Towards Coherent Control of the Tin Vacancy in Diamond

Spin-photon interfaces in the solid state are highly promising for quantum networks [1]. Towards this end, the ideal system is an optically addressable spin that features long coherence times and can be readily controlled. Here, we report ground-state spin lifetime and magnetic resonance measurements of the tin vacancy (SnV) centre in diamond at cryogenic temperatures. Specifically, we achieve a spin lifetime T₁ > 10ms at 3K, limited by phonons in a process that scales exponentially with temperature [2]. We use a direct microwave drive to observe optically detected magnetic resonance and show a spin coherence time T₂* = 540ns, limited by fluctuations of the surrounding carbon nuclear spin bath [2]. Finally, we report on progress towards coherent control of the SnV centre spin using an all-optical Raman drive, and towards performing dynamical decoupling of this spin from the nuclear spin bath. These results establish the SnV centre as a competitive candidate for building a quantum network.
[1] Kimble, H. J. (2008). The quantum internet. Nature, 453(7198), 1023–1030.
[2] Trusheim, M. E., Pingault, B., Wan, N. H., Gundogan, M., De Santis, L., Debroux, R., … Englund, D. (2020). Transform-Limited Photons from a Coherent Tin-Vacancy Spin in Diamond. Physical Review Letters, 124(2).