Vanadium spin qubits as telecom quantum emitters in silicon carbide

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Science
• Materials Science
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• Solid-state quantum emitters are crucial for quantum communication.
• Existing emitters often lack emission in the telecom band required for fiber networks.
• Vanadium dopants in silicon carbide (SiC) present a potential solution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create and characterize near-surface single vanadium dopants in SiC.
• To investigate their emission properties in the telecom O-band.
• To explore their potential for quantum communication applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and isolation of near-surface single vanadium dopants in SiC.
• Characterization of optical emission spectra and brightness.
• Analysis of d¹ orbital physics across different SiC sites (4H-SiC and 6H-SiC).
• Optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) for spin and hyperfine interaction studies.
• Demonstration of coherent quantum control of spin states.

Main Results:

• Achieved stable, narrow emission in the telecom O-band from single vanadium dopants in SiC.
• Observed bright emission suitable for cavity-free detection.
• Characterized complex d¹ orbital physics and isotope-sensitive optical transitions.
• Identified optically resolved nuclear spin registers and hyperfine interactions.
• Demonstrated coherent quantum control of the vanadium spin state.

Conclusions:

• Near-surface single vanadium dopants in SiC are promising telecom-band quantum emitters.
• These emitters offer a viable platform for scalable quantum communication networks.
• The observed properties pave the way for solid-state quantum memory applications.