The Awschalom Group

Group Photo 2008

Our group has active research activities in optical and magnetic interactions in semiconductor quantum structures, spin dynamics and coherence in condensed matter systems ("spintronics"), macroscopic quantum phenomena in nanometer-scale magnets, and implementations of quantum computation in the solid state. We have developed a variety of low temperature femtosecond-resolved magneto-optical spatiotemporal spectroscopies aimed at exploring charge and spin motion in the quantum domain. Our work focuses on the physics of newly-developed mesoscopic magnetic/semiconducting systems, such as hybrid magnetic semiconductor heterostructures, chemically- synthesized nanostructures, zero-dimensional matter, and molecular systems.

Recent Publications

  • "Visualizing Critical Correlations Near the Metal-Insulator Transition in Ga1-xMnxAs", A. Richardell, P. Roushan, S. Mack, B. Zhou, D. A. Huse, D. D. Awschalom, A. Yazdani, Science 327, 665 (2010).
    Related article: "Seeing Quantum Fractals", Science 327, 652 (2010).
  • "Interlayer and interfacial exchange coupling in ferromagnetic metal/semiconductor heterostructures", M. J. Wilson, M. Zhu, R. C. Myers, D. D. Awschalom, P. Schiffer, and N. Samarth, Phys. Rev. B 81, 045319 (2010).
  • "Vector magnetic field microscopy using nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond", B.J. Maertz, A.P. Wijnheijmer, G.D. Fuchs, M.E. Nowakowski, D.D. Awschalom, arXiv:0912.1355.
  • "Gigahertz Dynamics of a Strongly Driven Single Quantum Spin", G. D. Fuchs, V. V. Dobrovitski, D. M. Toyli, F. J. Heremans, and D. D. Awschalom, Science 326, 1520 (2009). Originally published online in Science Express on 19 November 2009 (DOI: 10.1126/science.1181193). Direct Links: Abstract, Full Text (pdf).
    Related article: "A Strongly Driven Spin", Science 326, 1489 (2009).