Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2003.01118 · Physical Review Materials

Spectroscopic signatures of electron-phonon coupling in silicon-vacancy centers in diamond

Albert Liu, Steven T. Cundiff

Published May 11, 2020• 34 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Vacancy centers in diamond have proven to be a viable solid-state platform for quantum-coherent optoelectronic applications. Among the variety of vacancy centers, silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers have recently attracted much attention as an inversion-symmetric system that is less susceptible to electron-phonon interactions. Nevertheless, phonon-mediated processes still degrade the coherent properties of SiV centers; however, characterizing their electron-phonon coupling is extremely challenging due to their weak spectroscopic signatures and remains an open experimental problem. In this paper we theoretically investigate signatures of electron-phonon coupling in simulated linear and nonlinear spectra of SiV centers. We demonstrate how even extremely weak electron-phonon interactions, such as in SiV centers, may be completely characterized via nonlinear spectroscopic techniques and even resolved between different fine-structure transitions.

DOI
10.1103/physrevmaterials.4.055202

Related papers

Electronic structure and magneto-optical properties of silicon-nitrogen-vacancy complexes in diamond

Marcin Roland Zemła, Kamil Czelej, Paulina Kamińska +2 more

The silicon-vacancy (SiV) and nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are commonly regarded as prototypical defects for solid-state quantum information processing. Here, we show that when silicon and nitrogen are simultaneously introduced into the diamond lattice, these defects can strongly interact and form larger complexes. Nitrogen atoms strongly bind to Si and SiV centers, and complex formation can occur. Using a combination of hybrid density functional theory and group theory, we analyze the electronic structure and provide various useful physical properties, such as hyperfine structure, quasilocal vibrational modes, and a zero-phonon line, to enable experimental identification of these complexes. We demonstrate that the presence of substitutional silicon adjacent to nitrogen significantly shifts the donor level toward the conduction band, resulting in an activation energy for the SiN center that is comparable to phosphorus. We also find that the neutral SiNV center is of particular interest due to its photon emission at $\ensuremath{\sim}1530\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$, which falls within the $C$ band of telecom wavelengths and its paramagnetic nature. In addition, the optical transition associated with the ${\mathrm{SiNV}}^{0}$ color center exhibits very small electron-phonon coupling (Huang-Rhys factor = 0.78) resulting in high quantum efficiency (Debye-Waller factor = 46%) for single-photon emission. These features render this new center very attractive for a potential application in scalable quantum telecommunication networks.

arXiv:2006.11878•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Sep 1, 2020•26 citations

Observing long-lived nonradiative electronic states in silicon-vacancy centers in diamond using optical multidimensional coherent spectroscopy (Conference Presentation)

Christopher L. Smallwood, Ronald Ulbricht, Matthew W. Day +7 more

Color centers in diamond are point defects within the diamond host lattice that absorb and emit light at optical frequencies. Besides contributing to the striking visual characteristics of "fancy colored" diamonds as gemstones, the centers--particularly the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center and silicon-vacancy (SiV-) center--offer a number of possibilities for quantum computation and quantum information processing. In this talk, I will summarize recent progress made in characterizing negatively charged silicon-vacancy centers in diamond using the technique of optical multidimensional coherent spectroscopy (MDCS). By comparing photoluminescence-based and heterodyne-detection based signal collection schemes in a high-density SiV- center sample, we have selectively identified a population of long-lived and nonradiative silicon-vacancy centers in diamond with more than 40 times as much inhomogeneous spectral broadening as the radiative silicon-vacancy center states that are more commonly observed using photoluminescence. Estimates of the degree of inhomogeneity and overall sample characteristics indicate that strain is likely to play a large role in the formation of these nonradiative states. The findings open possibilities for being able to actively tune the degree of radiative coupling in silicon-vacancy center systems, opening possibilities for new types of quantum-optical devices.

Ultrafast Phenomena and Nanophotonics•Mar 5, 2019•0 citations

Impact of strain and dark states on spectroscopic measurements of silicon-vacancy centers in diamond

Tommy Chin, Kesav V. Narayan, Imran Bashir +4 more

Negatively charged silicon-vacancy (SiV$^-$) centers in diamond offer an attractive platform for the development of many forms of quantum technology. However, questions remain in connection to how large ensembles of SiV$^-$ centers behave in concert. Here, we develop a computational model designed to simulate recent experiments where optical multidimensional coherent spectroscopy (MDCS) was used to examine a high-concentration sample of SiV$^-$ centers in diamond, revealing significant variations in spectral signature depending on the detection scheme. Simulation results reveal that strain effects are highly random in this system, with a characteristic axial strain of $2.8 \times 10^{-4}$ and a shear strain of $3.5 \times 10^{-5}$. They suggest in addition that highly strained centers (with values exceeding $1.5 \times 10^{-5}$) may become significantly decoupled from optical emission. The results have implications for the use of SiV$^-$ centers as quantum sensors.

quant-pharXiv:2608.11168•Aug 12, 2026•0 citations

Coherence Properties and Quantum Control of Silicon Vacancy Color Centers in Diamond (Phys. Status Solidi A 11∕2017)

Jonas N. Becker, Christoph Becher

In the last decade atom-sized point defects in diamond, so called colour centres, have proven to be suitable systems for quantum information processing as well as quantum communication and sensing applications. Besides the wellknown nitrogen vacancy centre, the negatively charged silicon vacancy centre has recently proven to be a promising candidate due to its superior spectral properties such as narrow zero-phonon line widths and small phonon sidebands. In this feature article (article No.201700586) the authors summarize the center's electronic and optical properties as well as recent advances in controlling its quantum state using microwave as well as ultrafast all-optical control techniques which make it accessible for future quantum information processing applications. Moreover, the authors outline potential future experimental directions to improve the center's coherence time scale which so far is limited by phonon-induced decoherence. The cover picture shows an artistic representation of the silicon vacancy centre with its inversion-symmetric structure in a diamond crystal being addressed by an ultrashort laser pulse.

physica status solidi (a)•Nov 1, 2017•8 citations

Exploring Acoustic Couplings to the SiV center in diamond

Michael Aaron Haas

The negatively charged Silicon Vacancy (SiV) center in diamond has shown extraordinary promise for quantum information applications, in particular quantum networking, due to its long-lived spin memory and high-cooperativity spin-photon interface. In addition to these excellent demonstrations towards quantum networking, the SiV center has also been demonstrated to exhibit a large susceptibility to acoustic phonons. While this susceptibility is typically considered a drawback for necessitating low-temperature operation, it also presents an opportunity to study the strong interactions of SiV centers with acoustic fields. In this thesis, we will discuss several results that focus on the integration of SiV centers with diamond nanostructures with interesting acoustic properties. Through this integration, we will show both how the SiV center can be used as an unprecedented probe of these engineered acoustic environments and conversely how controlling the acoustic environment can be used to unlock new potential for SiV center based quantum networks. Together, these results point towards the SiV center as an exciting candidate for realizing novel hybrid quantum systems composed of photon-mediated quantum networks in the optical domain and phonon-mediated quantum systems in the microwave domain.

•Jan 1, 2025•0 citations

Quantum acoustics with diamond color centers

Srujan Meesala

Realization of physical systems for quantum information processing fundamentally rests on the ability to generate entanglement among many quantum bits. To this end, solid state quantum systems are often considered a scalable approach due to the relative ease of generating of a large number of individual qubits. However, realizing strong coherent interactions that dominate decoherence processes in the solid state environment is a formidable challenge that has continued to motivate the investigation of new physical systems to store quantum information and new mechanisms to achieve controllable interactions. This thesis takes steps in these directions with diamond color centers, which can store optically accessible quantum information in their electronic spin. We study color center spins as acoustic two level systems, and consider whether their interaction with single phonons in diamond can be engineered to be coherent. Through spectroscopy of color centers in diamond nanomechanical devices and follow-up theoretical work, we identify the negatively charged silicon vacancy (SiV) color center as a promising candidate for phonon-mediated quantum information processing. In the process, an electromechanical device platform capable of tuning the strain environment of color centers is developed. It is used to mitigate thermal decoherence of the SiV spin and demonstrate photon-mediated quantum interference between two SiV centers on a diamond chip, highlighting the utility of nanomechanical devices for photonic quantum networks. Finally, we present high quality factor, wavelength scale acoustic resonators in diamond using phononic crystals towards a coherent interface between SiV centers and single phonons.

•May 16, 2019•0 citations
Vacancy centers in diamond have proven to be a viable solid-state platform for quantum-coherent optoelectronic applications. Among the variety of vacancy centers, silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers have recently attracted much attention as an inversion-symmetric system that is less susceptible to electron-phonon interactions. Nevertheless, phonon-mediated processes still degrade the coherent properties of SiV centers; however, characterizing their electron-phonon coupling is extremely challenging due to their weak spectroscopic signatures and remains an open experimental problem. In this paper we theoretically investigate signatures of electron-phonon coupling in simulated linear and nonlinear spectra of SiV centers. We demonstrate how even extremely weak electron-phonon interactions, such as in SiV centers, may be completely characterized via nonlinear spectroscopic techniques and even resolved between different fine-structure transitions.
The silicon-vacancy (SiV) and nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are commonly regarded as prototypical defects for solid-state quantum information processing. Here, we show that when silicon and nitrogen are simultaneously introduced into the diamond lattice, these defects can strongly interact and form larger complexes. Nitrogen atoms strongly bind to Si and SiV centers, and complex formation can occur. Using a combination of hybrid density functional theory and group theory, we analyze the electronic structure and provide various useful physical properties, such as hyperfine structure, quasilocal vibrational modes, and a zero-phonon line, to enable experimental identification of these complexes. We demonstrate that the presence of substitutional silicon adjacent to nitrogen significantly shifts the donor level toward the conduction band, resulting in an activation energy for the SiN center that is comparable to phosphorus. We also find that the neutral SiNV center is of particular interest due to its photon emission at $\ensuremath{\sim}1530\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$, which falls within the CCC band of telecom wavelengths and its paramagnetic nature. In addition, the optical transition associated with the SiNV0{\mathrm{SiNV}}^{0}SiNV0 color center exhibits very small electron-phonon coupling (Huang-Rhys factor = 0.78) resulting in high quantum efficiency (Debye-Waller factor = 46%) for single-photon emission. These features render this new center very attractive for a potential application in scalable quantum telecommunication networks.
Color centers in diamond are point defects within the diamond host lattice that absorb and emit light at optical frequencies. Besides contributing to the striking visual characteristics of "fancy colored" diamonds as gemstones, the centers--particularly the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center and silicon-vacancy (SiV-) center--offer a number of possibilities for quantum computation and quantum information processing. In this talk, I will summarize recent progress made in characterizing negatively charged silicon-vacancy centers in diamond using the technique of optical multidimensional coherent spectroscopy (MDCS). By comparing photoluminescence-based and heterodyne-detection based signal collection schemes in a high-density SiV- center sample, we have selectively identified a population of long-lived and nonradiative silicon-vacancy centers in diamond with more than 40 times as much inhomogeneous spectral broadening as the radiative silicon-vacancy center states that are more commonly observed using photoluminescence. Estimates of the degree of inhomogeneity and overall sample characteristics indicate that strain is likely to play a large role in the formation of these nonradiative states. The findings open possibilities for being able to actively tune the degree of radiative coupling in silicon-vacancy center systems, opening possibilities for new types of quantum-optical devices.
Negatively charged silicon-vacancy (SiV−^-−) centers in diamond offer an attractive platform for the development of many forms of quantum technology. However, questions remain in connection to how large ensembles of SiV−^-− centers behave in concert. Here, we develop a computational model designed to simulate recent experiments where optical multidimensional coherent spectroscopy (MDCS) was used to examine a high-concentration sample of SiV−^-− centers in diamond, revealing significant variations in spectral signature depending on the detection scheme. Simulation results reveal that strain effects are highly random in this system, with a characteristic axial strain of 2.8×10−42.8 \times 10^{-4}2.8×10−4 and a shear strain of 3.5×10−53.5 \times 10^{-5}3.5×10−5. They suggest in addition that highly strained centers (with values exceeding 1.5×10−51.5 \times 10^{-5}1.5×10−5) may become significantly decoupled from optical emission. The results have implications for the use of SiV−^-− centers as quantum sensors.
In the last decade atom-sized point defects in diamond, so called colour centres, have proven to be suitable systems for quantum information processing as well as quantum communication and sensing applications. Besides the wellknown nitrogen vacancy centre, the negatively charged silicon vacancy centre has recently proven to be a promising candidate due to its superior spectral properties such as narrow zero-phonon line widths and small phonon sidebands. In this feature article (article No.201700586) the authors summarize the center's electronic and optical properties as well as recent advances in controlling its quantum state using microwave as well as ultrafast all-optical control techniques which make it accessible for future quantum information processing applications. Moreover, the authors outline potential future experimental directions to improve the center's coherence time scale which so far is limited by phonon-induced decoherence. The cover picture shows an artistic representation of the silicon vacancy centre with its inversion-symmetric structure in a diamond crystal being addressed by an ultrashort laser pulse.
The negatively charged Silicon Vacancy (SiV) center in diamond has shown extraordinary promise for quantum information applications, in particular quantum networking, due to its long-lived spin memory and high-cooperativity spin-photon interface. In addition to these excellent demonstrations towards quantum networking, the SiV center has also been demonstrated to exhibit a large susceptibility to acoustic phonons. While this susceptibility is typically considered a drawback for necessitating low-temperature operation, it also presents an opportunity to study the strong interactions of SiV centers with acoustic fields. In this thesis, we will discuss several results that focus on the integration of SiV centers with diamond nanostructures with interesting acoustic properties. Through this integration, we will show both how the SiV center can be used as an unprecedented probe of these engineered acoustic environments and conversely how controlling the acoustic environment can be used to unlock new potential for SiV center based quantum networks. Together, these results point towards the SiV center as an exciting candidate for realizing novel hybrid quantum systems composed of photon-mediated quantum networks in the optical domain and phonon-mediated quantum systems in the microwave domain.
Realization of physical systems for quantum information processing fundamentally rests on the ability to generate entanglement among many quantum bits. To this end, solid state quantum systems are often considered a scalable approach due to the relative ease of generating of a large number of individual qubits. However, realizing strong coherent interactions that dominate decoherence processes in the solid state environment is a formidable challenge that has continued to motivate the investigation of new physical systems to store quantum information and new mechanisms to achieve controllable interactions. This thesis takes steps in these directions with diamond color centers, which can store optically accessible quantum information in their electronic spin. We study color center spins as acoustic two level systems, and consider whether their interaction with single phonons in diamond can be engineered to be coherent. Through spectroscopy of color centers in diamond nanomechanical devices and follow-up theoretical work, we identify the negatively charged silicon vacancy (SiV) color center as a promising candidate for phonon-mediated quantum information processing. In the process, an electromechanical device platform capable of tuning the strain environment of color centers is developed. It is used to mitigate thermal decoherence of the SiV spin and demonstrate photon-mediated quantum interference between two SiV centers on a diamond chip, highlighting the utility of nanomechanical devices for photonic quantum networks. Finally, we present high quality factor, wavelength scale acoustic resonators in diamond using phononic crystals towards a coherent interface between SiV centers and single phonons.