The efficient single-photon-emission capabilities of quantum dot molecules position them as promising platforms for quantum information processing. Furthermore, quantum dot molecules feature a “decoherence-free” subspace that enables spin qubits with long coherence times. To efficiently read out the spin state within this subspace requires the optical cycling of isolated transitions that originate from a triplet manifold within the quantum dot molecule. We propose and theoretically study a two-stage spin-readout protocol within this decoherence-free subspace that allows single-shot readout performance. The process incorporates a microwave $\pi$ pulse and optical cycling of the isolated transitions, which induces fluorescence that allows us to identify the initial spin state. This protocol offers enhanced readout fidelity compared to previous schemes that rely on the excitation of transitions that strongly decay to multiple ground states or require long initialization via slow optically forbidden transitions. By simulating the performance of the protocol, we show that an optimal spin-readout fidelity of over 97% and single-shot readout performance are achievable for a photon-collection efficiency of just 0.12%. This high readout performance for such realistic photon-collection conditions within the decoherence-free subspace expands the potential of quantum dot molecules as building blocks for quantum networks.

• Received 23 October 2020
• Accepted 5 March 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.15.L031002