Optical Spintronics for Quantum Information Processing and Magnetic Sensing

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Speaker(s): Kai-Mei Fu

The optical detection and control of solid-state spins has exciting applications in the fields of quantum information processing and magnetic sensing. In the first part of the talk I will show how optical pulses can be used to measure the three fundamental relaxation times of electrons bound to donors in GaAs: population relaxation ( T_1 ), inhomogeneous dephasing ( T_2^* ), and homogeneous dephasing ( T_2 ). These relaxation rates can be used to determine the potential a spin system will have as a qubit in a quantum information application. In the second part of the talk I discuss how the unique optical and spin properties of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond can be used to engineer a highly sensitive magnetic sensor. A diamond-based magnetic sensing surface is demonstrated and biological applications for this system are discussed.

Colloquium

Junior and senior physics majors attend our biweekly colloquium series, held on Tuesday afternoons at 4:30 p.m. in Shanahan B460. The talks are open to all students and to the public, and are frequently attended by scientists from the other Claremont Colleges, Cal Poly Pomona, and others. The series features speakers from a broad range of institutions and fields of physics.