Collaborative Research: Light-Matter Quantum Interface with Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in Diamond

该计划探索在一个独特的系统中单光子，单电子自旋和单核自旋水平的量子控制，该系统具有光子和电子自旋之间以及电子自旋和附近的核自旋之间的强相干耦合。实验研究将在腔QED系统中进行，其中金刚石纳米柱中带负电荷的氮空位（NV）中心与二氧化硅微谐振器中的回音壁模式（WGM）强烈耦合。拟议的研究涉及俄勒冈州大学和匹兹堡大学的小组之间的密切合作，并建立在这两个小组在发展NV中心的腔QED系统和实现单个电子和核自旋的量子控制方面的最新进展，特别是NV中心的电子自旋和金刚石晶格中的近端碳-13核自旋之间的量子态映射。所提出的研究的主要技术挑战预计将是一个良好控制的强耦合腔QED系统的发展，NV激发态能级结构的精细控制在纳米柱中的暗态绝热演化，以及电子和核自旋的有效读出。更广泛的影响：在固态系统中结合对单个光子、电子自旋和核自旋的量子控制，可以开发新的技术能力，创建新的模型系统，并为量子信息科学的新兴领域开辟新的可能性。具有电子和核自旋的光-物质界面可以为单光子提供强大的量子存储器，也可以显着提高我们控制遥远和隔离良好的核自旋之间的相干耦合的能力。在固态环境中，遥远的核自旋或遥远的电子-核自旋对的纠缠为科学界提供了一个很好的模型系统来探索量子纠缠和纠错的基本问题。这些问题是量子信息领域以及我们对量子世界的理解的核心。有了固态光物质接口和长寿命的量子存储器，就有可能探索复杂的量子网络，可以在遥远的量子节点之间分发和传输量子信息。该研究计划还通过在科学和技术重要性领域为研究生和本科生提供培训，为教育和人力资源做出了重要贡献。这项培训将为学生在学术界，工业界和政府的职业生涯做好准备。

This program explores quantum control at the level of single photon, single electron spin, and single nuclear spin in a unique system that features strong coherent coupling between a photon and an electron spin and between an electron spin and a nearby nuclear spin. The experimental studies will be carried out in a cavity QED system, in which a negatively charged nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in a diamond nanopillar couples strongly to a whispering gallery mode (WGM) in a silica microresonator. Proposed research involves close collaborations between the groups at the University of Oregon and the University of Pittsburg, and builds upon recent advances of these two groups in developing a cavity QED system for NV centers and in realizing quantum control of individual electron and nuclear spins, especially quantum state mapping between an electron spin in a NV center and a proximal carbon-13 nuclear spin in the diamond lattice. The primary technical challenges of the proposed research are anticipated to be the development of a well-controlled strong-coupling cavity QED system, the exquisite control of NV excited-state level structures in a nanopillar for dark-state adiabatic evolution, and the efficient readout of electron and nuclear spins. Broader Impact: Combining quantum control of individual photons, electron spins, and nuclear spins in a solid-state system develops new technical capabilities, creates new model systems, and opens up new possibilities for the emerging field of quantum information science. A light-matter interface with electron and nuclear spins can enable a robust quantum memory for single photons and can also significantly advance our ability to control the coherent coupling between distant and well-isolated nuclear spins. The entanglement of distant nuclear spins or distant electron-nuclear spin pairs in a solid-state environment provides the scientific community an excellent model system to explore fundamental issues of quantum entanglement and error correction. These issues are central to the field of quantum information as well as to our understanding of the quantum world. With a solid-state light-matter interface and with long-lived quantum memory, it might be possible to explore complex quantum networks that can distribute and transport quantum information between distant quantum nodes. The research program also makes important contributions to education and human resource by providing training for graduate and undergraduate students in areas of both scientific and technological importance. This training will prepare the students for careers in academia, industry, and government.