Research Interests:

Photons and electron spins, confined within micron- or nanometer-sized structures are fascinatingly rich systems in which to observe fundamental quantum mechanics in action. I am interested in studying the quantum mechanical dynamics of these systems – in particular, the interactions that take place between photons and electron spins in solid state devices. By understanding the behavior of such systems, we can harness new phenomena for potential applications in spin-based electronic and photonic devices.

The physics of electron spins in semiconducting materials has been a subject of great interest since the mid-twentieth century. Laser-based optical probes of spin dynamics have proven especially useful tools for studying this system. In recent years, optical methods have been developed for initializing, detecting, and controlling confined electron spins in semiconductor nanostructures – all on nanosecond time-scales. The interactions that lie behind these tools comprise a complex and subtle quantum dance between a photon and an electron that demands a closer look.

The coupled behavior of a single spin and a larger, mesoscopic spin system is both an rich and interesting system to explore, and is critical for applications in sensing or quantum information processing. We are studying how single confined spins interact with micron-scale ferromagnetic structures, allowing for new approaches to observing and controlling spin coherence on the nanoscale.

In order to explore these exotic effects, we are developing new techniques for observing the coupling between spins and photons, and between single spins and ferromagnetic structures. Borrowing ideas from quantum optics and atomic physics experiments, we are bringing quantum measurement techniques to bear on solid state systems.