Traditional electronic and communication devices operate by processing binary information encoded as bits. Such digital devices have led to the most advanced technologies that we encounter in our everyday lives and they influence virtually every aspect of our society. Nonetheless, there exists a much richer way to encode and process information. By encoding information in quantum mechanical states as qubits, phenomena such as coherence and entanglement can be harnessed to execute tasks that are intractable to digital devices. Under this paradigm, it should be possible to realize quantum computers, quantum communication networks and quantum sensors that outperform their classical counterparts. The electronic spin states of color-center defects in the semiconductor silicon carbide have recently emerged as promising qubit candidates. They have long-lived quantum coherence up to room temperature, they can be controlled with mature magnetic resonance techniques, and they have a built-in optical interface operating near the telecommunication bands. In this thesis I will present two of our contributions to this field. The first is the electric-field control of electron spin qubits. This development lays foundation for quantum electronics that operate via electrical gating, much like traditional electronics. The second is the universal control and entanglement of electron and nuclear spin qubits in an ensemble under ambient conditions. This development lays foundation for quantum devices that have a built-in redundancy and can operate in real-world conditions. Both developments represent important steps towards practical quantum devices in an electronic grade material.
Traditional electronic and communication devices operate by processing binary information encoded as bits. Such digital devices have led to the most advanced technologies that we encounter in our everyday lives and they influence virtually every aspect of our society. Nonetheless, there exists a much richer way to encode and process information. By encoding information in quantum mechanical states as qubits, phenomena such as coherence and entanglement can be harnessed to execute tasks that are intractable to digital devices. Under this paradigm, it should be possible to realize quantum computers, quantum communication networks and quantum sensors that outperform their classical counterparts. The electronic spin states of color-center defects in the semiconductor silicon carbide have recently emerged as promising qubit candidates. They have long-lived quantum coherence up to room temperature, they can be controlled with mature magnetic resonance techniques, and they have a built-in optical interface operating near the telecommunication bands. In this thesis I will present two of our contributions to this field. The first is the electric-field control of electron spin qubits. This development lays foundation for quantum electronics that operate via electrical gating, much like traditional electronics. The second is the universal control and entanglement of electron and nuclear spin qubits in an ensemble under ambient conditions. This development lays foundation for quantum devices that have a built-in redundancy and can operate in real-world conditions. Both developments represent important steps towards practical quantum devices in an electronic grade material.
Spin is a quantum mechanical property that describes the magnetic orientation of elementary and composite particles such as electrons and nuclei. For spin-half particles placed in a magnetic field, two states with differing energies are defined. Proposals exist for developing a revolutionary kind of computer that encodes bits of information on the states of a simple quantum two-level system - like those of a spin in a magnetic field. These quantum computers exploit the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics in order to perform certain calculations exponentially faster than their classical counterparts. Key to the development of such a device is the identification of potential systems that are suitable for employment as a quantum bit (qubit). This thesis explores quantum bits constructed from the spin states of single atoms hosted in silicon semiconductor devices. Silicon is an exceptional platform for spin-based quantum computing - in addition to being the dominant material in the microelectronic industry, it is also predominantly composed of nuclear spin-zero isotopes, providing very little background magnetic disturbance. The donor-atom phosphorus (31P) is investigated here. It possesses a nucleus that binds an additional electron to its positive charge, providing two distinct spin qubits. Here, several world-first experimental milestones in spin-based quantum information processing are reported. First, the readout of the electron spin is demonstrated in single-shot, using a silicon device which combines implanted phosphorus donors with a sensitive nanoscale electrometer. Then, the electron spin is coherently operated as a qubit by delivering on-chip microwave excitations. Combining the electron spin detection and control capabilities enables a quantum non-demolition measurement of the single 31P nuclear spin. Experiments yield exceptional nuclear readout fidelities - the highest for any solid-state qubit. Through an application of nuclear magnetic resonance, high-fidelity quantum control of the nuclear spin qubit is demonstrated. Finally, a single spin-bearing silicon nucleus (29Si) coupled to the electron spin is detected in single-shot and operated as a qubit. These results, along with the clear pathways identified for improving device performance, illustrate that single-atom electron and nuclear spin qubits in silicon constitute an excellent basis on which to construct a quantum computer.
The highly parallel nature of the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics means that certain key resource-intensive tasks --- including searching, code decryption and medical, chemical and material simulations --- can be computed polynomially or even exponentially faster with a quantum computer. In spite of its remarkably fast development, the field of quantum computing is still young, and a large-scale prototype using any one of the candidate quantum bits (or 'qubits') under investigation has yet to be developed. Spin-based qubits in condensed matter systems are excellent candidates. Spins controlled using magnetic resonance have provided the first, most advanced, and highest fidelity experimental demonstrations of quantum algorithms to date. Despite having highly promising control characteristics, most physical ensembles investigated using magnetic resonance are unable to produce entanglement, a critical missing ingredient for a pure-state quantum computer. Quantum objects are said to be entangled if they cannot be described individually: they remain fundamentally linked regardless of their physical separation. Such highly non-classical states can be exploited for a host of quantum technologies including teleportation, metrology, and quantum computation. Here I describe how to experimentally create, control and characterise entangled quantum ensembles using magnetic resonance. I first explore the relationship between entanglement and quantum metrology and demonstrate a sensitivity enhancement over classical resources using molecular sensors controlled with liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. I then examine the computational potential of irreversible relaxation processes in combination with traditional reversible magnetic resonance control techniques. I show how irreversible processes can polarise both nuclear and electronic spins, which improves the quality of qubit initialisation. I discuss the process of quantum state tomography, where an arbitrary quantum state can be accurately measured and characterised, including components which go undetected using traditional magnetic resonance techniques. Lastly, I combine the above findings to initialise, create and characterise entanglement between an ensemble of electron and nuclear spin defects in silicon. I further this by generating pseudo-entanglement between an ensemble of nuclear spins mediated by a transient electron spin in a molecular system. These findings help pave the way towards a particular architecture for a scalable, spin-based quantum computer.
Quantum physics governs the world at the microscopic scale and determines the properties of matter. While classical computers exploit quantum phenomena passively by relying on transistor technology, the concept of a quantum computer with active control over quantum states promises unprecedented possibilities for information encoding and processing. Already developed quantum algorithms are known to perform certain tasks faster than any existing classical algorithms, and quantum computers also promise the possibility for precise simulations of complex quantum systems, a task infeasible for classical computers. These points emphasize the need for the development of quantum computers. Considering quantum computers, the fundamental unit of information is a qubit, a two-level quantum system. Qubits, in contrast to classical bits which are either in state 0 or 1, can exist in quantum superposition of the states 0 and 1, allowing for more complex and parallel computations. While there are many options to encode a logical qubit in a physical system, spin 1/2 particles are considered a natural choice because their spin degree of freedom defines a qubit intrinsically. Semiconductors are a promising platform for hosting spin qubits, as they enable the confinement of electrons with spin 1/2 either through gate-defined quantum dots (QDs) or donor atoms. Among the possible choices of donor atoms, phosphorous 31P is particularly noteworthy because its nucleus has nuclear spin 1/2. Nuclear spins are prime candidates for qubit implementation because they demonstrated exceptionally long coherence times, but the underlying good isolation from their environment is a challenge when it comes to readout and control. In this thesis, we face this challenge by proposing a hybrid quantum dot-donor (QDD) system consisting of a gate defined silicon (Si) QD and a thereto laterally displaced 31P phosphorous donor atom implanted in the Si host material. A single electron is presumed to be confined in the system, which can be moved between the QD and the donor on demand. If its wave function overlaps with the donor atom, electron spin and the donor nuclear spin interact via the hyperfine interaction and the electron can act as a mediator between the nuclear spin qubit and the environment for readout and control, whereas the nuclear spin qubit can be set in an idling mode by shifting the electron to the QD. Importantly, the proposed system can be embedded in circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) architectures enabling strong coupling between the system’s electron spin and microwave resonator photons. This coupling is fundamental for the research presented in this thesis. Analyzing the envisioned system, we first propose a novel method for nuclear-spin readout by probing the resonator transmission. This method is based on the observation that the signature of strong electron spin-photon coupling in the resonator transmission is altered due to the hyperfine interaction, in such a manner that well separated signatures for the electron spin-photon coupling conditioned on the state of the nuclear spin arise. As the next step, we turn our attention to the control of nuclear spin qubits and especially to the challenge of realizing a two-qubit gate between distant nuclear spins. In this course, we derive an effective nuclear spin-photon coupling. While expected to be weak, this interaction can be harnessed to couple the nuclear spins of two distant QDD systems dispersively to a microwave resonator resulting in an entangling nuclear spin two-qubit √iSWAP gate with a gate fidelity approaching 90%. These two key findings represent a significant and valuable contribution to the field of quantum information processing using nuclear spins.
Deep-level defects are usually considered undesirable in semiconductors as they typically interfere with the performance of present-day electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the electronic spin states of certain atomic-scale defects have recently been shown to be promising quantum bits for quantum information processing as well as exquisite nanoscale sensors due to their local environmental sensitivity. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in quantum control protocols of several of these spin defects, the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV-) center in diamond and a variety of forms of the neutral divacancy (VV0) complex in silicon carbide (SiC). These defects exhibit a spin-triplet ground state that can be controlled through a variety of techniques, several of which allow for room temperature operation. Microwave control has enabled sophisticated decoupling schemes to extend coherence times as well as nanoscale sensing of temperature along with magnetic and electric fields. On the other hand, photonic control of these spin states has provided initial steps toward integration into quantum networks, including entanglement, quantum state teleportation, and all-optical control. Electrical and mechanical control also suggest pathways to develop quantum transducers and quantum hybrid systems. The versatility of the control mechanisms demonstrated should facilitate the development of quantum technologies based on these spin defects.
Quantum information processing in semiconductor quantum dots using single and multi-spin qubitsThe idea of a quantum computer, a device capable of processing information using quantum bits (qubit) instead of classical bits that outperforms classical computer in terms of computation speed, is still science ction. However, recent advances in quantum information processing showed that this ction may come true faster than anticipated. A promising platform for the physical realization of a qubit are spin qubits where the information is encoded in the quantum mechanical spin of an electron con ned in a semiconductor quantum dot. There are a variety of di erent implementations how the logical qubit is physically encoded, the use of a single electron spin or the use of the spins of multi electrons. This thesis focuses on the implementation of the spin- 1/2 qubit using the spin of a single electron in a single quantum dot, the exchangeonly (EO) qubit using three electron spins distributed in three quantum dots, and the novel quadrupolar exchange-only (QUEX) qubit using four electron spins distributed in three quantum dots. In this thesis we investigate several theoretical aspects of the physical implementation of the aforementioned qubit encodings. Since all three qubit encodings are allelectric controlled these implementations su er decoherence, the loss of information, from electric uctuations of the environment commonly called charge noise. Typically, the use of more quantum dots increases the decoherence due to charge noise while it decreases the decoherence due to magnetic noise. The rst main aspect investigated in this thesis is the protection of the quantum information encoded in the di erent qubit implementations against charge noise. Special attention is paid to the multi-electron spin implementations where high-symmetry points of operation are discovered which are less sensitive to the charge noise. Protection against charge noise is even better by increasing the number of electrons while keeping the number of quantum dots making the QUEX qubit superior to the EO qubit. So far the main direction in this thesis is the reduction of the qubit sensitivity to electric uctuations. However, coherent electromagnetic elds in form of microwaves v can be used to interconnect qubits. In this thesis also a high-performance coupling between two spin-1/2 is investigated. The use of a resonator, subsequently, allows for a coupling of qubits over macroscopic distances as well as to extract valuable information about the physical system. Because of the larger susceptibility of multi-spin qubits to the electric eld of the resonator, this thesis focuses on the coupling between an EO or a QUEX qubit and a microwave resonator. Points of operations are discovered for both qubit implementations which o er a strong coupling towards a microwave resonator while maintaining their protection against charge noise. Subsequently, a series of measurements are proposed to extract information about the microscopic structure of the quantum dots. Finally, a promising high-performance protocol for coupling two qubits remotely via the resonator is investigated in detail.
Electron spins confined in quantum dots (QDs) are among the leading contenders for implementing quantum information processing. In this Thesis we address two of the most significant technological challenges towards developing a scalable quantum information processor based on spins in quantum dots: (i) decoherence of the electronic spin qubit due to the surrounding nuclear spin bath, and (ii) long-range spin-spin coupling between remote qubits. To this end, we develop novel strategies that turn the unavoidable coupling to the solid-state environment (in particular, nuclear spins and phonons) into a valuable asset rather than a liability. In the first part of this Thesis, we investigate electron transport through single and double QDs, with the aim of harnessing the (dissipative) coupling to the electronic degrees of freedom for the creation of coherence in both the transient and steady-state behaviour of the ambient nuclear spins. First, we theoretically show that intriguing features of coherent many-body physics can be observed in electron transport through a single QD. To this end, we first develop a master-equation-based formalism for electron transport in the Coulomb-blockade regime assisted by hyperfine (HF) interaction with the nuclear spin ensemble in the QD. This general tool is then used to study the leakage current through a single QD in a transport setting. When starting from an initially uncorrelated, highly polarized state, the nuclear system experiences a strong correlation buildup, due to the collective nature of the coupling to the central electron spin. We demonstrate that this results in a sudden intensity burst in the electronic tunneling current emitted from the QD system, which exceeds the maximal current of a corresponding classical system by several orders of magnitude. This gives rise to the new paradigm of electronic superradiance. Second, building upon the insight that the nuclear spin dynamics are governed by collective interactions giving rise to coherent effects such as superradiance, we propose a scheme for the deterministic generation of steady-state entanglement between the two nuclear spin ensembles in an electrically defined double quantum dot. Because of quantum interference in the collective coupling to the electronic degrees of freedom, the nuclear system is actively driven into a two-mode squeezedlike target state. The entanglement buildup is accompanied by a self-polarization of the nuclear spins towards large Overhauser field gradients. Moreover, the feedback between the electronic and nuclear dynamics is shown to lead to intriguing effects such as multistability and criticality in the steady-state solutions. In the second part of this Thesis, our focus turns towards the realization of long-range spin-spin coupling between remote qubits. We propose a universal, on-chip quantum transducer based on surface acoustic waves in piezo-active materials. Because of the intrinsic piezoelectric (and/or magnetostrictive) properties of the material, our approach provides a universal platform capable of coherently linking a broad array of qubits, including quantum dots, trapped ions, nitrogen-vacancy centers or superconducting qubits. The quantized modes of surface acoustic waves lie in the gigahertz range, can be strongly confined close to the surface in phononic cavities and guided in acoustic waveguides. We show that this type of surface acoustic excitations can be utilized efficiently as a quantum bus, serving as an on-chip, mechanical cavity-QED equivalent of microwave photons and enabling long-range coupling of a wide range of qubits. In summary, this thesis provides contributions towards developing a scalable quantum information processor based on spins in quantum dots in two different aspects. The first part is dedicated to a deeper understanding of the nuclear spin dynamics in quantum dots. In the second part we put forward a novel sound-based strategy to realize long-range spin-spin coupling between remote qubits. This completes a broad picture of spin-based quantum information processing which integrates different perspectives, ranging from the single-qubit level to a broader quantum network level.