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arXiv:2106.00723 · Physical Review X

Quantum Control of the Tin-Vacancy Spin Qubit in Diamond

Romain Debroux, Cathryn P. Michaels, Carola M. Purser, Noel Wan, Matthew E. Trusheim, Jesús Arjona Martínez, Ryan A. Parker, Alexander M. Stramma, Kevin C. Chen, Lorenzo De Santis, Evgeny M. Alexeev, Andrea Carlo Ferrari, Dirk Englund, Dorian A. Gangloff, Mete Atatüre

Published Nov 30, 2021• 84 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Group-IV color centers in diamond are a promising light-matter interface for quantum networking devices.The negatively charged tin-vacancy center (SnV) is particularly interesting, as its large spin-orbit coupling offers strong protection against phonon dephasing and robust cyclicity of its optical transitions toward spin-photon-entanglement schemes.Here, we demonstrate multiaxis coherent control of the SnV spin qubit via an all-optical stimulated Raman drive between the ground and excited states.We use coherent population trapping and optically driven electronic spin resonance to confirm coherent access to the qubit at 1.7 K and obtain spin Rabi oscillations at a rate of Ω=2π ¼ 19.0ð1Þ MHz.All-optical Ramsey interferometry reveals a spin dephasing time of T Ã 2 ¼ 1.3ð3Þ μs, and four-pulse dynamical decoupling already extends the spin-coherence time to T 2 ¼ 0.30ð8Þ ms.Combined with transform-limited photons and integration into photonic nanostructures, our results make the SnV a competitive spin-photon building block for quantum networks.

DOI
10.1103/physrevx.11.041041

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Group-IV color centers in diamond are a promising light-matter interface for quantum networking devices.The negatively charged tin-vacancy center (SnV) is particularly interesting, as its large spin-orbit coupling offers strong protection against phonon dephasing and robust cyclicity of its optical transitions toward spin-photon-entanglement schemes.Here, we demonstrate multiaxis coherent control of the SnV spin qubit via an all-optical stimulated Raman drive between the ground and excited states.We use coherent population trapping and optically driven electronic spin resonance to confirm coherent access to the qubit at 1.7 K and obtain spin Rabi oscillations at a rate of Ω=2π ¼ 19.0ð1Þ MHz.All-optical Ramsey interferometry reveals a spin dephasing time of T Ã 2 ¼ 1.3ð3Þ μs, and four-pulse dynamical decoupling already extends the spin-coherence time to T 2 ¼ 0.30ð8Þ ms.Combined with transform-limited photons and integration into photonic nanostructures, our results make the SnV a competitive spin-photon building block for quantum networks.
Group-IV color centers in diamond are promising candidates for quantum networks due to their dominant zero-phonon line and symmetry-protected optical transitions that connect to coherent spin levels. The negatively charged tin-vacancy (SnV) center possesses long electron spin lifetimes due to its large spin-orbit splitting. However, the magnetic dipole transitions required for microwave spin control are suppressed, and strain is necessary to enable these transitions. Recent work has shown spin control of strained emitters using microwave lines that suffer from Ohmic losses, restricting coherence through heating. We utilize a superconducting coplanar waveguide to measure SnV centers subjected to strain, observing substantial improvement. A detailed analysis of the SnV center electron spin Hamiltonian based on the angle-dependent splitting of the ground and excited states is performed. We demonstrate coherent spin manipulation and obtain a Hahn echo coherence time of up to T 2 = 430 μ s . With dynamical decoupling, we can prolong coherence to T 2 = 10 ms , about a sixfold improvement compared to earlier works. We also observe a nearby coupling C 13 spin, which may serve as a quantum memory, thus substantiating the potential of SnV centers in diamond and demonstrates the benefit of superconducting microwave structures. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
The realization of quantum networks critically depends on establishing efficient, coherent light-matter interfaces. Optically active spins in diamond have emerged as promising quantum nodes based on their spin-selective optical transitions, long-lived spin ground states, and potential for integration with nanophotonics. Tin-vacancy (SnV -^{\,\textrm{-}}-) centers in diamond are of particular interest because they exhibit narrow-linewidth emission in nanostructures and possess long spin coherence times at temperatures above 1 K. However, a nanophotonic interface for SnV -^{\,\textrm{-}}- centers has not yet been realized. Here, we report cavity enhancement of the emission of SnV -^{\,\textrm{-}}- centers in diamond. We integrate SnV -^{\,\textrm{-}}- centers into one-dimensional photonic crystal resonators and observe a 40-fold increase in emission intensity. The Purcell factor of the coupled system is 25, resulting in channeling of the majority of photons (90%90\%90%) into the cavity mode. Our results pave the way for the creation of efficient, scalable spin-photon interfaces based on SnV -^{\,\textrm{-}}- centers in diamond.
Quantum networks require qubits that combine efficient optical access, coherent control, and long-lived quantum memory, but realizing all three in one scalable platform remains a central bottleneck. Diamond color centers are leading candidates, yet widely studied defects retain tradeoffs among these capabilities. Here, we show that transition-metal defects in diamond provide a distinct route beyond these platforms by combining spin-orbit protected ground-state coherence, all-optical control, and near-infrared emission. Using a single nickel-vacancy (NiV−^-−), we demonstrate an all-optically controlled diamond spin qubit with coherence exceeding one millisecond at 1.65 K, compatible with compact closed-cycle cryogenics. We implement Raman Rabi oscillations and Ramsey interferometry and use all-optical dynamical decoupling to extend coherence from T2∗T_2^*T2∗​ = 371 ns to T2CPMG−4T_2^{CPMG-4}T2CPMG−4​ = 1.27 ms, establishing NiV−^-− as a deployable diamond spin-photon interface.
The negatively charged tin-vacancy center in diamond (SnV−) is a highly promising candidate for next-generation long-distance quantum networks, owing to its bright emission, robustness against electronic noise, and extended spin coherence times at higher temperatures. We demonstrate the measurement of a single SnV− electronic spin with a single-shot readout fidelity of 87.4%, which can be further enhanced to 98.5% using conditional readout. Our findings show that SnV− centers are compatible with rapid microwave spin control, overcoming the typical trade-off between optical readout and spin control found in group-IV centers in diamond. Additionally, we investigate measurement-induced dephasing through weak quantum measurement, shedding light on the fundamental interplay between measurement and decoherence in quantum mechanics, and utilizing the qubit’s spin coherence as a metrological tool. These advancements represent a significant milestone in SnV− based quantum technologies, providing techniques and insights widely applicable to solid-state quantum emitters.
Solid-state quantum emitters that couple coherent optical transitions to long-lived spin qubits are essential for quantum networks. Here we report on the spin and optical properties of individual tin-vacancy (SnV) centers in diamond nanostructures. Through cryogenic magneto-optical and spin spectroscopy, we verify the inversion-symmetric electronic structure of the SnV, identify spin-conserving and spin-flipping transitions, characterize transition linewidths, measure electron spin lifetimes, and evaluate the spin dephasing time. We find that the optical transitions are consistent with the radiative lifetime limit even in nanofabricated structures. The spin lifetime is phonon limited with an exponential temperature scaling leading to T_{1}>10 ms, and the coherence time, T_{2}^{*} reaches the nuclear spin-bath limit upon cooling to 2.9 K. These spin properties exceed those of other inversion-symmetric color centers for which similar values require millikelvin temperatures. With a combination of coherent optical transitions and long spin coherence without dilution refrigeration, the SnV is a promising candidate for feasable and scalable quantum networking applications.