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Applied Physics Letters

Realization of strong coupling between Er3+: CaWO4 crystal and the loop-gap resonator for a hybrid quantum system

Q. Li, Miaomiao Ren, Shuping Liu, Fudong Wang, Manjin Zhong

Published Sep 15, 2025• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Erbium-doped crystals provide a promising platform for integration with other quantum systems, offering telecom-band optical and microwave spin transitions with long coherence times for quantum memory and transduction applications. In order to construct efficient hybrid quantum systems, it is challenging but necessary to realize strong coupling between erbium spins and other microwave photons. Here, we design and construct a high-quality-factor three-dimensional loop-gap microwave resonator for wide-range electron spin resonance detection. We achieved strong coupling with a strength of 85.1 MHz at 100 mK. Our results demonstrate a viable hybrid quantum system, paving the way for integrated networks that combine optical communication with microwave quantum computing.

DOI
10.1063/5.0285984

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Erbium-doped crystals provide a promising platform for integration with other quantum systems, offering telecom-band optical and microwave spin transitions with long coherence times for quantum memory and transduction applications. In order to construct efficient hybrid quantum systems, it is challenging but necessary to realize strong coupling between erbium spins and other microwave photons. Here, we design and construct a high-quality-factor three-dimensional loop-gap microwave resonator for wide-range electron spin resonance detection. We achieved strong coupling with a strength of 85.1 MHz at 100 mK. Our results demonstrate a viable hybrid quantum system, paving the way for integrated networks that combine optical communication with microwave quantum computing.
Quantum memories are integral parts of both quantum computers and quantum communication networks. Naturally, such a memory is embedded into a hybrid quantum architecture, which has to meet the requirements of fast gates, long coherence times, and long distance communication. Erbium-doped crystals are well suited as a microwave quantum memory for superconducting circuits with additional access to the optical telecom CCC band around 1.55 $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$. Here, we report on circuit QED experiments with an Er3+{\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}Er3+:YAlO3{\mathrm{YAlO}}_{3}YAlO3​ crystal and demonstrate strong coupling to a superconducting lumped element resonator. The low magnetic anisotropy of the host crystal allows for attaining the strong coupling regime at relatively low magnetic fields, which are compatible with superconducting circuits. In addition, Ce3+{\mathrm{Ce}}^{3+}Ce3+ impurities were detected in the crystal, which showed strong coupling as well.
Microwave-to-optical quantum transducers are essential for entangling remote superconducting qubits. Among the available transduction platforms, ensembles of Er3+^{3+}3+ and Yb3+^{3+}3+ ions doped into solids have emerged as leading candidates. While external magnetic fields are needed to split the Zeeman levels of erbium ions and enable a microwave--qubit interface, superconducting qubits suffer decoherence in such fields. In contrast, ytterbium ions exhibit zero-first-order Zeeman transitions and large hyperfine splittings at zero magnetic field (when doped into inorganic crystals). Owing to its long optical and spin coherence times, Yb:YSO has been widely used as a quantum memory, yet its potential for quantum transduction remains largely unexplored. Investigating this material could enable the integration of quantum memory and transduction in a single platform. Here, we demonstrate microwave-to-optical transduction in the continuous-wave regime using a 5\,ppm doped Yb:YSO crystal. The internal transduction efficiency is 2×10−82\times10^{-8}2×10−8 with a bandwidth of 200\,kHz, achieved using a 3D loop-gap microwave resonator (LGR) and a single-pass optical configuration. We explore all the ground states that form a V-type three-level system with the first and second optical excited states and assert the use of the ground state, which provides the highest efficiency and isolated optical transition. We further establish strong spin-microwave coupling from avoided crossing measurements. With a strong microwave drive to saturate the spin transition, we estimate the spin population pumped into the excited state, close to the simulated value. Finally, we calculate target parameter values for maximum efficiency with our system and suggest using 50\,ppm doped Yb:YSO crystal. With the calculated target parameters, the internal transduction efficiency is predicted to reach up to 10−410^{-4}10−4 in the current LGR.
Hybrid quantum systems combining circuit QED with spin-doped solids are an attractive platform for distributed quantum information processing. There, the magnetic ions serve as coherent memory elements and reversible conversion elements of microwave to optical qubits. Among many possible spin-doped solids, erbium ions offer the unique opportunity for a coherent conversion of microwave photons into the telecom C band at $1.54\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ employed for long distance communication. In our work, we perform a time-resolved electron spin resonance study of an Er3+:Y2SiO5{\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}:{\mathrm{Y}}_{2}{\mathrm{SiO}}_{5}Er3+:Y2​SiO5​ spin ensemble at millidegrees Kelvin temperatures and demonstrate multimode storage and retrieval of up to 16 coherent microwave pulses. The memory efficiency is measured to be ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ at a coherence time of ${T}_{2}=5.6\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$. We observe a saturation of the spin coherence time below 50 mK due to full polarization of the surrounding electronic spin bath.
Interfacing superconducting microwave resonator with rare earth doped crystals presents a promising hybrid quantum system for applications including spin-assisted transducers and memories. The coupling strength between spins of rare earth ions and the microwave photons is characterized by the cooperativity. Here we report an ultra-high cooperativity C∼C \simC∼ 650 between rare earth spins and a planar superconducting microwave resonator that features a highly uniform magnetic field for harnessing the strong anisotropic coupling strength of erbium doped yttrium orthosilicate. This cooperativity rivals that from a bulk dielectric resonator and paves a path for efficiently coupling of spins with microwave photons on an integrated platform.
Rare earth quantum light-matter interfaces (QLMIs) are uniquely suited for various quantum communication applications, including quantum memories and quantum optical to microwave transducers. Among rare earths, erbium QLMIs are particularly appealing due to erbium’s long lived telecom wavelength resonance, allowing integration with existing optical communication technology and infrastructure. Micro-resonator QLMIs have various advantages over bulk rare earth crystal memories. They provide the opportunity for on-chip integration; for example, optical resonators can be integrated with microwave resonators for quantum optical-microwave transduction. For spectral hole-burning based quantum memories, coupling rare earth ions to a resonator can provide improved memory initialization via Purcell enhancement of optical lifetimes, while impedance matching the resonator to the ions can raise the theoretical memory efficiency to 100%. We present hybrid nanoscale quantum light matter interfaces in the form of amorphous silicon ring resonators on yttrium orthosilicate (YSO) substrate doped with erbium ions. While working with rare earth crystal hosts can be challenging, the fabrication process for these devices is simple and robust, using traditional thin film fabrication technologies. Our devices have measured quality factors of over 105 in the 11 µm diameter rings, and evanescent coupling to an ensemble of erbium ions characterized by a cooperativity of 0.54. We present simulation and experimental results of the optical properties of these cavities, and their coupling to erbium ions, including a demonstration of Purcell enhancement of the erbium telecom transition. We then analyze their potential as quantum memories and in optical to microwave transducers.
Rare earth quantum light-matter interfaces (QLMIs) are uniquely suited for various quantum communication applications, including quantum memories and quantum optical to microwave transducers. Among rare earths, erbium QLMIs are particularly appealing due to erbium’s long lived telecom wavelength resonance, allowing integration with existing optical communication technology and infrastructure. Micro-resonator QLMIs have various advantages over bulk rare earth crystal memories. They provide the opportunity for on-chip integration; for example, optical resonators can be integrated with microwave resonators for quantum optical-microwave transduction. For spectral hole-burning based quantum memories, coupling rare earth ions to a resonator can provide improved memory initialization via Purcell enhancement of optical lifetimes, while impedance matching the resonator to the ions can raise the theoretical memory efficiency to 100%. We present hybrid nanoscale quantum light matter interfaces in the form of amorphous silicon ring resonators on yttrium orthosilicate (YSO) substrate doped with erbium ions. While working with rare earth crystal hosts can be challenging, the fabrication process for these devices is simple and robust, using traditional thin film fabrication technologies. Our devices have measured quality factors of over 105 in the 11 µm diameter rings, and evanescent coupling to an ensemble of erbium ions characterized by a cooperativity of 0.54. We present simulation and experimental results of the optical properties of these cavities, and their coupling to erbium ions, including a demonstration of Purcell enhancement of the erbium telecom transition. We then analyze their potential as quantum memories and in optical to microwave transducers.