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arXiv:2409.08977 · Physical Review X

Control of Solid-State Nuclear Spin Qubits Using an Electron Spin- 1 / 2

Hans K. C. Beukers, Christopher Waas, Matteo Pasini, Hendrik Benjamin van Ommen, Zarije Ademi, Mariagrazia Iuliano, Nina Codreanu, Julia M. Brevoord, Tim Turan, T. H. Taminiau, Ronald Hanson

Published Apr 11, 2025• 8 citations

Abstract

Solid-state quantum registers consisting of optically active electron spins with nearby nuclear spins are promising building blocks for future quantum technologies. For electron spin-1 registers, dynamical decoupling (DD) quantum gates have been developed that enable the precise control of multiple nuclear spin qubits. However, for the important class of electron spin- 1 / 2 systems, this control method suffers from intrinsic selectivity limitations, resulting in reduced nuclear spin gate fidelities. Here, we demonstrate improved control of single nuclear spins by an electron spin- 1 / 2 using dynamically decoupled radio-frequency (DDRF) gates. We make use of the electron spin- 1 / 2 of a diamond tin-vacancy center, showing high-fidelity single-qubit gates, single-shot readout, and spin coherence beyond a millisecond. The DD control is used as a benchmark to observe and control a single 3 1 C nuclear spin. Using the DDRF control method, we demonstrate improved control on that spin. In addition, we find and control an additional nuclear spin that is insensitive to the DD control method. Using these DDRF gates, we show entanglement between the electron and the nuclear spin with 72(3)% state fidelity. Our extensive simulations indicate that DDRF gate fidelities well in excess are feasible. Finally, we employ time-resolved photon detection during readout to quantify the hyperfine coupling for the electron’s optically excited state. Our work provides key insights into the challenges and opportunities for nuclear spin control in electron spin- 1 / 2 systems, opening the door to multiqubit experiments on these promising qubit platforms.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevx.15.021011

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Solid-state quantum registers consisting of optically active electron spins with nearby nuclear spins are promising building blocks for future quantum technologies. For electron spin-1 registers, dynamical decoupling (DD) quantum gates have been developed that enable the precise control of multiple nuclear spin qubits. However, for the important class of electron spin- 1 / 2 systems, this control method suffers from intrinsic selectivity limitations, resulting in reduced nuclear spin gate fidelities. Here, we demonstrate improved control of single nuclear spins by an electron spin- 1 / 2 using dynamically decoupled radio-frequency (DDRF) gates. We make use of the electron spin- 1 / 2 of a diamond tin-vacancy center, showing high-fidelity single-qubit gates, single-shot readout, and spin coherence beyond a millisecond. The DD control is used as a benchmark to observe and control a single 3 1 C nuclear spin. Using the DDRF control method, we demonstrate improved control on that spin. In addition, we find and control an additional nuclear spin that is insensitive to the DD control method. Using these DDRF gates, we show entanglement between the electron and the nuclear spin with 72(3)% state fidelity. Our extensive simulations indicate that DDRF gate fidelities well in excess are feasible. Finally, we employ time-resolved photon detection during readout to quantify the hyperfine coupling for the electron’s optically excited state. Our work provides key insights into the challenges and opportunities for nuclear spin control in electron spin- 1 / 2 systems, opening the door to multiqubit experiments on these promising qubit platforms.

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Spins associated with single defects in solids provide promising qubits for quantum-information processing and quantum networks.Recent experiments have demonstrated long coherence times, highfidelity operations, and long-range entanglement.However, control has so far been limited to a few qubits, with entangled states of three spins demonstrated.Realizing larger multiqubit registers is challenging due to the need for quantum gates that avoid cross talk and protect the coherence of the complete register.In this paper, we present novel decoherence-protected gates that combine dynamical decoupling of an electron spin with selective phase-controlled driving of nuclear spins.We use these gates to realize a ten-qubit quantum register consisting of the electron spin of a nitrogen-vacancy center and nine nuclear spins in diamond.We show that the register is fully connected by generating entanglement between all 45 possible qubit pairs and realize genuine multipartite entangled states with up to seven qubits.Finally, we investigate the register as a multiqubit memory.We demonstrate the protection of an arbitrary single-qubit state for over 75 s-the longest reported for a single solid-state qubit-and show that two-qubit entanglement can be preserved for over 10 s.Our results enable the control of large quantum registers with long coherence times and therefore open the door to advanced quantum algorithms and quantum networks with solid-state spin qubits.

Nuclear spins near group-IV defects in diamond are promising candidates for quantum memories in quantum network applications. Here, we demonstrate high-fidelity control of a single C 13 nuclear spin coupled to a tin-vacancy center in diamond. We perform a combination of optical and microwave pumping to achieve initialization into a combined electronuclear spin state with a fidelity of 99.74(3)%. Harnessing a superconducting waveguide for radio-frequency driving, we demonstrate precise nuclear-spin control: Ramsey measurements reveal a coherence time of T 2 * = 1.5 ( 1 ) ms , and we use dynamical decoupling to extend it to 1.35(3) s. We perform randomized benchmarking, yielding a single-qubit gate fidelity of 99.92(1)%. This demonstrates a coherent spin-photon system with promising properties for quantum network nodes.

The ability to coherently control and read out qubits with long coherence times in a scalable system is a crucial requirement for any quantum processor. Nuclear spins in the solid state have shown great promise as long-lived qubits. Control and readout of individual nuclear spin qubit registers has made major progress in the recent years using individual electron spin ancilla addressed either electrically or optically. Here, we present a new platform for quantum information processing, consisting of

^{183}

W nuclear spin qubits adjacent to an Er

^{3+}

impurity in a CaWO

_4

crystal, interfaced via a superconducting resonator and detected using a microwave photon counter at 10mK. We study two nuclear spin qubits with

T_2^*

of

0.8(2)~

s and

1.2(3)~

s,

T_2

of

3.4(4)~

s and

4.4(6)~

s, respectively. We demonstrate single-shot quantum non-demolition readout of each nuclear spin qubit using the Er

^{3+}

spin as an ancilla. We introduce a new scheme for all-microwave single- and two-qubit gates, based on stimulated Raman driving of the coupled electron-nuclear spin system. We realize single- and two-qubit gates on a timescale of a few milliseconds, and prepare a decoherence-protected Bell state with 88% fidelity and

T_2^*

of

1.7(2)~

s. Our results are a proof-of-principle demonstrating the potential of solid-state nuclear spin qubits as a promising platform for quantum information processing. With the potential to scale to tens or hundreds of qubits, this platform has prospects for the development of scalable quantum processors with long-lived qubits.

Nuclear spins in certain solids couple weakly to their environment, making them attractive candidates for quantum information processing and inertial sensing. When coupled to the spin of an optically active electron, nuclear spins can be rapidly polarized, controlled, and read via lasers and radio-frequency (rf) fields. Possessing typical coherence times of several milliseconds at room temperature, nuclear spins hosted by a nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond are thus intriguing systems to observe how classical physical rotation at quantum timescales affects a quantum system. In this work, we demonstrate optical nuclear-spin polarization and rapid quantum control of nuclear spins in a diamond physically rotating at

1\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{kHz}

, faster than the nuclear-spin coherence time. Free from the need to maintain strict field alignment, we are able to measure and control nuclear spins in the presence of a large, time-varying magnetic field that makes an angle of more than ${100}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$ to the nitrogen-lattice vacancy axis. The field induces spin mixing between the electron and nuclear states of the qubits, decoupling them from oscillating rf fields. We are able to demonstrate that coherent spin state control is possible at any point of the rotation. We combine continuous dynamical decoupling with feed-forward control to eliminate decoherence induced by imperfect mechanical rotation. Our work liberates a previously inaccessible degree of freedom of the NV nuclear spin, unlocking new approaches to quantum control and rotation sensing.