Spin qubit relaxation in a moving quantum dot

Long-range quantum communication for spin qubits is an important open problem. Here we study decoherence of an electron spin qubit that is being transported in a moving quantum dot. We focus on spin decoherence due to spin-orbit interaction and a random electric potential. We find that at the lowest order, the motion induces longitudinal spin relaxation, with a rate linear in the dot velocity. Our calculated spin relaxation time ranges from sub μs in GaAs to above ms in Si, making this relaxation a significant decoherence channel. Our results also give clear indications on how to reduce the decoherence effect of electron motion.