Dynamics of a mesoscopic nuclear spin ensemble interacting with an optically driven electron spin

The ability to discriminate between simultaneously occurring noise sources in the local environment of semiconductor InGaAs quantum dots, such as electric and magnetic field fluctuations, is key to understanding their respective dynamics and their effect on quantum dot coherence properties. We present a discriminatory approach to all-optical sensing based on two-color resonance fluorescence of a quantum dot charged with a single electron. Our measurements show that local magnetic field fluctuations due to nuclear spins in the absence of an external magnetic field are described by two correlation times, both in the microsecond regime. The nuclear spin bath dynamics show a strong dependence on the strength of resonant probing, with correlation times increasing by a factor of 4 as the optical transition is saturated. We interpret the behavior as motional averaging of both the Knight field of the resident electron spin and the hyperfine-mediated nuclear spin-spin interaction due to optically induced electron spin flips.