MRI: Instrument Development for Coherence and Quantum Control using NV Center Photon Emitters in Diamond Nanocrystals

技术总结：氮空位（NV）中心中电子自旋相干性的光激发目前正被探索用于构建量子信息处理的固态光学器件。这是可能的，因为钻石中NV色心的自旋相干时间长。能够解决单个色心和色心系综中孤立电子自旋的光学系统对于量子信息存储、纠缠产生和单光子非线性相互作用非常重要。在这个项目中，该团队计划开发一种仪器，将金刚石纳米晶体中的色心与激光激发相结合，以研究室温和低温（~ 70 K）下的量子现象。除了共焦光学系统之外，还将使用由锥形光纤耦合纳米晶体组成的子系统。这利用锥形光纤的波导特性来光学寻址色心系综。这两种仪器都将提供单光子探测和测量能力，用于进行量子测量。这些将用于探索量子信息存储/检索的纳米晶体的相干特性，以及单光子非线性相互作用。这些工具将广泛用于研究相关的教育和培训，为大量在特拉华州州立大学从事STEM研究的代表性不足的少数民族学生提供服务。这些仪器还将用于扩展物理预工程系本科生和研究生的先进物理，材料科学和量子光学实验室经验。 金刚石中的氮空位色心通常被认为是缺陷。激光激发结晶金刚石中氮空位中的电子自旋表现出量子现象。这有望构建用于量子信息处理和通信的固态器件。单氮空位缺陷可以很容易地形成在金刚石纳米晶体，而不是大块金刚石样品。在这个项目中，该团队计划开发能够将单个以及单个氮空位缺陷与激光激发相结合的仪器，以构建量子系统。这些仪器将配备单光子探测和测量能力，以进行量子测量。作为一个具体的目标，该团队将使用这些仪器作为一个完整的量子子系统来演示量子存储器。此外，这些工具将被广泛用于为特拉华州州立大学大量代表性不足的本科生和研究生少数民族学生提供研究培训和教育。该团队计划将仪器与光学研究生课程中的几个实验室课程相结合。这项工作将把联合收割机研究与涉及学生的广泛教育活动结合起来，并将对特拉华州的物理和光学相关教育产生重大影响。

Technical Summary: Optical excitation of electron spin coherence in nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers is currently being explored for building solid-state optical devices for quantum information processing. This is possible due to the long coherence time of spin in the NV color centers in diamond. Optical systems that can address isolated electron spins in individual color centers and color center ensembles are significantly important for quantum information storage, entanglement generation, and single photon nonlinear interaction. In this project, the team plans to develop an instrument that will interface color centers in diamond nanocrystals with laser excitations to study quantum phenomena both at room and low (~70K) temperatures. In addition to a confocal optical system, a subsystem consisting of tapered fiber-coupled nanocrystals will be used. This takes advantage of the wave guiding property of tapered fibers to optically address the color center ensemble. Both of these instruments will provide single photon detection and measurement capabilities for doing quantum measurements. These will be used to explore coherence properties of nanocrystals for quantum information storage/retrieval, and single photon nonlinear interactions. The instruments will be extensively used in research-related education and training for a large number of underrepresented minority students engaged in STEM research at Delaware State University. The instruments will also be used in extending advanced physics, material science and quantum optics laboratory experiences for undergraduate and graduate students in the Physics & Pre-Engineering department. Layman Summary: Nitrogen vacancy color centers in diamond are generally considered as defects. Laser excitation of electron spins in a nitrogen vacancy in crystalline diamond exhibits quantum phenomena. This is promising to build solid-state devices for quantum information processing and communication. Single nitrogen vacancy defects can easily be formed in diamond nanocrystals as opposed to a bulk diamond sample. In this project, the team plans to develop instruments that can interface a single as well as a collection of individual nitrogen vacancy defects with laser excitation to build quantum systems. These instruments will be equipped with single photon detection and measurement capabilities to perform quantum measurements. As a specific goal, the team will demonstrate a quantum memory using these instruments as an integral quantum subsystem. Additionally, the instruments will be extensively used to provide research training and education to a large number of underrepresented undergraduate and graduate minority students at Delaware State University. The team plans to incorporate the instruments with several laboratory sessions in graduate courses in Optics. The effort will combine research with broad educational activities involving students and will significantly impact physics and optics-related education at Delaware State.