Quantum Coherence Correlation And Decoherence In Semiconductor Nanostructures

Semiconductor nanostructures are attracting a great deal of interest as the most promising device with which to implement quantum information processing and quantum computing. This book surveys the present status of nanofabrication techniques, near field spectroscopy and microscopy to assist the fabricated nanostructures. It will be essential reading for academic and industrial researchers in pure and applied physics, optics, semiconductors and microelectronics. The first up-to-date review articles on various aspects on quantum coherence, correlation and decoherence in semiconductor nanostructures

The fundamental concept of quantum coherence plays a central role in quantum physics, cutting across disciplines of quantum optics, atomic and condensed matter physics. Quantum coherence represents a universal property of the quantum s- tems that applies both to light and matter thereby tying together materials and p- nomena. Moreover, the optical coherence can be transferred to the medium through the light-matter interactions. Since the early days of quantum mechanics there has been a desire to control dynamics of quantum systems. The generation and c- trol of quantum coherence in matter by optical means, in particular, represents a viable way to achieve this longstanding goal and semiconductor nanostructures are the most promising candidates for controllable quantum systems. Optical generation and control of coherent light-matter states in semiconductor quantum nanostructures is precisely the scope of the present book. Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in the subject of quantum coh- ence. We are currently witnessing parallel growth of activities in different physical systems that are all built around the central concept of manipulation of quantum coherence. The burgeoning activities in solid-state systems, and semiconductors in particular, have been strongly driven by the unprecedented control of coherence that previously has been demonstrated in quantum optics of atoms and molecules, and is now taking advantage of the remarkable advances in semiconductor fabrication technologies. A recent impetus to exploit the coherent quantum phenomena comes from the emergence of the quantum information paradigm.

The fundamental concept of quantum coherence plays a central role in quantum physics, cutting across disciplines of quantum optics, atomic and condensed matter physics. Quantum coherence represents a universal property of the quantum s- tems that applies both to light and matter thereby tying together materials and p- nomena. Moreover, the optical coherence can be transferred to the medium through the light-matter interactions. Since the early days of quantum mechanics there has been a desire to control dynamics of quantum systems. The generation and c- trol of quantum coherence in matter by optical means, in particular, represents a viable way to achieve this longstanding goal and semiconductor nanostructures are the most promising candidates for controllable quantum systems. Optical generation and control of coherent light-matter states in semiconductor quantum nanostructures is precisely the scope of the present book. Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in the subject of quantum coh- ence. We are currently witnessing parallel growth of activities in different physical systems that are all built around the central concept of manipulation of quantum coherence. The burgeoning activities in solid-state systems, and semiconductors in particular, have been strongly driven by the unprecedented control of coherence that previously has been demonstrated in quantum optics of atoms and molecules, and is now taking advantage of the remarkable advances in semiconductor fabrication technologies. A recent impetus to exploit the coherent quantum phenomena comes from the emergence of the quantum information paradigm.

"This volume gives an overview of the manifestations of quantum coherence in different solid state systems, including semiconductor confined systems, magnetic systems, crystals and superconductors. Besides being of paramount importance in fundamental physics, the study of quantum coherence furnishes the starting point for important applications like quantum computing or secure data transmission. The coherent effects discussed mainly involve elementary excitations in solids like polaritons, excitons, magnons, macroscopic quantities like superconductor currents and electron spins. Also, several new aspects of the physics of quasi-particles are understood and discussed in this context. Due to the variety of systems in which quantum coherence may be observed, solid state systems are the natural candidates for applications that rely on coherence, for example quantum computer." --Book Jacket.

This book highlights state-of-the-art qubit implementations in semiconductors and provides an extensive overview of this newly emerging field. Semiconductor nanostructures have huge potential as future quantum information devices as they provide various ways of qubit implementation (electron spin, electronic excitation) as well as a way to transfer quantum information from stationary qubits to flying qubits (photons). Therefore, this book unites contributions from leading experts in the field, reporting cutting-edge results on spin qubit preparation, read-out and transfer. The latest theoretical as well as experimental studies of decoherence in these quantum information systems are also provided. Novel demonstrations of complex flying qubit states and first applications of semiconductor-based quantum information devices are given, too.

The purpose of this course was to give an overview of the physics of artificial semiconductor structures confining electrons and photons. It furnishes the background for several applications in particular in the domain of optical devices, lasers, light emitting diodes or photonic crystals. The effects related to the microactivity polaritons, which are mixed electromagnetic radiation-exciton states inside a semiconconductor microactivity are covered. The study of the characteristics of such states shows strong relations with the domain of cavity quantum electrodynamics and thus with the investigation of some fundamental theoretical concepts.

In the last couple of decades, high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices based on semiconductor heterostructures have been required to obtain increasingly strict and well-defined performances, needing a detailed control, at the atomic level, of the structural composition of the buried interfaces. This goal has been achieved by an improvement of the epitaxial growth techniques and by the parallel use of increasingly sophisticated characterization techniques and of refined theoretical models based on ab initio approaches. This book deals with description of both characterization techniques and theoretical models needed to understand and predict the structural and electronic properties of semiconductor heterostructures and nanostructures. Comprehensive collection of the most powerful characterization techniques for semiconductor heterostructures and nanostructures Most of the chapters are authored by scientists that are among the top 10 worldwide in publication ranking of the specific field Each chapter starts with a didactic introduction on the technique The second part of each chapter deals with a selection of top examples highlighting the power of the specific technique to analyze the properties of semiconductors