There is currently interest in developing control over the spin of a single Manganese (Mn) ion, the atomic limit of magnetic memory, in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). In this work we present theoretical results showing how one can manipulate the spin of Mn ion with light in a QD by engineering Mn-multi-exciton interactions through quantum interference, design of exciton and bi-exciton states and application of the magnetic field. We develop a fully microscopic model of correlated exciton and bi-exciton interacting with the Mn ion. The electrons and heavy holes, confined in the QD, approximated as a two-dimensional harmonic oscillator (HO), interact via direct and short- and long-range exchange Coulomb interactions. The matrix elements of the exchange interaction are computed for the first time in the harmonic oscillator basis and for arbitrary magnetic fields. The exciton and bi-exciton energies and states are computed using the configuration interaction method. The interaction between carriers and the Mn spin is accounted for by the Heisenberg electron-Mn and Ising hole-Mn exchange interactions. For a single exciton confined in a magnetic dot, a novel quantum interference (QI) effect between the electron-hole Coulomb scattering and the scattering by Mn ion is obtained. The QI significantly affects the exciton-Mn coupling, modifying the splitting of the emission/absorption lines from the exciton-Mn complex depending on the degree of electronic correlations in the exciton state. The second signature of the QI are the nonuniform energy gaps between the consecutive emission peaks due to the scattering of carriers by Mn among single-particle orbitals. Magneto-photoluminescence experiments show that the coupling between the exciton and Mn ion does not change in the magnetic field. We report that electron-hole correlations counteract the magnetic squeezing of the single-particle wave functions strengthening the carrier-Mn interactions. As a result, the rate of change of the magneto-photoluminescence spectra with magnetic field is reduced as observed in the experiment. We develop here for the first time a microscopic theory of bi-exciton-Mn complex, and report the presence of the fine structure of bi-exciton-Mn complex, even though as a spin-singlet it is expected to decouple from the localized spin. Theoretical results are compared with experiments in Grenoble and Warsaw.

There is currently interest in developing control over the spin of a single Manganese (Mn) ion, the atomic limit of magnetic memory, in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). In this work we present theoretical results showing how one can manipulate the spin of Mn ion with light in a QD by engineering Mn-multi-exciton interactions through quantum interference, design of exciton and bi-exciton states and application of the magnetic field. We develop a fully microscopic model of correlated exciton and bi-exciton interacting with the Mn ion. The electrons and heavy holes, confined in the QD, approximated as a two-dimensional harmonic oscillator (HO), interact via direct and short- and long-range exchange Coulomb interactions. The matrix elements of the exchange interaction are computed for the first time in the harmonic oscillator basis and for arbitrary magnetic fields. The exciton and bi-exciton energies and states are computed using the configuration interaction method. The interaction between carriers and the Mn spin is accounted for by the Heisenberg electron-Mn and Ising hole-Mn exchange interactions. For a single exciton confined in a magnetic dot, a novel quantum interference (QI) effect between the electron-hole Coulomb scattering and the scattering by Mn ion is obtained. The QI significantly affects the exciton-Mn coupling, modifying the splitting of the emission/absorption lines from the exciton-Mn complex depending on the degree of electronic correlations in the exciton state. The second signature of the QI are the nonuniform energy gaps between the consecutive emission peaks due to the scattering of carriers by Mn among single-particle orbitals. Magneto-photoluminescence experiments show that the coupling between the exciton and Mn ion does not change in the magnetic field. We report that electron-hole correlations counteract the magnetic squeezing of the single-particle wave functions strengthening the carrier-Mn interactions. As a result, the rate of change of the magneto-photoluminescence spectra with magnetic field is reduced as observed in the experiment. We develop here for the first time a microscopic theory of bi-exciton-Mn complex, and report the presence of the fine structure of bi-exciton-Mn complex, even though as a spin-singlet it is expected to decouple from the localized spin. Theoretical results are compared with experiments in Grenoble and Warsaw.

The ability to resolve molecules individually has many potential applications. These include understanding the local environments of single molecules including details of their interactions with surroundings. The ability to individually address and manipulate the spin states is also required for spin based quantum information processing. Although optical detection techniques, such as optically detected electron spin resonance (ESR) seem very powerful in these contexts, multiple molecules in the focal volume of a diffraction limited confocal microscope spot cannot in general be resolved individually. Here we propose to solve this problem using optically detected ESR imaging based on the use of high field gradients. In the present research, subwavelength single molecule imaging is demonstrated by using the optically detected ESR technique and the optically detected electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) technique. Ultra fast Rabi nutation experiments are also performed to demonstrate the feasibility of fast spin manipulations at a low microwave power. Micrometer sized gradient coils, together with micrometer sized co-planar microstrip transmission lines, are designed and fabricated by optical lithography in order to produce the necessary high magnetic field gradients. These fabricated devices are used to demonstrate this subwavelength imaging technique by imaging single electron spins of the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defect in diamond. In this demonstration, multiple NV defects, unresolved in a single focal volume of a diffraction limited microscope are successfully resolved by the optically detected ESR techniques. Specifically, two neighboring NV defects separated by about 170nm are resolved. Ultra Fast electron spin nutation with an oscillation period of 1.33ns is also achieved by the high microwave magnetic field induced by the current flowing through the fabricated co-planar microstrip lines. These optically detected ESR and ESEEM techniques combined with the micrometer sized gradient coil may find many applications, including single molecule imaging and quantum information processing.

The experiments discussed in this thesis exploit parity violation in elastic electron proton scattering in order to measure properties of the nucleon. Both experiments make use of the high quality, highly polarized electron beam available at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Q_weak will measure the weak mixing angle, sin²θ_W, via a measurement of the weak charge of the proton, at a four-momentum transfer, Q² ~ 0.026 GeV²/c². The precision of this measurement gives Q_weak access to new physics at the scale of 2.3 TeV, making it a test of the standard model. The G⁰ experimental program provides the fully separated contributions of the strange quark to the charge and magnetization distributions of the nucleon at two different values of four-momentum transfer, Q² ~ 0.22 and 0.63 GeV²/c². The measurement of the strange quark content of the proton in the G⁰ experimental program and other parity-violating electron scattering experiments provides a measurement of the hadronic contribution to the asymmetry in Q_weak. In addition, G⁰ was able to measure the parity-conserving beam normal single spin asymmetries that provide a measurement of the imaginary part of two photon exchange. The measurement of this asymmetry is necessary to understand the systematic contribution to measurements of parity-violating asymmetries, but it is also an important physics result. Recent theoretical work has shown that higher order radiative effects, such as two photon exchange, may be able to explain discrepancies between experiments which measure the ratio of the electric and magnetic form factors of the proton. The measurement of the transverse or beam normal single spin asymmetries provides a benchmark for theories that estimate the size of radiative corrections that are important for precision electroweak scattering experiments such as those described in this thesis. The results of the measurement of the transverse asymmetries at backward angles in G⁰ are presented at the two values of Q² ~ 0.22 and 0.63 GeV²/c² for hydrogen. Results for deuterium, which can provide the first measurements of the beam normal single spin asymmetries on the neutron, are also presented. / Ph. D.

The experiment E06010 measured the target single spin asymmetry (SSA) in the semiinclusive deep inelastic (SIDIS) n↑(e,éπ¯)X reaction with a transversely polarized 3He target as an effective neutron target. This is the very first independent measurement of the neutron SSA, following the measurements at HERMES and COMPASS on the proton and the deuteron. The experiment acquired data in Hall A at Jefferson Laboratory with a continuous electron beam of energy 5.9 GeV, probing the valence quark region, with x = 0.13→0.41, at Q2 = 1.31→3.1 GeV2. The two contributing mechanisms to the measured asymmetry, viz, the Collins effect and the Sivers effect can be realized through the variation of the asymmetry as a function of the Collins and Sivers angles. The neutron Collins and Sivers moments, associated with the azimuthal angular modulations, are extracted from the measured asymmetry for the very first time and are presented in this thesis. The kinematics of this experiment is comparable to the HERMES proton measurement. However, the COMPASS measurements on deuteron and proton are in the low-x region. The results of this experiment are crucial as the first step toward the extraction of quark transversity and Sivers distribution functions in SIDIS. With the existing results on proton and deuteron, these new results on neutron will provide powerful constraints on the transversity and Sivers distributions of both the u and d-quarks in the valence region.

What constitutes the spin of the nucleon? The answer to this question is still not completely understood. Although we know the longitudinal quark spin content very well, the data on the transverse quark spin content of the nucleon is still very sparse. Semi-inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering (SIDIS) using transversely polarized targets provide crucial information on this aspect. The data that is currently available was taken with proton and deuteron targets. The E06-010 experiment was performed at Jefferson Lab in Hall-A to measure the single spin asymmetries in the SIDIS reaction n↑(e,éπ±/K±)X using transversely polarized 3He target. The experiment used the continuous electron beam provided by the CEBAF accelerator with a beam energy of 5.9 GeV. Hadrons were detected in a high-resolution spectrometer in coincidence with the scattered electrons detected by the BigBite spectrometer. The kinematic coverage focuses on the valence quark region, x = 0.19 to 0.34, at Q2 = 1.77 to 2.73 (GeV/c)2. This is the first measurement on a neutron target. The data from this experiment, when combined with the world data on the proton and the deuteron, will provide constraints on the transversity and Sivers distribution functions on both the u and d-quarks in the valence region. In this work we report on the single spin asymmetries in the SIDIS n↑(e,éπ+)X reaction.

No description available.

Nous avons étudié les propriétés dynamique d'un spin individuel dans une boite quantique de semiconducteur II-VI (spin d'un atome de Mn ou electron résident). Une boîte quantique comportant un atome de manganese présente six raies qui permettent de sonder optiquement l'état de spin du Manganese. Des expériences pompe-sonde réalisées sur boîte unique ont permit de montrer que le spin du Mn peut être orienté optiquement en quelques dizaines de ns, que le temps de vie $T_1$ de ce spin est supérieur à la $mu$s, et que le pompage optique en champ nul est controlé par une anisotropie magnétique induite par les contraintes. Par ailleurs, dans le but d'identifier les mechanismes du pompage optique, nous avons mis en évidence des processus de relaxation de spin au sein du système exciton-manganese, durant la durée de vie de ce dernier. Enfin, nous avons mis en evidence un effet Stark optique sur chacune des raies d'une boîte quantique magnétique. Concernant la dynamique d'un électron dans une boîte quantique II-VI, nous avons mis en évidence le pompage du spin de l'électron résident ainsi que des noyaux. / We have studied the dynamic properties of a single spin (Mn impurity or resident electron) in a II-VI semiconductor quantum dot. A quantum dot doped with a single Mn atom presents six lines which allow to probe optically the spin-state of the Mn atom. Pump-probe experiments at a single dot level were carried out to demonstrate that the Mn spin could be oriented in a few tens of ns, and that the spin-distribution prepared by such means was perfectly conserved over a few $mu$s. The optical pumping of the Mn spin at zero magnetic field is controlled by a strain-induced magnetic anisotropy. Furthermore, seeking for a microscopic mechanism controlling the optical pumping of the Mn atom, we have evidenced spin relaxation channels within the exciton-Mn complex. At last, we have evidenced an optical Stark effect on any of the lines of a Mn-doped quantum dot. Concerning the dynamics of an electron in a II-VI quantum dot, we have evidenced optical pumping of the resident electron, and dynamic nuclear spin polarization.

No description available.

No description available.