Programmable quantum emitter formation in silicon.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38802357.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-48714-2 and PMC identifier 11130136.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Silicon-based quantum emitters are candidates for large-scale qubit integration due to their single-photon emission properties and potential for spin-photon interfaces with long spin coherence times. Here, we demonstrate local writing and erasing of selected light-emitting defects using femtosecond laser pulses in combination with hydrogen-based defect activation and passivation at a single center level. By choosing forming gas (N<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>) during thermal annealing of carbon-implanted silicon, we can select the formation of a series of hydrogen and carbon-related quantum emitters, including T and C<sub>i</sub> centers while passivating the more common G-centers. The C<sub>i</sub> center is a telecom S-band emitter with promising optical and spin properties that consists of a single interstitial carbon atom in the silicon lattice. Density functional theory calculations show that the C<sub>i</sub> center brightness is enhanced by several orders of magnitude in the presence of hydrogen. Fs-laser pulses locally affect the passivation or activation of quantum emitters with hydrogen for programmable formation of selected quantum emitters.