Model-Based Optimization of Superconducting Qubit Readout.

Measurement is an essential component of quantum algorithms, and for superconducting qubits it is often the most error prone. Here, we demonstrate model-based readout optimization achieving low measurement errors while avoiding detrimental side effects. For simultaneous and midcircuit measurements across 17 qubits, we observe 1.5% error per qubit with a 500 ns end-to-end duration and minimal excess reset error from residual resonator photons. We also suppress measurement-induced state transitions achieving a leakage rate limited by natural heating. This technique can scale to hundreds of qubits and be used to enhance the performance of error-correcting codes and near-term applications.

Entanglement and control of single nuclear spins in isotopically engineered silicon carbide.

Nuclear spins in the solid state are both a cause of decoherence and a valuable resource for spin qubits. In this work, we demonstrate control of isolated 29Si nuclear spins in silicon carbide (SiC) to create an entangled state between an optically active divacancy spin and a strongly coupled nuclear register. We then show how isotopic engineering of SiC unlocks control of single weakly coupled nuclear spins and present an ab initio method to predict the optimal isotopic fraction that maximizes the number of usable nuclear memories. We bolster these results by reporting high-fidelity electron spin control (F = 99.984(1)%), alongside extended coherence times (Hahn-echo T2 = 2.3 ms, dynamical decoupling T2DD > 14.5 ms), and a >40-fold increase in Ramsey spin dephasing time (T2*) from isotopic purification. Overall, this work underlines the importance of controlling the nuclear environment in solid-state systems and links single photon emitters with nuclear registers in an industrially scalable material.

Purcell Enhancement of a Single Silicon Carbide Color Center with Coherent Spin Control.

Silicon carbide has recently been developed as a platform for optically addressable spin defects. In particular, the neutral divacancy in the 4H polytype displays an optically addressable spin-1 ground state and near-infrared optical emission. Here, we present the Purcell enhancement of a single neutral divacancy coupled to a photonic crystal cavity. We utilize a combination of nanolithographic techniques and a dopant-selective photoelectrochemical etch to produce suspended cavities with quality factors exceeding 5000. Subsequent coupling to a single divacancy leads to a Purcell factor of ∼50, which manifests as increased photoluminescence into the zero-phonon line and a shortened excited-state lifetime. Additionally, we measure coherent control of the divacancy ground-state spin inside the cavity nanostructure and demonstrate extended coherence through dynamical decoupling. This spin-cavity system represents an advance toward scalable long-distance entanglement protocols using silicon carbide that require the interference of indistinguishable photons from spatially separated single qubits.

Erratum: High-Fidelity Bidirectional Nuclear Qubit Initialization in SiC [Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 220503 (2016)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.220503.

High-Fidelity Bidirectional Nuclear Qubit Initialization in SiC.

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is an attractive method for initializing nuclear spins that are strongly coupled to optically active electron spins because it functions at room temperature and does not require strong magnetic fields. In this Letter, we theoretically demonstrate that DNP, with near-unity polarization efficiency, can be generally realized in weakly coupled electron spin-nuclear spin systems. Furthermore, we theoretically and experimentally show that the nuclear spin polarization can be reversed by magnetic field variations as small as 0.8 Gauss. This mechanism offers new avenues for DNP-based sensors and radio-frequency free control of nuclear qubits.

Universal coherence protection in a solid-state spin qubit.

Decoherence limits the physical realization of qubits, and its mitigation is critical for the development of quantum science and technology. We construct a robust qubit embedded in a decoherence-protected subspace, obtained by applying microwave dressing to a clock transition of the ground-state electron spin of a silicon carbide divacancy defect. The qubit is universally protected from magnetic, electric, and temperature fluctuations, which account for nearly all relevant decoherence channels in the solid state. This culminates in an increase of the qubit's inhomogeneous dephasing time by more than four orders of magnitude (to >22 milliseconds), while its Hahn-echo coherence time approaches 64 milliseconds. Requiring few key platform-independent components, this result suggests that substantial coherence improvements can be achieved in a wide selection of quantum architectures.

Electrical and optical control of single spins integrated in scalable semiconductor devices.

Spin defects in silicon carbide have the advantage of exceptional electron spin coherence combined with a near-infrared spin-photon interface, all in a material amenable to modern semiconductor fabrication. Leveraging these advantages, we integrated highly coherent single neutral divacancy spins in commercially available p-i-n structures and fabricated diodes to modulate the local electrical environment of the defects. These devices enable deterministic charge-state control and broad Stark-shift tuning exceeding 850 gigahertz. We show that charge depletion results in a narrowing of the optical linewidths by more than 50-fold, approaching the lifetime limit. These results demonstrate a method for mitigating the ubiquitous problem of spectral diffusion in solid-state emitters by engineering the electrical environment while using classical semiconductor devices to control scalable, spin-based quantum systems.

Electrically driven optical interferometry with spins in silicon carbide.

Interfacing solid-state defect electron spins to other quantum systems is an ongoing challenge. The ground-state spin's weak coupling to its environment not only bestows excellent coherence properties but also limits desired drive fields. The excited-state orbitals of these electrons, however, can exhibit stronger coupling to phononic and electric fields. Here, we demonstrate electrically driven coherent quantum interference in the optical transition of single, basally oriented divacancies in commercially available 4H silicon carbide. By applying microwave frequency electric fields, we coherently drive the divacancy's excited-state orbitals and induce Landau-Zener-Stückelberg interference fringes in the resonant optical absorption spectrum. In addition, we find remarkably coherent optical and spin subsystems enabled by the basal divacancy's symmetry. These properties establish divacancies as strong candidates for quantum communication and hybrid system applications, where simultaneous control over optical and spin degrees of freedom is paramount.

Quantum decoherence dynamics of divacancy spins in silicon carbide.

Long coherence times are key to the performance of quantum bits (qubits). Here, we experimentally and theoretically show that the Hahn-echo coherence time of electron spins associated with divacancy defects in 4H-SiC reaches 1.3 ms, one of the longest Hahn-echo coherence times of an electron spin in a naturally isotopic crystal. Using a first-principles microscopic quantum-bath model, we find that two factors determine the unusually robust coherence. First, in the presence of moderate magnetic fields (30 mT and above), the 29Si and 13C paramagnetic nuclear spin baths are decoupled. In addition, because SiC is a binary crystal, homo-nuclear spin pairs are both diluted and forbidden from forming strongly coupled, nearest-neighbour spin pairs. Longer neighbour distances result in fewer nuclear spin flip-flops, a less fluctuating intra-crystalline magnetic environment, and thus a longer coherence time. Our results point to polyatomic crystals as promising hosts for coherent qubits in the solid state.