Plasmonic-Enhanced Bright Single Spin Defects in Silicon Carbide Membranes

Area of Science:

• Quantum technology
• Materials science
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Optically addressable spin defects in silicon carbide (SiC) are promising for quantum technologies.
• Low photon count rates currently limit the practical applications of these defects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To significantly enhance the brightness and spin-control strength of single divacancy defects in 4H-SiC.
• To investigate the mechanism behind plasmonic enhancement of spin defects.

Main Methods:

• Utilized surface plasmons generated by gold film coplanar waveguides to enhance single divacancy defects in 4H-SiC membranes.
• Tuned the distance between defects and the gold film surface to study the plasmonic-enhanced effect.
• Employed a three-energy-level model and lifetime measurements to analyze transition rates and defect-plasmon coupling.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 7-fold increase in brightness and a 14-fold enhancement in spin-control strength for single divacancy defects.
• Confirmed the coupling between defects and surface plasmons through lifetime measurements.
• Validated the effectiveness of the plasmonic enhancement mechanism.

Conclusions:

• Developed a low-cost, scalable method using surface plasmons to boost the performance of spin defects in SiC.
• The technique is applicable to other spin defects in various materials, promoting quantum applications.
• This advancement facilitates the development of quantum technologies using mature silicon carbide materials.