Resources of polarimetric sensitivity in spin noise spectroscopy (original) (raw)

Spin noise explores local magnetic fields in a semiconductor

Scientific reports, 2016

Rapid development of spin noise spectroscopy of the last decade has led to a number of remarkable achievements in the fields of both magnetic resonance and optical spectroscopy. In this report, we demonstrate a new - magnetometric - potential of the spin noise spectroscopy and use it to study magnetic fields acting upon electron spin-system of an n-GaAs layer in a high-Q microcavity probed by elliptically polarized light. Along with the external magnetic field, applied to the sample, the spin noise spectrum revealed the Overhauser field created by optically oriented nuclei and an additional, previously unobserved, field arising in the presence of circularly polarized light. This "optical field" is directed along the light propagation axis, with its sign determined by sign of the light helicity. We show that this field results from the optical Stark effect in the field of the elliptically polarized light. This conclusion is supported by theoretical estimates.

Quantum limited heterodyne detection of spin noise

Review of Scientific Instruments, 2016

Spin noise spectroscopy is a powerful technique for studying spin relaxation in semiconductors. In this article, we propose an extension of this technique based on optical heterodyne detection of spin noise, which provides several key advantages compared to conventional spin noise spectroscopy: detection of high frequency spin noise not limited by detector bandwidth or sampling rates of digitizers, quantum limited sensitivity even in case of very weak probe power, and possible amplification of the spin noise signal. Heterodyne detection of spin noise is demonstrated on insulating n-doped GaAs. From measurements of spin noise spectra up to 0.4 Tesla, we determined the distribution of g-factors, Δg/g = 0.49%.

Two-beam spin noise spectroscopy

Applied Physics Letters, 2013

We propose a method of two-beam spin noise spectroscopy to test the spin transport at equilibrium via analysis of correlations between time-shifted spin fluctuations at different space locations. This method allows one to determine the strength of spin-orbit interaction and spin relaxation time and separate spin noise of conducting electrons from the background noise of localized electrons. We formulate a theory of two-beam spin noise spectroscopy in semiconductor wires with Bychkov-Rashba spin-orbit interaction taking into account several possible spin relaxation channels and finite size of laser beams. Our theory predicts a peak shift with respect to the Larmor frequency to higher or lower frequencies depending on the strength of spin orbit interaction and distance between the beams. The two-beam spin noise spectroscopy could find applications in experimental studies of semiconductors, emergent materials and many other systems.

Optical Spectroscopy of Spin Noise

Physical Review Letters, 2013

Spontaneous fluctuations of the magnetization of a spin system in thermodynamic equilibrium (spin noise) manifest themselves as noise in the Faraday rotation of probe light. We show that the correlation properties of this noise over the optical spectrum can provide clear information about the composition of the spin system that is largely inaccessible for conventional linear optics. Such optical spectroscopy of spin noise, e.g., allows us to clearly distinguish between optical transitions associated with different spin subsystems, to resolve optical transitions that are unresolvable in the usual optical spectra, to unambiguously distinguish between homogeneously and inhomogeneously broadened optical bands, and to evaluate the degree of inhomogeneous broadening. These new possibilities are illustrated by theoretical calculations and by experiments on paramagnets with different degrees of inhomogeneous broadening of optical transitions [atomic vapors of 41 K and singly charged (In,Ga)As quantum dots].

Spatiotemporal Spin Noise Spectroscopy

Physical Review Letters, 2019

We report on the potential of a new spin noise spectroscopy approach by demonstrating all-optical probing of spatiotemporal spin fluctuations. This is achieved by homodyne mixing of a spatially phasemodulated local oscillator with spin-flip scattered light, from which the frequency and wave vector dependence of the spin noise power is unveiled. As a first application of the method we measure the spatiotemporal spin noise in weakly n-doped CdTe layers, from which the electron spin diffusion constant and spin relaxation rates are determined. The absence of spatial spin correlations is also shown for this particular system.

Sensitivity, quantum limits, and quantum enhancement of noise spectroscopies

Physical Review A

We study the fundamental limits of noise spectroscopy using estimation theory, Faraday rotation probing of an atomic spin system, and squeezed light. We find a simple and general expression for the Fisher information, which quantifies the sensitivity to spectral parameters such as resonance frequency and linewidth. For optically-detected spin noise spectroscopy, we find that shot noise imposes "local" standard quantum limits for any given probe power and atom number, and also "global" standard quantum limits when probe power and atom number are taken as free parameters. We confirm these estimation theory results using non-destructive Faraday rotation probing of hot Rb vapor, observing the predicted optima and finding good quantitative agreement with a firstprinciples calculation of the spin noise spectra. Finally, we show sensitivity beyond the atom-and photon-number-optimized global standard quantum limit using squeezed light.

Spin noise spectroscopy beyond thermal equilibrium and linear response

Physical review letters, 2014

Per the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, the information obtained from spin fluctuation studies in thermal equilibrium is necessarily constrained by the system's linear response functions. However, by including weak radio frequency magnetic fields, we demonstrate that intrinsic and random spin fluctuations even in strictly unpolarized ensembles can reveal underlying patterns of correlation and coupling beyond linear response, and can be used to study nonequilibrium and even multiphoton coherent spin phenomena. We demonstrate this capability in a classical vapor of (41)K alkali atoms, where spin fluctuations alone directly reveal Rabi splittings, the formation of Mollow triplets and Autler-Townes doublets, ac Zeeman shifts, and even nonlinear multiphoton coherences.

Two-color spin noise spectroscopy: Using spin fluctuation correlations to reveal homogeneous linewidths within quantum dot ensembles

Spin noise spectroscopy" (SNS) is a powerful optical technique for probing electron and hole spin dynamics that is based on detecting their intrinsic and random fluctuations while in thermal equilibrium, an approach guaranteed by the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. Because SNS measures fluctuation properties rather than conventional response functions, we show that fluctuation correlations can be exploited in multi-probe noise studies to reveal information that in general cannot be accessed by conventional linear optical spectroscopy, such as the underlying homogeneous linewidths of individual constituents within inhomogeneously-broadened systems. This is demonstrated in an ensemble of singly-charged (In,Ga)As quantum dots using two weak probe lasers: When the two lasers have the same wavelength, they are sensitive to the same QDs in the ensemble and their spin fluctuation signals are correlated. In contrast, two probe lasers that are widely detuned from each other measure different subsets of QDs, leading to uncorrelated fluctuations. Measuring the noise correlation versus laser detuning directly reveals the QD homogeneous linewidth even in the presence of a strong inhomogeneous broadening. Such noise-based correlation techniques are not limited to semiconductor spin systems, but can be widely applied to any system in which intrinsic fluctuations are measurable.

Quantum Noise of an Atomic Spin Polarization Measurement

Physical Review Letters, 1998

We explore the fundamental noise of the atomic spin measurement performed via polarization analysis of the probe light. The noise is shown to consist of the quantum noise of the probe and the quantum noise of atomic spins. In the experiment with cold atoms in a magneto-optical trap we demonstrate the reduction of the former by 2.5 dB below the standard quantum limit. For the latter we reach the quantum limit set by fluctuations of uncorrelated individual atomic spins. We outline the way to overcome this limit using a recent theoretical proposal on spin squeezing. [S0031-9007(98)05843-8]