–10 um, much longer than the length for electronic relaxation
(about 0.1um), without showing significant thermalization. This observation
is consistent with the integrable model of Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid. The
long-lived spectrum implies that the system is well described by noninteracting
plasmons, which are attractive for carrying information for a long distance.K. Washio et al., Phys. Rev. B 93, 075304 (2016). |
Exchange-Induced Spin Blockade in a Two-Electron Double Quantum Dot We have experimentally identified the exchange-induced spin blockade in
a GaAs double quantum dot. The transport is suppressed only when the eigenstates
are well-defined singlet and triplet states, and thus sensitive to dynamic
nuclear-spin polarization tha causes singlet-triplet mixing. This gives
rise to unusual current spectra, such as a sharp curren dip and an asymmetric
current profile near the triplet resonance of a double quantum dot. Numerical
simulations suggest that the current dip is a signature of identical nuclear-spin
polarization in the two dots, which is attractive for coherent spin manipulations
in a material with nuclear spins.D. Imanaka et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 176802 (2015). |
Enhanced electron-phonon coupling for a semiconductor charge qubit in a
surface phonon cavity Electron-phonon coupling is a major decoherence mechanism, which often
causes scattering and energy dissipation in semiconductor electronic systems.
However, this electron-phonon coupling may be used in a positive way for
reaching the strong or ultra-strong coupling regime in an acoustic version
of the cavity quantum electrodynamic system. Here we propose and demonstrate
a phonon cavity for surface acoustic waves, which is made of periodic metal
fingers that constitute Bragg reflectors on a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure.
Phonon band gap and cavity phonon modes are identified by frequency, time
and spatially resolved measurements of the piezoelectric potential. Tunneling
spectroscopy on a double quantum dot indicates the enhancement of phonon
assisted transitions in a charge qubit. This encourages studying of acoustic
cavity quantum electrodynamics with surface phonons.J. C. H. Chen, Y. Sato, R. Kosaka, M. Hashisaka, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Sci. Rep. 5, 15176 (2015). |
An edge-magnetoplasmon Mach-Zehnder interferometer We report an edge-magnetoplasmon (EMP) Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometer
in a quantum Hall system. The MZ interferometer, which is based on the
interference of two EMP beams traveling in chiral one-dimensional edge
channels, is constructed by tailoring edge channels with functional devices
such as splitters and delay lines. We measured 1 GHz EMP beams transmitted
through the interferometer while tuning the phase evolution along two interference
paths using tunable delay lines. Clear interference patterns as a function
of the phase difference ensure the MZ interference. Moreover, the MZ interferometry
is applied to evaluate the EMP transport through an attenuator interposed
in one of the paths. This technique will be useful for investigating the
functionalities of devices in plasmonics.N. Hiyama, M. Hashisaka, and T. Fujisawa, Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 143101 (2015). |
Shot-Noise Evidence of Fractional Quasiparticle Creation in a Local Fractional
Quantum Hall State We experimentally identify fractional quasiparticle creation in a tunneling process through a local fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state. The local FQH state is prepared in a low-density region near a quantum point contact in an integer quantum Hall (IQH) system. Shot-noise measurements reveal a clear transition from elementary-charge tunneling at low bias to fractional-charge tunneling at high bias. The fractional shot noise is proportional to T1(1-T1) over a wide range of T1, where T1 is the transmission probability of the IQH edge channel. This binomial distribution indicates that fractional quasiparticles emerge from the IQH state to be transmitted through the local FQH state. The study of this tunneling process enables us to elucidate the dynamics of Laughlin quasiparticles in FQH systems.M. Hashisaka, T. Ota, K. Muraki and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 056802 (2015). |
Spin-dependent tunneling rates for electrostatically defined GaAs quantum
dots The tunneling rates for spin-up and -down electrons are investigated for
a GaAs quantum dot in an in-plane magnetic field by using a real-time single-electron
counting scheme with a nearby charge detector. An extremely small spin-polarized
current on the order of attoamperes is analyzed with the spin and energy
dependences of the tunneling rates. Fully spin-polarized current is obtained
when only a spin-up Zeeman sublevel is located in the transport window.
When both Zeeman sublevels are allowed to contribute to the transport,
we find that the tunneling rate for spin-up electrons is considerably higher
than that for spin-down electrons. This partially spin-polarized current
can be explained by the exchange-enhanced spin splitting in low-density
regions near the tunneling barriers.M. Yamagishi, N. Watase, M. Hashisaka, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Rev. B. 90, 035306 (2014). |
Cross-correlation measurement of quantum shot noise using homemade transimpedance
amplifiers We report a cross-correlation measurement system, based on a new approach,
which can be used to measure shot noise in a mesoscopic conductor at milliKelvin
temperatures. In contrast to other measurement systems in which high-speed
low-noise voltage amplifiers are commonly used, our system employs homemade
transimpedance amplifiers (TAs). The low input impedance of the TAs significantly
reduces the crosstalk caused by unavoidable parasitic capacitance between
wires. The TAs are designed to have a flat gain over a frequency band from
2 kHz to 1 MHz. Low-noise performance is attained by installing the TAs
at a 4 K stage of a dilution refrigerator. Our system thus fulfills the
technical requirements for cross-correlation measurements: low noise floor,
high frequency band, and negligible crosstalk between two signal lines.
Using our system, shot noise generated at a quantum point contact embedded
in a quantum Hall system is measured. The good agreement between the obtained
shot-noise data and theoretical predictions demonstrates the accuracy of
the measurements.M. Hashisaka, T. Ota, M. Yamagishi, T. Fujisawa, and K. Muraki, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 85, 054704 (2014). |
Stable and unstable dynamics of Overhauser fields in a double quantum dot Nonlinear dynamics of nuclear spin ensembles driven by a two-electron system
in a double quantum dot in the Pauli spin blockade (SB) regime is studied
experimentally in conjunction with numerical simulation. Dynamic nuclear
spin polarization (DNP) is systematically studied by evaluating the current
level and its fluctuations. We interpret large current noise in the SB
regime as stable feedback noise, where identical Overhauser fields of the
two dots are preferred. In contrast, stepwise increases of current in the
shallow Coulomb blockade region can be understood as unstable dynamics
with significant imbalance of the Overhauser fields, which cancels the
external magnetic field in one of the two dots. There, an extremely small
transverse Overhauser field can easily lift the SB transport, giving the
highest current level, when longitudinal components cancel the applied
field.S. Sharmin et al., Phys. Rev. B 89, 115315 (2014). |
Fractionalized wave packets from an artificial Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid The model of interacting fermion systems in one dimension known as Tomonaga?Luttinger liquid (TLL) provides a simple and exactly solvable theoretical framework that predicts various intriguing physical properties. Evidence of TLL has been observed as power-law behaviour in electronic transport on various types of one-dimensional conductors. However, these measurements, which rely on d.c. transport involving electron tunneling processes, cannot identify the long-awaited hallmark of charge fractionalization, in which an injection of elementary charge e from a non-interacting lead is divided into the non-trivial effective charge e* and the remainder, e-e*. Here, we report time-resolved transport measurements on an artificial TLL  composed of coupled integer quantum Hall edge channels, in which we successfully
identify single charge fractionalization processes. A wave packet of charge
q incident from a non-interacting region breaks up into several fractionalized
charge wave packets at the edges of the artificial TLL, from which transport
eigenmodes can be evaluated directly. These results are informative for
elucidating the nature of TLLs and low-energy excitations in the edge channels.Selected as an Advance Online Publication (AOP) H. Kamata et al., Nature Nano. 9, 177-181 (2014) DOI: 10.1038/NNANO.2013.312 |
Single-electron counting statistics with a finite frequency bandwidth Single-electron counting is widely used to probe single electron dynamics and correlated electron transport through quantum dots. However, finite frequency bandwidth in amplifying and analyzing the detector current removes fast counting events and alters the statistics. We have developed a correction scheme to obtain the actual tunneling rates through a quantum dot, when the detector has a low pass filter with a cutoff frequency comparable to the rates. The accuracy of our scheme is confirmed by simulating the filtering effect on Poisson random switching events and by applying it to experimental data for self-checking. N. Watase, M. Hashisaka, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 53 04EJ01 (2014). |
Distributed-element circuit model of edge magnetoplasmon transport We report experimental and theoretical studies of edge magnetoplasmon (EMP)
transport in quantum Hall (QH) devices. We develop a model that allows
us to calculate the transport coefficients of EMPs in QH devices with various
geometries. In our model, a QH system is described as a chiral distributed-element
(CDE) circuit, where the effects of Coulomb interaction are represented
by an electrochemical capacitance distributed along unidirectional transmission
lines. We measure the EMP transport coefficients through single- and coupled-edge
channels, a quantum point contact, and single- and double-cavity structures.
These measured transmission spectra can be reproduced well by simulations
using the corresponding CDE circuits. By fitting the experimental results
with the simulations, we deduce the circuit parameters that characterize
the electrostatic environment around the edge channels in a realistic QH
system. The observed gate-voltage dependences of the EMP transport properties
in gate-defined structures are explained in terms of the gate tuning of
the circuit parameters in CDE circuits.M. Hashisaka, H. Kamata, N. Kumada, K. Washio, R. Murata, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Rev. B.88, 235409 (2013). |
 Frequency conversion of rf edge magnetoplasmons using a quantum point contactWe report a frequency-conversion technique for edge magnetoplasmons in a quantum Hall device. The nonlinear conductance of a quantum point contact (QPC) results in the generation of high harmonics of an input microwave and the mixing of two input frequencies. We controlled the conversion efficiency by tuning the nonlinear conductance through the QPC via a gate voltage. The amplitudes of the frequency-converted waves agree well with those expected from the measured dc nonlinear conductance. We demonstrate the technique up to our instrumental limit of 12 GHz, and show that formation of charge-density waves does not change the nonlinear characteristics of the QPC. M. Hashisaka, K. Washio, H. Kamata, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, , Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 233501 (2012) |
Distributed electrochemical capacitance evidenced in high-frequency admittance measurements on a quantum Hall device  We describe high-frequency admittance measurements up to 3 GHz on a quantum point contact in a quantum Hall regime. When the excitation frequency is so high that the wavelength of the edge magnetoplasmons is comparable to the size of the system, the phase developing along the edge channels must be considered when analyzing electrochemical capacitance in admittance. The result cannot be accounted for by the local electrochemical capacitance near the quantum point contact but instead needs to be understood by considering the distributed capacitance within the sample as a whole. This implies that all electrons within the device are interacting because the screening in one-dimensional channels is extremely weak. A distributed-element model is essential for understanding the ac response in low-dimensional structures, which is analogous to that in high-frequency electrical circuits. M. Hashisaka, K. Washio, H. Kamata, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, , Phys. Rev. B 85, 155424 (2012). |
Correlation of 1/f Noise between Semiconductor Point Contacts with a Common Lead  We investigate cross spectral density between tunneling currents through closely spaced point contacts (PCs) in a semiconductor heterostructure. Analysis of 1/f noise, which originates from background charge fluctuations, is expected to reveal the characteristics of a charge detector and screened Coulomb potential in the device. However, the common resistance in the measurement circuit and the leads of the PCs causes a significant negative correlation. We find that this negative correlation is enhanced when the common electrical channel becomes so narrow that it has only a few one-dimensional conductive modes. Our finding suggests the importance of the circuit environment in integrating multiple charge detectors. M. Yamagishi, M. Hashisaka, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Japan. J. Appl. Phys. 51, 02BJ08 (2012). |
Interferometric detection of edge magnetoplasmons in AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures  We propose and demonstrate an interferometric detection scheme for edge
magnetoplasmons (EMPs) propagating in two dimensional electron gas systems.
Analogous to homodyne detection of electromagnetic wave in quantum optics,
we apply reference microwaves to interfere with EMPs. Tuning the delay
time, hence the phase, of the reference wave and analyzing the interference
signal allow us to extract the amplitude and the phase of the original
EMP at the detection point. The magnetic field dependence of the amplitude
and the group velocity of EMPs are investigated by the detection scheme.
This detection scheme is performed with a gate electrode as well as an
Ohmic contact, which will be useful in evaluating spatial distribution
of EMPs.M. Hashisaka, K. Washio, H. Kamata, K. Murak, and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Status Solidi C, (2010). (DOI:10.1002/pssc.201000477) |
Multiple two-qubit operations for a coupled semiconductor charge qubit  We investigate functional two-qubit operations in coupled semiconductor charge qubits, where two spatially separated electrons are coherently excited. Their time-evolutions are investigated for an ideally closed system as well as for a realistic semiconductor device with some decoherence and dephasing processes. We find various types of quantum operations can be performed each in a single step just by adjusting the energy biases of the two qubits. These operations are promising for generating strong quantum correlation between spatially separated electrons. T. Fujisawa, G. Shinkai, T. Hayashi, T. Ota, Physica E 43, 730 (2011). doi:10.1016/j.physe.2010.07.040 |
Voltage-controlled group velocity of edge magnetoplasmon in the quantum Hall regime  We investigate the group velocity of edge magnetoplasmons (EMPs) in the
quantum Hall regime by means of time-of-flight measurement. The EMPs are
injected from an Ohmic contact by applying a voltage pulse, and detected
at a quantum point contact by applying another voltage pulse to its gate.
We find that the group velocity of the EMPs traveling along the edge channel
defined by a metallic gate electrode strongly depends on the voltage applied
to the gate. The observed variation of the velocity can be understood to
reflect the degree of screening caused by the metallic gate, which damps
the in-plane electric field and, hence, reduces the velocity. The degree
of screening can be controlled by changing the distance between the gate
and the edge channel with the gate voltage.H. Kamata, T. Ota, K. Muraki, and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Rev. B 81, 085329(2010). |
Bidirectional current drag induced by two-electron cotunneling in coupled double quantum dots  We demonstrate a bidirectional current drag device, in which an electron
tunneling through a double quantum dot (DQD) drags another electron in
the other DQD in the same or opposite direction. The direction can be switched
by choosing the corresponding cotunneling process of the two electrons.
A reasonable drag effect is experimentally confirmed in a GaAs device.
This result encourages optimizing the device for current mirror functions.G. Shinkai, T. Hayashi, T. Ota, and T. Fujisawa, Appl. Phys. Express 2, 081101(2009). |
Correlated coherent oscillations in coupled semiconductor charge qubits  We study coherent dynamics of two spatially separated electrons in a coupled
semiconductor double quantum dot (DQD). Coherent oscillations in one DQD
are strongly influenced by electronic states of the other DQD, or the two
electrons simultaneously tunnel in a correlated manner. The observed coherent
oscillations are interpreted as various two-qubit operations. The results
encourage searching quantum entanglement in electronic devices.G. Shinkai, T. Hayashi, T. Ota, and T. Fujisawa, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 056802 (2009) |
 Correlation measurement of time-dependent potentials in a semiconductor
quantum point contactA novel time-correlation measurement technique is proposed and demonstrated to investigate time-dependent potentials in nanostructures. We focus on a semiconductor quantum point contact, in which the tunneling barrier potential and the source-drain bias potential can be independently controlled by external voltage pulses. Time-correlation of the two potentials is obtained by measuring the dc current at various time differences of the two pulses. The observed correlation function is consistent with the model, and can be used to evaluate the waveform of the time-dependent potential. H. Kamata, T. Ota, and T. Fujisawa, Japan. J. Appl. Phys. 48, 04C149 (2009). |
 Zeeman splitting in single-electron transport through a few-electron quantum dotSingle-electron transport through a few-electron quantum dot is investigated under in-plane and perpendicular magnetic fields. Zeeman splitting always appears as two conductance peaks, whose conditions depend on whether the total spin is raised or lowered by single-electron tunneling. The total spin of the ground state can be identified by consecutively investigating the Zeeman splitting from a known spin state. Zeeman splitting for some excited states is also discussed. T. Fujisawa, G. Shinkai, and T. Hayashi, "Zeeman splitting in single-electron transport through a few-electron quantum dot", Phys. Rev. B 72, 041302(R), (2007). |
 Controlled resonant tunneling in a coupled double-quantum-dot systemThe authors investigate electrostatic coupling between two double quantum dots (DQDs) defined in an AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure by measuring the correlation between resonant tunneling currents through the DQDs. Resonant tunneling in one DQD can be controlled by the charge state of the other DQD. This controlled resonant tunneling is consistent with the capacitance model for the geometry and can be used to investigate the statistics of single-electron charge states in the DQD. The observed electrostatic coupling is strong enough to perform two-qubit quantum gates both for charge- and electron-spin-based qubit schemes. G. Shinkai, T. Hayashi, Y. Hirayama and T. Fujisawa, "Controlled resonant tunneling in a coupled double-quantum-dot system", Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 103116 (2007). |
 Bidirectional single electron counting deviceA bidirectional single-electron counting device is demonstrated. Individual electrons flowing in forward and reverse directions through a double quantum dot are detected with a quantum point contact acting as a charge sensor. A comprehensive statistical analysis in the frequency and time domains and of higher order moments of noise reveals antibunching correlation in single-electron transport through the device itself. The device can also be used to investigate current flow in the attoampere range, which cannot be measured by existing current meters. T. Fujisawa, R. Tomita, T. Hayashi, and Y. Hirayama, "Bidirectional counting of single electrons", Science 312, 1634 (2006). |
Hot electron transport in a quantum Hall edge channel of an AlGaAs/GaAs
heterostructure is studied by investigating the energy distribution function
in the channel. Ballistic hot-electron transport, its optical-phonon replicas,
weak electron-electron scattering, and electron-hole excitation in the
Fermi sea are clearly identified in the energy spectra. The optical-phonon
scattering is analyzed to evaluate the edge potential profile. We find
that the electron-electron scattering is significantly suppressed with
increasing the hot-electron's energy well above the Fermi energy. This
can be understood with suppressed Coulomb potential with longer distance
for higher energy. The results suggest that the relaxation can be suppressed
further by softening the edge potential. This is essential for studying
noninteracting chiral transport over a long distance.