Optical spin initialization and readout with a cavity-coupled quantum dot in an in-plane magnetic field

The spin of a charged semiconductor quantum dot (QD) coupled to an optical cavity is a promising candidate for high-fidelity spin-photon interfaces; the cavity selectively modifies the decay rates of optical transitions such that spin initialization, manipulation, and readout are all possible in a single magnetic field geometry. By performing cavity QED calculations, we show that a cavity with a single, linearly polarized mode can simultaneously support both high-fidelity optical spin initialization and readout in a single, in-plane (Voigt geometry) magnetic field. Furthermore, we demonstrate that single-mode cavities always outperform bimodal cavities in experimentally favorable driving regimes. Our analysis, when combined with established methods of control in a Voigt geometry field, provides optimal parameter regimes for high-fidelity initialization and readout, and coherent control in both cavity configurations, providing insights for the design and development of QD spin-photon interfaces as the basis of quantum network nodes and for the generation of photonic graph states.