In a significant stride towards advancing quantum technologies, a team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led by Qi-Cheng Hu and Guang-Can Guo, has developed a novel method for creating high-quality spin-active defects in silicon carbide (SiC). Their work, published in the journal Nature Communications, focuses on modified divacancies in the 4H polytype of SiC, which are highly attractive for quantum applications due to their enhanced charge stability and spin addressability at room temperature.
Silicon carbide is a promising material for the energy sector, particularly in high-power and high-frequency electronic devices, as well as in harsh-environment applications. The ability to engineer high-quality spin-active defects in SiC could lead to advancements in quantum sensing, quantum communication, and quantum computing, which could have practical applications in energy systems, such as improved monitoring and control of energy infrastructure.
The researchers demonstrated a controllable and efficient method for generating modified divacancy color centers in 4H-SiC via oxygen-ion implantation. This approach results in a high yield of single modified divacancies, which constitute above 90% of the total defect population. These defects exhibit superior optical properties and spin coherence compared to those created through conventional carbon- or nitrogen-ion implantation.
By optimizing the implantation dose and annealing temperature, the team achieved high-density ensembles of modified divacancies and observed clear Rabi-oscillation beating patterns associated with different orientations of basal-type defects. The researchers also characterized the zero-phonon lines of these modified divacancies and revealed a distinct temperature-dependent behavior in the spin-readout contrast.
This research establishes oxygen-ion implantation as a powerful and versatile approach to engineering high-quality spin-active defects in SiC. The findings provide key insights into the atomic configurations of modified divacancies in 4H-SiC and represent a significant advance toward scalable solid-state quantum technologies. For the energy sector, these developments could lead to more robust and efficient quantum sensors and devices, enhancing the monitoring and control of energy systems.
The research was published in Nature Communications, a highly respected peer-reviewed journal. The team’s work highlights the potential of SiC in quantum technologies and paves the way for further advancements in this field, with practical applications that could benefit various industries, including the energy sector.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.