arXiv subjects

Peter Becker

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Becker.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Room temperature quantum bit storage exceeding 39 minutes using ionized donors in 28-silicon

Quantum memories capable of storing and retrieving coherent information for extended times at room temperature would enable a host of new technologies. Electron and nuclear spin qubits using shallow neutral donors in semiconductors have been studied extensively but are limited to low temperatures ($\le$10 K); however, the nuclear spins of ionized donors have potential for high temperature operation. We use optical methods and dynamical decoupling to realize this potential for an ensemble of 31P donors in isotopically purified 28Si and observe a room temperature coherence time of over 39 minutes. We further show that a coherent spin superposition can be cycled from 4.2 K to room temperature and back, and report a cryogenic coherence time of 3 hours in the same system.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Characterization of the Si:Se+ spin-photon interface

Silicon is the most developed electronic and photonic technological platform and hosts some of the highest-performance spin and photonic qubits developed to date. A hybrid quantum technology harnessing an efficient spin-photon interface in silicon would unlock considerable potential by enabling ultra-long-lived photonic memories, distributed quantum networks, microwave to optical photon converters, and spin-based quantum processors, all linked using integrated silicon photonics. However, the indirect bandgap of silicon makes identification of efficient spin-photon interfaces nontrivial. Here we build upon the recent identification of chalcogen donors as a promising spin-photon interface in silicon. We determined that the spin-dependent optical degree of freedom has a transition dipole moment stronger than previously thought (here 1.96(8) Debye), and the T1 spin lifetime in low magnetic fields is longer than previously thought (> 4.6(1.5) hours). We furthermore determined the optical excited state lifetime (7.7(4) ns), and therefore the natural radiative efficiency (0.80(9) %), and by measuring the phonon sideband, determined the zero-phonon emission fraction (16(1) %). Taken together, these parameters indicate that an integrated quantum optoelectronic platform based upon chalcogen donor qubits in silicon is well within reach of current capabilities.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Zero field optical magnetic resonance study of phosphorus donors in 28-silicon

Donor spins in silicon are some of the most promising qubits for upcoming solid-state quantum technologies. The nuclear spins of phosphorus donors in enriched silicon have among the longest coherence times of any solid-state system as well as simultaneous qubit initialization, manipulation and readout fidelities near ~99.9%. Here we characterize the phosphorus in silicon system in the regime of "zero" magnetic field, where a singlet-triplet spin clock transition can be accessed, using laser spectroscopy and magnetic resonance methods. We show the system can be optically hyperpolarized and has ~10 s Hahn echo coherence times, even at Earth's magnetic field and below.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Measuring electron spin flip-flops through nuclear spin echo decays

We use the nuclear spin coherence of $^{31}$P donors in $^{28}$Si to determine flip-flop rates of donor electron spins. Isotopically purified $^{28}$Si crystals minimize the number of $^{29}$Si flip-flops, and measurements at 1.7 K suppress electron spin relaxation. The crystals have donor concentrations ranging from $1.2\times10^{14}$ to $3.3\times10^{15}~\text{P/cm}^3$, allowing us to detect how electron flip-flop rates change with donor density. We also simulate how electron spin flip-flops can cause nuclear spin decoherence. We find that when these flip-flops are the primary cause of decoherence, Hahn echo decays have a stretched exponential form. For our two higher donor density crystals ($> 10^{15}~\text{P/cm}^3$), there is excellent agreement between simulations and experiments. In lower density crystals ($< 10^{15}~\text{P/cm}^3$), there is no longer agreement between simulations and experiments, suggesting a different, unknown mechanism is limiting nuclear spin coherence. The nuclear spin coherence in the lowest density crystal ($1.2 \times 10^{14}~\text{P/cm}^3$) allows us to place upper bounds on the magnitude of noise sources in bulk crystals such as electric field fluctuations that may degrade silicon quantum devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Electron nuclear double resonance with donor-bound excitons in silicon

We present Auger-electron-detected magnetic resonance (AEDMR) experiments on phosphorus donors in silicon, where the selective optical generation of donor-bound excitons is used for the electrical detection of the electron spin state. Because of the long dephasing times of the electron spins in isotopically purified $^{28}$Si, weak microwave fields are sufficient, which allow to realize broadband AEDMR in a commercial ESR resonator. Implementing Auger-electron-detected ENDOR, we further demonstrate the optically-assisted control of the nuclear spin under conditions where the hyperfine splitting is not resolved in the optical spectrum. Compared to previous studies, this significantly relaxes the requirements on the sample and the experimental setup, e.g. with respect to strain, isotopic purity and temperature. We show AEDMR of phosphorus donors in silicon with natural isotope composition, and discuss the feasibility of ENDOR measurements also in this system.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

A photonic platform for donor spin qubits in silicon

Donor impurity spins in silicon-28 are highly competitive qubits for upcoming solid-state quantum technologies, yet a proven scalable strategy for multi-qubit devices remains conspicuously absent. These CMOS-compatible, atomically identical qubits offer significant advantages including 3-hour coherence ($T_2$) lifetimes, as well as simultaneous qubit initialization, manipulation and readout fidelities near $\sim\!99.9\%$. These properties meet the requirements for many modern quantum error correction protocols, which are essential for constructing large-scale universal quantum technologies. However, a method of reliably coupling spatially-separated qubits, which crucially does not sacrifice qubit quality and is robust to manufacturing imperfections, has yet to be identified. Here we present such a platform for donor qubits in silicon, by exploiting optically-accessible `deep' chalcogen donors. We show that these donors emit highly uniform light, can be optically initialized, and offer long-lived spin qubit ground states without requiring milliKelvin temperatures. These combined properties make chalcogen donors uniquely suitable for incorporation into silicon photonic architectures for single-shot single-qubit readout as well as for multi-qubit coupling. This unlocks clear pathways for silicon-based quantum computing, spin to photon conversion, photonic memories, silicon-integrated triggered single photon sources and all-optical silicon switches.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Spin relaxation and donor-acceptor recombination of Se$^+$ in 28-silicon

Selenium impurities in silicon are deep double donors and their optical and electronic properties have been recently investigated due to their application for infrared detection. However, a singly-ionised selenium donor (Se$^{+}$) possesses an electron spin which makes it a potential candidate as a silicon-based spin qubit, with significant potential advantages compared to the more commonly studied group V donors. Here we study the electron spin relaxation ($T_1$) and coherence ($T_2$) times of Se$^{+}$ in isotopically purified 28-silicon, and find them to be up to two orders of magnitude longer than shallow group V donors at temperatures above $\sim 15$ K. We further study the dynamics of donor-acceptor recombination between selenium and boron, demonstrating that it is possible to control the donor charge state through optical excitation of neutral Se$^0$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Conditional control of donor nuclear spins in silicon using Stark shifts

Electric fields can be used to tune donor spins in silicon using the Stark shift, whereby the donor electron wave function is displaced by an electric field, modifying the hyperfine coupling between the electron spin and the donor nuclear spin. We present a technique based on dynamic decoupling of the electron spin to accurately determine the Stark shift, and illustrate this using antimony donors in isotopically purified silicon-28. We then demonstrate two different methods to use a DC electric field combined with an applied resonant radio-frequency (RF) field to conditionally control donor nuclear spins. The first method combines an electric-field induced conditional phase gate with standard RF pulses, and the second one simply detunes the spins off-resonance. Finally, we consider different strategies to reduce the effect of electric field inhomogeneities and obtain above 90% process fidelities.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2014

Fast, low-power manipulation of spin ensembles in superconducting microresonators

We demonstrate the use of high-Q superconducting coplanar waveguide (CPW) microresonators to perform rapid manipulations on a randomly distributed spin ensemble using very low microwave power (400 nW). This power is compatible with dilution refrigerators, making microwave manipulation of spin ensembles feasible for quantum computing applications. We also describe the use of adiabatic microwave pulses to overcome microwave magnetic field ($B_{1}$) inhomogeneities inherent to CPW resonators. This allows for uniform control over a randomly distributed spin ensemble. Sensitivity data are reported showing a single shot (no signal averaging) sensitivity to $10^{7}$ spins or $3 \times 10^{4}$ spins/$\sqrt{Hz}$ with averaging.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Atomic clock transitions in silicon-based spin qubits

A major challenge in using spins in the solid state for quantum technologies is protecting them from sources of decoherence. This can be addressed, to varying degrees, by improving material purity or isotopic composition for example, or active error correction methods such as dynamic decoupling, or even combinations of the two. However, a powerful method applied to trapped ions in the context of frequency standards and atomic clocks, is the use of particular spin transitions which are inherently robust to external perturbations. Here we show that such `clock transitions' (CTs) can be observed for electron spins in the solid state, in particular using bismuth donors in silicon. This leads to dramatic enhancements in the electron spin coherence time, exceeding seconds. We find that electron spin qubits based on CTs become less sensitive to the local magnetic environment, including the presence of 29Si nuclear spins as found in natural silicon. We expect the use of such CTs will be of additional importance for donor spins in future devices, mitigating the effects of magnetic or electric field noise arising from nearby interfaces.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Geometric Phase Gates with Adiabatic Control in Electron Spin Resonance

High-fidelity quantum operations are a key requirement for fault-tolerant quantum information processing. In electron spin resonance, manipulation of the quantum spin is usually achieved with time-dependent microwave fields. In contrast to the conventional dynamic approach, adiabatic geometric phase operations are expected to be less sensitive to certain kinds of noise and field inhomogeneities. Here, we investigate such phase gates applied to electron spins both through simulations and experiments, showing that the adiabatic geometric phase gate is indeed inherently robust against inhomogeneity in the applied microwave field strength. While only little advantage is offered over error-correcting composite pulses for modest inhomogeneities <=10%, the adiabatic approach reveals its potential for situations where field inhomogeneities are unavoidably large.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Decoherence mechanisms of 209Bi donor electron spins in isotopically pure 28Si

Bismuth (209Bi) is the deepest Group V donor in silicon and possesses the most extreme characteristics such as a 9/2 nuclear spin and a 1.5 GHz hyperfine coupling. These lead to several potential advantages for a Si:Bi donor electron spin qubit compared to the more common phosphorus donor. Previous studies on Si:Bi have been performed using natural silicon where linewidths and electron spin coherence times are limited by the presence of 29Si impurities. Here we describe electron spin resonance (ESR) and electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) studies on 209Bi in isotopically pure 28Si. ESR and ENDOR linewidths, transition probabilities and coherence times are understood in terms of the spin Hamiltonian parameters showing a dependence on field and mI of the 209Bi nuclear spin. We explore various decoherence mechanisms applicable to the donor electron spin, measuring coherence times up to 700 ms at 1.7 K at X-band, comparable with 28Si:P. The coherence times we measure follow closely the calculated field-sensitivity of the transition frequency, providing a strong motivation to explore 'clock' transitions where coherence lifetimes could be further enhanced.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Electron spin coherence exceeding seconds in high purity silicon

Silicon is undoubtedly one of the most promising semiconductor materials for spin-based information processing devices. Its highly advanced fabrication technology facilitates the transition from individual devices to large-scale processors, and the availability of an isotopically-purified $^{28}$Si form with no magnetic nuclei overcomes what is a main source of spin decoherence in many other materials. Nevertheless, the coherence lifetimes of electron spins in the solid state have typically remained several orders of magnitude lower than what can be achieved in isolated high-vacuum systems such as trapped ions. Here we examine electron spin coherence of donors in very pure $^{28}$Si material, with a residual $^{29}$Si concentration of less than 50 ppm and donor densities of $10^{14-15}$ per cm$^3$. We elucidate three separate mechanisms for spin decoherence, active at different temperatures, and extract a coherence lifetime $T_2$ up to 2 seconds. In this regime, we find the electron spin is sensitive to interactions with other donor electron spins separated by ~200 nm. We apply a magnetic field gradient in order to suppress such interactions and obtain an extrapolated electron spin $T_2$ of 10 seconds at 1.8 K. These coherence lifetimes are without peer in the solid state by several orders of magnitude and comparable with high-vacuum qubits, making electron spins of donors in silicon ideal components of a quantum computer, or quantum memories for systems such as superconducting qubits.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Violation of a Leggett-Garg inequality with ideal non-invasive measurements

The quantum superposition principle states that an entity can exist in two different states simultaneously, counter to our 'classical' intuition. Is it possible to understand a given system's behaviour without such a concept? A test designed by Leggett and Garg can rule out this possibility. The test, originally intended for macroscopic objects, has been implemented in various systems. However to-date no experiment has employed the 'ideal negative result' measurements that are required for the most robust test. Here we introduce a general protocol for these special measurements using an ancillary system which acts as a local measuring device but which need not be perfectly prepared. We report an experimental realisation using spin-bearing phosphorus impurities in silicon. The results demonstrate the necessity of a non-classical picture for this class of microscopic system. Our procedure can be applied to systems of any size, whether individually controlled or in a spatial ensemble.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Optimal Binary Search Trees with Near Minimal Height

Suppose we have n keys, n access probabilities for the keys, and n+1 access probabilities for the gaps between the keys. Let h_min(n) be the minimal height of a binary search tree for n keys. We consider the problem to construct an optimal binary search tree with near minimal height, i.e.\ with height h <= h_min(n) + Delta for some fixed Delta. It is shown, that for any fixed Delta optimal binary search trees with near minimal height can be constructed in time O(n^2). This is as fast as in the unrestricted case. So far, the best known algorithms for the construction of height-restricted optimal binary search trees have running time O(L n^2), whereby L is the maximal permitted height. Compared to these algorithms our algorithm is at least faster by a factor of log n, because L is lower bounded by log n.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2010

Entanglement in a Solid State Spin Ensemble

Entanglement is the quintessential quantum phenomenon and a necessary ingredient in most emerging quantum technologies, including quantum repeaters, quantum information processing (QIP) and the strongest forms of quantum cryptography. Spin ensembles, such as those in liquid state nuclear magnetic resonance, have been powerful in the development of quantum control methods, however, these demonstrations contained no entanglement and ultimately constitute classical simulations of quantum algorithms. Here we report the on-demand generation of entanglement between an ensemble of electron and nuclear spins in isotopically engineered phosphorus-doped silicon. We combined high field/low temperature electron spin resonance (3.4 T, 2.9 K) with hyperpolarisation of the 31P nuclear spin to obtain an initial state of sufficient purity to create a non-classical, inseparable state. The state was verified using density matrix tomography based on geometric phase gates, and had a fidelity of 98% compared with the ideal state at this field and temperature. The entanglement operation was performed simultaneously, with high fidelity, to 10^10 spin pairs, and represents an essential requirement of a silicon-based quantum information processor.

quant-ph↗