Zhun Ge | Searcharxiv

arXiv2025

Room-temperature quantum entanglement in a van der Waals material

Entanglement is central to quantum science and technology. Atomic defects in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials offer exciting prospects for quantum sensing, with spatial resolution reaching 1 nm demonstrated using scanning probe techniques. However, entangling qubits in vdW materials remains elusive. Here we report room-temperature quantum entanglement between an optically addressable electron spin and a strongly coupled $^{13}$C nuclear spin in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). We extend the electron spin coherence to 38 $\mu$s with dynamical decoupling, and create maximally entangled Bell states with a fidelity up to 0.89. We further use the nuclear spin as a long-lived quantum memory to enhance AC magnetic field sensing via correlation spectroscopy. These results establish entangled spin qubits in hBN as a robust platform for advanced quantum technologies based on 2D materials.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Single nuclear spin detection and control in a van der Waals material

Optically active spin defects in solids are leading candidates for quantum sensing and quantum networking. Recently, single spin defects were discovered in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a layered van der Waals (vdW) material. Due to its two-dimensional structure, hBN allows spin defects to be positioned closer to target samples than in three-dimensional crystals, making it ideal for atomic-scale quantum sensing, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of single molecules. However, the chemical structures of these defects remain unknown, and detecting a single nuclear spin with an hBN spin defect has been elusive. In this study, we created single spin defects in hBN using $^{13}$C ion implantation and identified three distinct defect types based on hyperfine interactions. We observed both S=1 and S=1/2 spin states within a single hBN spin defect. We demonstrated atomic-scale NMR and coherent control of individual nuclear spins in a vdW material, with a $\pi$-gate fidelity up to 99.75% at room temperature. By comparing experimental results with density-functional theory calculations, we propose chemical structures for these spin defects. Our work advances the understanding of single spin defects in hBN and provides a pathway to enhance quantum sensing using hBN spin defects with nuclear spins as quantum memories.

quant-ph↗