g tensor modulation resonance and single-spin manipulation in semiconductor quantum dots

We explore how electric fields can be used to drive single spin resonance in quantum dots without AC magnetic fields. We calculate the g tensor for a single electron in a semiconductor quantum dot as a function of electric field along the growth direction of the dot. The calculations are based on an eight-band envelope-function formalism[1]. The growth-direction g factor is relatively insensitive to this electric field, but for InAs/GaAs dots with transition energies around 1.2 eV the in-plane g factor changes by 20\% for an electric field of 150kV/cm. For a DC magnetic field oriented at 45 degrees to the growth direction the spin precession axis for an electron changes by 6 degrees from zero electric field to 150 kV/cm. Thus an AC pseudo-magnetic field almost 10\% the size of the DC magnetic field can be generated. This is sufficient to drive g-tensor modulation resonance[2] in the dot and perform single-spin manipulation. 1. C. E. Pryor and M. E. Flatt\'e, cond-mat/0410678. 2. Y. Kato, et al., Science 299, 1201 (2003).