Strain tuning of V_Si in SiC via waveguide bending

Photonic interference is a proven pathway to scale up quantum systems [1]. Interference requires indistinguishable photon emission of multiple emitters, which can – in principle - be accomplished using Stark shift tuning. To avoid crosstalk between multiple devices on a single chip, we propose to use strain tuning for compensation.

Here, we show our work on shifting the resonant wavelength of silicon vacancy centers in bulky triangular silicon carbide waveguides. In particular, we mechanically bend these waveguides to induce stress in the surrounding area of the color centers.

We obtain the strain tuning coefficients of V_Si centers in SiC, which pave the way for emission wavelength tuning in quantum networks based on photonic interference. Additionally, our measurements give guidelines for phonon-photon-spin-related coupling experiments.

References: [1] M. Pompili et al., Science 372, 259–264 (2021)