On-demand generation of neutral silicon vacancy centers in diamond

ORAL

Abstract

Neutral silicon vacancy centers in diamond are promising candidates for quantum networks because of their excellent optical properties and long spin coherence times1. However, stabilizing the neutral charge state of silicon vacancy centers so far required high purity, boron doped diamond, which is not a readily available material. Here, we demonstrate two distinct approaches to on-demand generation of neutral silicon vacancy centers. In the first approach, we show that chemical control of the diamond surface can be used to tune the charge state of shallow silicon vacancy centers2. We demonstrate reversible charge state tuning of silicon vacancy centers by toggling the surface between hydrogen termination and oxygen termination. In the second approach, we harness itinerant carriers formed by ionizing nearby defects, and we show that the neutral silicon vacancy center can be stabilized by capturing optically generated holes from nearby defects3. Controlling the charge state via surface control and carrier capture offers a route for scalable technologies based on neutral silicon vacancy centers, as well as charge state engineering of other defects.

1. “Observation of an environmentally insensitive solid-state spin defect in diamond”, Rose et al., Science 361, 60-63 (2018)

2. “Neutral silicon vacancy centers in undoped diamond via surface control”, Zhang et al., arXiv:2206.13698 (2022)

3. “Neutral silicon vacancy centers in diamond via photoactivated itinerant carriers”, Zhang et al., arXiv:2209.08710 (2022)

*This work was supported by National Science Foundation through the Princeton Center for Complex Materials (Grant No. DMR-1420541), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Grant No. FA9550-17- 0158), the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (contract No. DE-SC0012704), the Swiss Nanoscience Institute and the quantERA grant SensExtreme.

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Publication: "Neutral silicon vacancy centers in undoped diamond via surface control", Z.-H. Zhang, J.A. Zuber, L.V.H. Rodgers, X. Gui, P. Stevenson, M. Li, M. Batzer, M. Grimau, B. Shields, A.M. Edmonds, N. Palmer, M.L. Markham, R.J. Cava, P. Maletinsky, N.P. de Leon, arXiv:2206.13698 (2022)

"Neutral silicon vacancy centers in diamond via photoactivated itinerant carriers",
Z.-H. Zhang, A.M. Edmonds, N. Palmer, M.L. Markham, N.P. de Leon, arXiv:2209.08710 (2022)

Presenters

  • Zihuai Zhang

    • Princeton University

Authors

  • Zihuai Zhang

    • Princeton University

  • Josh A Zuber

    • University of Basel

  • Lila Rodgers

    • Princeton University

  • Xin Gui

    • Princeton University

  • Paul Stevenson

    • Northeastern University

  • Minghao Li

    • University of Basel

  • Marietta Batzer

    • University of Basel

  • Marcel.li Grimau

    • University of Basel

  • Brendan Shields

    • University of Basel

  • Andrew M Edmonds

    • Element Six

  • Nicola Palmer

    • Element Six

  • Matthew L Markham

    • Element Six Innovation
    • Element Six

  • Robert Cava

    • Princeton University

  • Patrick Maletinsky

    • University of Basel

  • Nathalie P de Leon

    • Princeton University