Quantum optics and spin physics with solid-state defect centres

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The tiny magnetic moments of electrons or nuclei - spins - offer a physical system that can behave quantum mechanically over extraordinarily long timescales; in some cases they can exhibit coherent evolution for seconds, minutes, or even hours. If information is encoded into the state of such spins, their long-lived coherence can become a resource for future computing or cryptography systems whose computational power or information security is fundamentally based on the laws of quantum mechanics. At the same time, the quantum states of spins can be exquisitely sensitive probes of their surroundings, creating opportunities to study the nature of their local environment or measure external electromagnetic fields with high precision. To realize spin-based quantum devices, one must find ways to control spins, prepare and detect their states, and engineer interactions between them without sacrificing their coherent quantum character.