Long coherence times are key to the performance of quantum bits (qubits). Here, we experimentally and theoretically show that the Hahn-echo coherence time (T2) of electron spins associated with divacancy defects in 4H-SiC reaches 1.3 ms, one of the longest T2 times of an electron spin in a naturally isotopic crystal. Using a first-principles microscopic quantum-bath model, we find that two factors determine the unusually robust coherence. First, in the presence of moderate magnetic fields (300 G and above), the 29Si and 13C paramagnetic nuclear spin baths are decoupled. In addition, because SiC is a binary crystal, homo-nuclear spin pairs are both diluted and forbidden from forming strongly coupled, nearest-neighbor spin pairs. Longer neighbor distances result in fewer nuclear spin flip-flops, a less fluctuating intra-crystalline magnetic environment, and thus a longer T2 time. Our results point to polyatomic crystals as promising hosts for coherent qubits in the solid state.
Divacancy spins in silicon carbide implement qubits with outstanding characteristics and capabilities in an industrial semiconductor host. On the other hand, there are still numerous open questions about the physics of divacancy point defects, for instance, spin relaxation has not been thoroughly studied yet. Here, we carry out a theoretical study on environmental spin induced spin relaxation processes of divacancy qubits in 4H-SiC. We reveal all the relevant magnetic field values where the longitudinal spin relaxation time T$_1$ drops resonantly due to the coupling to either nuclear spins or …
Divacancy in its neutral charge state (V$_\text{C}$V$_\text{Si}^0$) in 4H silicon carbide (SiC) is a leading quantum bit (qubit) contender. Owing to the lattice structure of 4H SiC four different V$_\text{C}$V$_\text{Si}$ configurations can be formed. Ground and optical excited states of V$_\text{C}$V$_\text{Si}^0$ exhibit $S$=1 spintriplet state and the corresponding transition energies are around $\approx 1.1$~eV falling in the near-infrared wavelength region. Recently, photoluminescence (PL) quenching has been experimentally observed for all V$_\text{C}$V$_\text{Si}$ configurations in 4H Si…
Photoelectrical detection and characterization of divacancy and PL5-PL7 spins in silicon carbide
Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University（京都大学化学研究科）；Center for Spintronics Research Network, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University（京都大学化学研究科自旋电子学研究网络中心）；National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST)（国立量子科学技术研究院）；Department of Materials Science, Tohoku University（东北大学材料科学系）；International Center for Quantum-field Measurement Systems for Studies of the Universe and Particles (QUP), KEK（高能加速器研究机构宇宙与粒子研究量子场测量系统国际中心）
Silicon carbide has recently been developed as a platform for optically addressable spin defects. In particular, the neutral divacancy in the 4H polytype displays an optically addressable spin-1 ground state and near-infrared optical emission. Here, we present the Purcell enhancement of a single neutral divacancy coupled to a photonic crystal cavity. We utilize a combination of nanolithographic techniques and a dopant-selective photoelectrochemical etch to produce suspended cavities with quality factors exceeding 5,000. Subsequent coupling to a single divacancy leads to a Purcell factor of ~50…
Interfacing solid-state defect electron spins to other quantum systems is an ongoing challenge. The ground-state spin's weak coupling to its environment bestows excellent coherence properties, but also limits desired drive fields. The excited-state orbitals of these electrons, however, can exhibit stronger coupling to phononic and electric fields. Here, we demonstrate electrically driven coherent quantum interference in the optical transition of single, basally oriented divacancies in commercially available 4H silicon carbide. By applying microwave frequency electric fields, we coherently driv…
Optically active spins in solid-state systems can be engineered to emit photons that are entangled with the spin in the solid. This allows for applications such as quantum communications, quantum key distribution, and distributed quantum computing. Recently, there has been a strong interest in silicon carbide defects, as they emit very close to the telecommunication wavelength, making them excellent candidates for long range quantum communications. In this work we develop explicit schemes for spin-photon entanglement in several SiC defects: the silicon monovacancy, the silicon divacancy, and t…
Defect spins in silicon carbide have become promising platforms with respect to quantum information processing and quantum sensing. Indeed, the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) of defect spins is the cornerstone of the applications. In this work, we systematically investigate the contrast and linewidth of laser-and microwave power-dependent ODMR with respect to ensemble-divacancy spins in silicon carbide at room temperature. The results suggest that magnetic field sensing sensitivity can be improved by a factor of 10 for the optimized laser and microwave power range. The experiment…
Great efforts have been made to the investigation of defects in silicon carbide for their attractive optical and spin properties. However, most of the researches are implemented at low and room temperature. Little is known about the spin coherent property at high temperature. Here, we experimentally demonstrate coherent control of divacancy defect spins in silicon carbide above 550 K. The spin properties of defects ranging from room temperature to 600 K are investigated, in which the zero-field-splitting is found to have a polynomial temperature dependence and the spin coherence time decreases…
Neutrally charged divacancies in silicon carbide (SiC) are paramagnetic color centers whose long coherence times and near-telecom operating wavelengths make them promising for scalable quantum communication technologies compatible with existing fiber optic networks. However, local strain inhomogeneity can randomly perturb their optical transition frequencies, which degrades the indistinguishability of photons emitted from separate defects, and hinders their coupling to optical cavities. Here we show that electric fields can be used to tune the optical transition frequencies of single neutral d…
Spin defects in silicon carbide (SiC) with mature wafer-scale fabrication and micro/nano-processing technologies have recently drawn considerable attention. Although room temperature single-spin manipulation of colour centres in SiC has been demonstrated, the typically detected contrast is less than 2%, and the photon count rate is also low. Here, we present the coherent manipulation of single divacancy spins in 4H-SiC with a high readout contrast (-30%) and a high photon count rate (150 kilo counts per second) under ambient conditions, which are competitive with the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) cent…
Decoherence largely limits the physical realization of qubits and its mitigation is critical to quantum science. Here, we construct a robust qubit embedded in a decoherence-protected subspace, obtained by hybridizing an applied microwave drive with the ground-state electron spin of a silicon carbide divacancy defect. The qubit is protected from magnetic, electric, and temperature fluctuations, which account for nearly all relevant decoherence channels in the solid state. This culminates in an increase of the qubit's inhomogeneous dephasing time by over four orders of magnitude (to > 22 millise…
Defect-based quantum systems in in wide bandgap semiconductors are strong candidates for scalable quantum-information technologies. However, these systems are often complicated by charge-state instabilities and interference by phonons, which can diminish spin-initialization fidelities and limit room-temperature operation. Here, we identify a pathway around these drawbacks by showing that an engineered quantum well can stabilize the charge state of a qubit. Using density-functional theory and experimental synchrotron x-ray diffraction studies, we construct a model for previously unattributed po…
Defects in silicon carbide (SiC) have emerged as a favorable platform for optically-active spin-based quantum technologies. Spin qubits exist in specific charge states of these defects, where the ability to control these states can provide enhanced spin-dependent readout and long-term charge stability of the qubits. We investigate this charge state control for two major spin qubits in 4H-SiC, the divacancy (VV) and silicon vacancy (Vsi), obtaining bidirectional optical charge conversion between the bright and dark states of these defects. We measure increased photoluminescence from VV ensemble…
Paramagnetic defects and nuclear spins are often the major sources of decoherence and spin relaxation in solid-state qubits realized by optically addressable point defect spins in semiconductors. It is commonly accepted that a high degree of depletion of nuclear spins can enhance the coherence time by reducing magnetic noise. Here we show that the isotope purification beyond a certain optimal level becomes contra-productive, when both electron and nuclear spins are present in the vicinity of the qubits. Using state-of-the-art numerical tools and considering the silicon vacancy qubit in various…
Electron spins are amongst the most coherent solid-state systems known, however, to be used in devices for quantum sensing and information processing applications, they must be typically placed near interfaces. Understanding and mitigating the impacts of such interfaces on the coherence and spectral properties of electron spins is critical to realize such applications, but is also challenging: inferring such data from single-spin studies requires many measurements to obtain meaningful results, while ensemble measurements typically give averaged results that hide critical information. Here, we …
