LAUSR

Illumination of atoms by resonant lasers can pump electrons into a coherent superposition of hyperfine levels which can no longer absorb the light. Such superposition is known as a dark state, because fluorescent light emission is then suppressed. Here we report an all-electric analogue of this destructive interference effect in a carbon nanotube quantum dot. The dark states are a coherent superposition of valley (angular momentum) states which are decoupled from either the drain or the source leads. Their emergence is visible in asymmetric current−voltage characteristics, with missing current steps and current suppression which depend on the polarity of the applied source-drain bias. Our results demonstrate coherent-population trapping by all-electric means in an artificial atom.Transport in quantum systems is complex and can be suppressed by coherent superposition of the involved states. Here, the authors find all-electronic suppression of transport in a carbon nanotube originating from coherent population trapping and give criteria for the presence of such a dark state.