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Updated: May 14, 2026

Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping
Published on: June 3, 2015
Dynamical self-quenching of spin pumping into double quantum dots
Arne Brataas1, Emmanuel I Rashba
1Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
Abstract:
Nuclear spin polarization can be pumped into spin-blockaded quantum dots by multiple Landau-Zener passages through singlet-triplet anticrossings. By numerical simulations of realistic systems with 10(7) nuclear spins during 10(5) sweeps, we uncover a mechanism of dynamical self-quenching which results in a fast saturation of the nuclear polarization under stationary pumping. This is caused by screening the random field of the nuclear spins. For moderate spin-orbit coupling, self-quenching persists but its patterns are modified. Our finding explains low polarization levels achieved experimentally and calls for developing new protocols that break the self-quenching limitations.
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