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Quantum Electronics

Photon echo of an ultranarrow optical transition of 167Er3+ in 7LiYF4 crystals

Mansur M. Minnegaliev, E. I. Baibekov, K. I. Gerasimov, Sergey A. Moiseev, Maksim A. Smirnov, R. V. Urmancheev

Published Sep 1, 2017• 14 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The longitudinal and transverse relaxation times for a transition between hyperfine sublevels of the lower electronic states of the 4 I 15/2 and 4 I 9/2 multiplets of 167 Er 3+ ions in 7 LiYF 4 crystals have been determined for the first time using two-pulse and stimulated photon echo measurements in zero magnetic field at a temperature of 4 K. The decay of the photon echo signal has been shown to be modulated, which is tentatively attributed to the superhyperfine interaction of the 167 Er 3+ ions with their 19 F − nearest neighbours. The contributions of various types of interaction to the ultranarrow linewidth (~24 MHz) of the transition in question are discussed. Our results demonstrate that this optical transition of the 167 Er 3+ ion in 7 LiYF 4 crystals is potentially attractive for use in Raman quantum memory schemes.

DOI
10.1070/qel16470

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Stationary and coherent spectroscopy of 167Er3+ in waveguides in 7LiYF4 crystal

Mansur M. Minnegaliev, R. V. Urmancheev, K. I. Gerasimov +5 more

We have conducted a spectroscopic investigation of 167Er3+ ions in optical waveguides on an optical transition between the hyperfine sublevels of 4I15/2 and 4I9/2 multiplets. Waveguides with diameters ranging from 20 to 100 µm were produced in the crystal by a femtosecond laser using the depressed-cladding approach. The spectroscopy results of 167Er3+ ions inside the waveguides show additional broadening and an overall shifts of the spectra compared to the bulk spectrum of ions. The sign of the observed frequency shift depends on the diameter of the specific waveguide. We have also observed a two-pulse photon echo in several waveguides. The acquired results show the possibility for integrated quantum schemes in rare-earth ions doped crystals.

EPJ Web of Conferences•Jan 1, 2017•0 citations

Observation and investigation of narrow optical transitions of 167 Er 3+ ions in femtosecond laser printed waveguides in 7 LiYF 4 crystal

Mansur M. Minnegaliev, I. V. Dyakonov, K. I. Gerasimov +5 more

Abstract We produced optical waveguides in the 167 Er 3 + : 7 LiYF 4 crystal with diameters ranging from 30 to 100 μ m by using the depressed-cladding approach with femtosecond laser. Stationary and coherent spectroscopy was performed on the 809 nm optical transitions between the hyperfine sublevels of 4 I 15/2 and 4 I 9/2 multiplets of 167 Er 3+ ions both inside and outside of waveguides. It was found that the spectra of 167 Er 3+ were slightly broadened and shifted inside the waveguides compared to the bulk crystal spectra. We managed to observe a two-pulse photon echo on this transition and determined phase relaxation times for each waveguide. The experimental results show that the created crystal waveguides doped by rare-earth ions can be used in optical quantum memory and integrated quantum schemes.

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Incoherent photon echo in 7 Li Y F 4 : 167 Er 3+

V. N. Lisin, Шегеда Анатолий Михайлович, В. В. Самарцев +1 more

Abstract The effect of an incoherent photon echo is studied experimentally and theoretically in 7 LiYF Er 3+ crystal ( transition). This is considered as a promising material for Raman optical quantum memory due to the extremely narrow optical transitions. Oscillations of the photon echo intensity versus the external static magnetic field are observed. The theory shows that the oscillation period is very sensitive to one of the parameters of the spin Hamiltonian in the excited state, thereby making the incoherent photon echo convenient for spectroscopic measurements.

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Optical coherence of166Er:7LiYF4crystal below 1 K

N Kukharchyk, D Sholokhov, Oleg A. Morozov +3 more

We explore optical coherence and spin dynamics of an isotopically purified 166 Er: 7 LiYF 4 crystal below 1 K and at weak magnetic fields < 0.3T. Crystals were grown in our lab and demonstrate narrow inhomogeneous optical broadening down to 16 MHz. Solid-state atomic ensembles with such narrow linewidths are very attractive for implementing of off-resonant Raman quantum memory and for the interfacing of superconducting quantum circuits and telecom C-band optical photons. Both applications require a low magnetic field of ∼10 mT. However, at conventional experimental temperatures T > 1.5 K, optical coherence of Er:LYF crystal attains time scale only at strong magnetic fields above 1.5 T. In the present work, we demonstrate that the deep freezing of Er:LYF crystal below 1 K results in the increase of optical coherence time to at weak fields.

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Hyperfine Structure and Coherent Properties of Erbium-167-doped Yttrium Orthosilicate

Jelena V. Rakonjac

Erbium-167-doped yttrium orthosilicate (167Er3+:Y2SiO5) is a rare-earth-ion-doped crystal which possesses unique properties that would make it an ideal microwave-addressed quantum memory. It has an optical transition at 1.5 µm, which lies in the telecom C-band where much of the optical telecommunications infrastructure is already operating. It also possesses both nuclear and electron spin states, and hyperfine structure with transitions at microwave frequencies. The hyperfine structure exhibits microwave frequency transitions with or without an applied magnetic field, which would allow for a memory compatible with superconducting systems. However, the complicated hyperfine structure has prevented the transitions of 167Er3+:Y2SiO5 from being fully utilised.\nWith the recent publication of new spin Hamiltonian parameters for the ground state of 167Er3+:Y2SiO5, we can predict which transitions should have the longest coherence time at zero field. Based on calculations using these spin Hamiltonian parameters, we used Raman heterodyne spectroscopy to investigate the hyperfine structure of 167Er3+:Y2SiO5 for small magnetic fields and for energy level differences from 600 to 1200 MHz. We observed many transitions from the 4I15/2 ground state, as well as the 4I13/2 excited state that until now has had little investigation regarding its hyperfine structure.\nBy comparing our spectra to the existing ground state spin Hamiltonian parameters, and unpublished excited state parameters, we identified the origin of many of the transitions. We observed differences between the predicted transition frequencies from both sets of parameters and the experimental data. The data obtained using Raman heterodyne was used to improve both ground and excited state parameters to give a better description of the zero-field hyperfine splittings.\nIn addition, we identified transitions from both the 4I15/2 ground and 4I13/2 excited state that have a small dependence on magnetic field. These transitions, with zero field frequencies of 879.4 MHz and 896.7 MHz respectively, yielded coherence times of 67 µs and 300 µs at 3.2 K, when measured with a two-pulse spin echo sequence. By using a dynamic decoupling sequence, we extending the coherence times of the transitions at 879.4 MHz to 380 µs and for the transitions at 896.7 MHz, to 1.4 ms.\nThese coherence time measurements demonstrate an improvement of a previous zero field coherence measurement in 167Er3+:Y2SiO5. By operating at lower temperatures, reducing the 167Er3+ ion concentration or using a different transition, it should be possible to extend the coherence time of 167Er3+:Y2SiO5 even further.

•Jan 1, 2018•3 citations

Broadband electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of Er 167 : LiYF 4 7 at millikelvin temperatures

Ana Strinić, Patricia Oehrl, Achim Marx +4 more

Rare-earth spin ensembles are a promising platform for microwave quantum memory applications due to their hyperfine transitions, which can exhibit exceptionally long coherence times when using an operation point with zero first-order Zeeman (ZEFOZ) shift. In this work, we use broadband electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy on Er 167 : LiYF 4 7 single crystals at subkelvin temperatures. By fitting the spin Hamiltonian to the zero-field spectrum, we obtain refined parameters of the magnetic field-independent interactions, such as the hyperfine and quadrupole interaction. We also study the influence of the quadrupole interaction on the hyperfine splitting in the zero and low magnetic field range by analyzing EPR spectra between 0 m T and 50 m T . Our findings highlight the broadband EPR spectroscopy approach as a powerful tool for the precise determination of the spin Hamiltonian parameters and for the characterization of hyperfine transitions in terms of their selection rules and linewidth.

arXiv:2501.04657•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Jun 2, 2025•4 citations
The longitudinal and transverse relaxation times for a transition between hyperfine sublevels of the lower electronic states of the 4 I 15/2 and 4 I 9/2 multiplets of 167 Er 3+ ions in 7 LiYF 4 crystals have been determined for the first time using two-pulse and stimulated photon echo measurements in zero magnetic field at a temperature of 4 K. The decay of the photon echo signal has been shown to be modulated, which is tentatively attributed to the superhyperfine interaction of the 167 Er 3+ ions with their 19 F − nearest neighbours. The contributions of various types of interaction to the ultranarrow linewidth (~24 MHz) of the transition in question are discussed. Our results demonstrate that this optical transition of the 167 Er 3+ ion in 7 LiYF 4 crystals is potentially attractive for use in Raman quantum memory schemes.
We have conducted a spectroscopic investigation of 167Er3+ ions in optical waveguides on an optical transition between the hyperfine sublevels of 4I15/2 and 4I9/2 multiplets. Waveguides with diameters ranging from 20 to 100 µm were produced in the crystal by a femtosecond laser using the depressed-cladding approach. The spectroscopy results of 167Er3+ ions inside the waveguides show additional broadening and an overall shifts of the spectra compared to the bulk spectrum of ions. The sign of the observed frequency shift depends on the diameter of the specific waveguide. We have also observed a two-pulse photon echo in several waveguides. The acquired results show the possibility for integrated quantum schemes in rare-earth ions doped crystals.
Abstract We produced optical waveguides in the 167 Er 3 + : 7 LiYF 4 crystal with diameters ranging from 30 to 100 μ m by using the depressed-cladding approach with femtosecond laser. Stationary and coherent spectroscopy was performed on the 809 nm optical transitions between the hyperfine sublevels of 4 I 15/2 and 4 I 9/2 multiplets of 167 Er 3+ ions both inside and outside of waveguides. It was found that the spectra of 167 Er 3+ were slightly broadened and shifted inside the waveguides compared to the bulk crystal spectra. We managed to observe a two-pulse photon echo on this transition and determined phase relaxation times for each waveguide. The experimental results show that the created crystal waveguides doped by rare-earth ions can be used in optical quantum memory and integrated quantum schemes.
Abstract The effect of an incoherent photon echo is studied experimentally and theoretically in 7 LiYF Er 3+ crystal ( transition). This is considered as a promising material for Raman optical quantum memory due to the extremely narrow optical transitions. Oscillations of the photon echo intensity versus the external static magnetic field are observed. The theory shows that the oscillation period is very sensitive to one of the parameters of the spin Hamiltonian in the excited state, thereby making the incoherent photon echo convenient for spectroscopic measurements.
We explore optical coherence and spin dynamics of an isotopically purified 166 Er: 7 LiYF 4 crystal below 1 K and at weak magnetic fields < 0.3T. Crystals were grown in our lab and demonstrate narrow inhomogeneous optical broadening down to 16 MHz. Solid-state atomic ensembles with such narrow linewidths are very attractive for implementing of off-resonant Raman quantum memory and for the interfacing of superconducting quantum circuits and telecom C-band optical photons. Both applications require a low magnetic field of ∼10 mT. However, at conventional experimental temperatures T > 1.5 K, optical coherence of Er:LYF crystal attains time scale only at strong magnetic fields above 1.5 T. In the present work, we demonstrate that the deep freezing of Er:LYF crystal below 1 K results in the increase of optical coherence time to at weak fields.
Erbium-167-doped yttrium orthosilicate (167Er3+:Y2SiO5) is a rare-earth-ion-doped crystal which possesses unique properties that would make it an ideal microwave-addressed quantum memory. It has an optical transition at 1.5 µm, which lies in the telecom C-band where much of the optical telecommunications infrastructure is already operating. It also possesses both nuclear and electron spin states, and hyperfine structure with transitions at microwave frequencies. The hyperfine structure exhibits microwave frequency transitions with or without an applied magnetic field, which would allow for a memory compatible with superconducting systems. However, the complicated hyperfine structure has prevented the transitions of 167Er3+:Y2SiO5 from being fully utilised.\nWith the recent publication of new spin Hamiltonian parameters for the ground state of 167Er3+:Y2SiO5, we can predict which transitions should have the longest coherence time at zero field. Based on calculations using these spin Hamiltonian parameters, we used Raman heterodyne spectroscopy to investigate the hyperfine structure of 167Er3+:Y2SiO5 for small magnetic fields and for energy level differences from 600 to 1200 MHz. We observed many transitions from the 4I15/2 ground state, as well as the 4I13/2 excited state that until now has had little investigation regarding its hyperfine structure.\nBy comparing our spectra to the existing ground state spin Hamiltonian parameters, and unpublished excited state parameters, we identified the origin of many of the transitions. We observed differences between the predicted transition frequencies from both sets of parameters and the experimental data. The data obtained using Raman heterodyne was used to improve both ground and excited state parameters to give a better description of the zero-field hyperfine splittings.\nIn addition, we identified transitions from both the 4I15/2 ground and 4I13/2 excited state that have a small dependence on magnetic field. These transitions, with zero field frequencies of 879.4 MHz and 896.7 MHz respectively, yielded coherence times of 67 µs and 300 µs at 3.2 K, when measured with a two-pulse spin echo sequence. By using a dynamic decoupling sequence, we extending the coherence times of the transitions at 879.4 MHz to 380 µs and for the transitions at 896.7 MHz, to 1.4 ms.\nThese coherence time measurements demonstrate an improvement of a previous zero field coherence measurement in 167Er3+:Y2SiO5. By operating at lower temperatures, reducing the 167Er3+ ion concentration or using a different transition, it should be possible to extend the coherence time of 167Er3+:Y2SiO5 even further.
Rare-earth spin ensembles are a promising platform for microwave quantum memory applications due to their hyperfine transitions, which can exhibit exceptionally long coherence times when using an operation point with zero first-order Zeeman (ZEFOZ) shift. In this work, we use broadband electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy on Er 167 : LiYF 4 7 single crystals at subkelvin temperatures. By fitting the spin Hamiltonian to the zero-field spectrum, we obtain refined parameters of the magnetic field-independent interactions, such as the hyperfine and quadrupole interaction. We also study the influence of the quadrupole interaction on the hyperfine splitting in the zero and low magnetic field range by analyzing EPR spectra between 0 m T and 50 m T . Our findings highlight the broadband EPR spectroscopy approach as a powerful tool for the precise determination of the spin Hamiltonian parameters and for the characterization of hyperfine transitions in terms of their selection rules and linewidth.