RUI: Coherent Spectroscopy of Defects in Solids

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Nontechnical descriptionColor centers in diamond are defects that absorb and emit light in an otherwise transparent crystal. Besides contributing to the striking visual characteristics of gemstones like fancy colored diamonds, these centers—and related defects in other materials—offer great promise for use as hardware elements in quantum computers and networks. This project aims to characterize the properties of defects in solids using laser-based measurements. Outcomes of the project include the discovery of information about these materials that will be used to fabricate more effective quantum devices, thereby enhancing American international competitiveness in information technology. The PI’s research team comprises a diverse group of undergraduate researchers and master’s students who take on leading roles at every stage of the scientific process, developing workforce skills and analytical abilities that are well-suited to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st-century economy. Data from the project are used to facilitate classroom instruction and outreach efforts at the PI’s institution. Finally, the PI conducts additional outreach efforts with the local academic community, including community colleges, and with the public at large.Technical descriptionIn recent years, defects in solid-state materials have drawn attention because their relatively long electron excited-state lifetimes and coherence properties mark them as potentially useful in devices relevant to quantum information processing and quantum computation. This project is oriented toward understanding the coherent optical properties of defect states in solids using equilibrium and time-resolved spectroscopic tools, with a special emphasis on the construction and utilization of a novel interferometric measurement system for conducting collinear optical multidimensional coherent spectroscopy (MDCS). Material systems to be studied include Nd:YVO4, excitons and localized states in transition metal dichalcogenides, silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers in diamond, and silicon vacancy (VSi) centers in 4H-SiC. Scientific objectives include extracting defect-state single particle dephasing times, measuring interparticle interactions, developing an enhanced understanding of microscopic mechanisms leading to decoherence phenomena in solids, and discovering completely new types of defect state resonances.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.