More Like this

1. Charge state-dependent symmetry breaking of atomic defects in transition metal dichalcogenides

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47039-4  

   Xiang, Feifei; Huberich, Lysander; Vargas, Preston_A; Torsi, Riccardo; Allerbeck, Jonas; Tan, Anne_Marie_Z; Dong, Chengye; Ruffieux, Pascal; Fasel, Roman; Gröning, Oliver; et al (March 2024, Nature Communications)

   Abstract The functionality of atomic quantum emitters is intrinsically linked to their host lattice coordination. Structural distortions that spontaneously break the lattice symmetry strongly impact their optical emission properties and spin-photon interface. Here we report on the direct imaging of charge state-dependent symmetry breaking of two prototypical atomic quantum emitters in mono- and bilayer MoS₂by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM). By changing the built-in substrate chemical potential, different charge states of sulfur vacancies (Vac_S) and substitutional rhenium dopants (Re_Mo) can be stabilized.$${\mathrm{Vac}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{S}}}}}}}}}^{-1}$$ ${\mathrm{Vac}}_S^{-1}$as well as$${{\mathrm{Re}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{Mo}}}}}}}}}^{0}$$ ${\mathrm{Re}}_{\mathrm{Mo}}^0$and$${\mathrm{Re}}_{{\rm{Mo}}}^{-1}$$ ${\mathrm{Re}}_{\mathrm{Mo}}^{-1}$exhibit local lattice distortions and symmetry-broken defect orbitals attributed to a Jahn-Teller effect (JTE) and pseudo-JTE, respectively. By mapping the electronic and geometric structure of single point defects, we disentangle the effects of spatial averaging, charge multistability, configurational dynamics, and external perturbations that often mask the presence of local symmetry breaking. 

   more » « less
2. Coherent dynamics of strongly interacting electronic spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39115-y  

   Gong, Ruotian; He, Guanghui; Gao, Xingyu; Ju, Peng; Liu, Zhongyuan; Ye, Bingtian; Henriksen, Erik A.; Li, Tongcang; Zu, Chong (June 2023, Nature Communications)

   Abstract Optically active spin defects in van der Waals materials are promising platforms for modern quantum technologies. Here we investigate the coherent dynamics of strongly interacting ensembles of negatively charged boron-vacancy ($${{{{{{{{\rm{V}}}}}}}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ $V_B^{-}$) centers in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) with varying defect density. By employing advanced dynamical decoupling sequences to selectively isolate different dephasing sources, we observe more than 5-fold improvement in the measured coherence times across all hBN samples. Crucially, we identify that the many-body interaction within the$${{{{{{{{\rm{V}}}}}}}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ $V_B^{-}$ensemble plays a substantial role in the coherent dynamics, which is then used to directly estimate the concentration of$${{{{{{{{\rm{V}}}}}}}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ $V_B^{-}$. We find that at high ion implantation dosage, only a small portion of the created boron vacancy defects are in the desired negatively charged state. Finally, we investigate the spin response of$${{{{{{{{\rm{V}}}}}}}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ $V_B^{-}$to the local charged defects induced electric field signals, and estimate its ground state transverse electric field susceptibility. Our results provide new insights on the spin and charge properties of$${{{{{{{{\rm{V}}}}}}}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ $V_B^{-}$, which are important for future use of defects in hBN as quantum sensors and simulators. 

   more » « less
3. Photophysics of O-band and transition metal color centers in monolithic silicon for quantum communications

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-01954-0  

   Sarihan, Murat_Can; Huang, Jiahui; Kang, Jin_Ho; Fan, Cody; Liu, Wei; Azizur-Rahman, Khalifa_M; Liang, Baolai; Wong, Chee_Wei (January 2025, Communications Physics)

   Abstract Color centers in the O-band (1260–1360 nm) are crucial for realizing long-coherence quantum network nodes in memory-assisted quantum communications. However, only a limited number of O-band color centers have been thoroughly explored in silicon hosts as spin-photon interfaces. This study explores and compares two promising O-band color centers in silicon for high-fidelity spin-photon interfaces: T and *Cu (transition metal) centers. During T center generation process, we observed the formation and dissolution of other color centers, including the copper-silver related centers with a doublet line around 1312 nm (*$${{{\rm{Cu}}}}_{n}^{0}$$ ${\mathrm{Cu}}_n^0$), near the optical fiber zero dispersion wavelength (around 1310 nm). We then investigated the photophysics of both T and *Cu centers, focusing on their emission spectra and spin properties. The *$${{{\rm{Cu}}}}_{0}^{0}$$ ${\mathrm{Cu}}_0^0$line under a 0.5 T magnetic field demonstrated a 25% broadening, potentially due to spin degeneracy, suggesting that this center can be a promising alternative to T centers. 

   more » « less
4. Isotope engineering for spin defects in van der Waals materials

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44494-3  

   Gong, Ruotian; Du, Xinyi; Janzen, Eli; Liu, Vincent; Liu, Zhongyuan; He, Guanghui; Ye, Bingtian; Li, Tongcang; Yao, Norman Y; Edgar, James H; et al (December 2024, Nature Communications)

   Abstract Spin defects in van der Waals materials offer a promising platform for advancing quantum technologies. Here, we propose and demonstrate a powerful technique based on isotope engineering of host materials to significantly enhance the coherence properties of embedded spin defects. Focusing on the recently-discovered negatively charged boron vacancy center ($${{{{{{{{\rm{V}}}}}}}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ $V_B^{-}$) in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), we grow isotopically purified h¹⁰B¹⁵N crystals. Compared to$${{{{{{{{\rm{V}}}}}}}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ $V_B^{-}$in hBN with the natural distribution of isotopes, we observe substantially narrower and less crowded$${{{{{{{{\rm{V}}}}}}}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ $V_B^{-}$spin transitions as well as extended coherence timeT₂and relaxation timeT₁. For quantum sensing,$${{{{{{{{\rm{V}}}}}}}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ $V_B^{-}$centers in our h¹⁰B¹⁵N samples exhibit a factor of 4 (2) enhancement in DC (AC) magnetic field sensitivity. For additional quantum resources, the individual addressability of the$${{{{{{{{\rm{V}}}}}}}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ $V_B^{-}$hyperfine levels enables the dynamical polarization and coherent control of the three nearest-neighbor¹⁵N nuclear spins. Our results demonstrate the power of isotope engineering for enhancing the properties of quantum spin defects in hBN, and can be readily extended to improving spin qubits in a broad family of van der Waals materials. 

   more » « less
5. Search for CP violation in $${{{\textrm{D}}}^{{0}}} \rightarrow {{\textrm{K}} _{\text {S}}^{{0}}} {{\textrm{K}} _{\text {S}}^{{0}}} $$ decays in proton–proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s} = 13\,\text {Te}\hspace{-.08em}\text {V} $$

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-024-13244-0  

   Hayrapetyan, A; Tumasyan, A; Adam, W; Andrejkovic, J W; Bergauer, T; Chatterjee, S; Damanakis, K; Dragicevic, M; Hussain, P S; Jeitler, M; et al (December 2024, The European Physical Journal C)

   Abstract A search is reported for charge-parity$$CP$$ $\mathrm{CP}$violation in$${{{\textrm{D}}}^{{0}}} \rightarrow {{\textrm{K}} _{\text {S}}^{{0}}} {{\textrm{K}} _{\text {S}}^{{0}}} $$ ${\text{D}}^0\to {\text{K}}_{\text{S}}^0{\text{K}}_{\text{S}}^0$decays, using data collected in proton–proton collisions at$$\sqrt{s} = 13\,\text {Te}\hspace{-.08em}\text {V} $$ $\sqrt{s}=13\text{Te}\text{V}$recorded by the CMS experiment in 2018. The analysis uses a dedicated data set that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 41.6$$\,\text {fb}^{-1}$$ ${\text{fb}}^{-1}$, which consists of about 10 billion events containing a pair of b hadrons, nearly all of which decay to charm hadrons. The flavor of the neutral D meson is determined by the pion charge in the reconstructed decays$${{{\textrm{D}}}^{{*+}}} \rightarrow {{{\textrm{D}}}^{{0}}} {{{\mathrm{\uppi }}}^{{+}}} $$ $\text{D}_{}^{\ast +}\to {\text{D}}^0{\pi }^{+}$and$${{{\textrm{D}}}^{{*-}}} \rightarrow {\overline{{\textrm{D}}}^{{0}}} {{{\mathrm{\uppi }}}^{{-}}} $$ $\text{D}_{}^{\ast -}\to {\overline{\text{D}}}^0{\pi }^{-}$. The$$CP$$ $\mathrm{CP}$asymmetry in$${{{\textrm{D}}}^{{0}}} \rightarrow {{\textrm{K}} _{\text {S}}^{{0}}} {{\textrm{K}} _{\text {S}}^{{0}}} $$ ${\text{D}}^0\to {\text{K}}_{\text{S}}^0{\text{K}}_{\text{S}}^0$is measured to be$$A_{CP} ({{\textrm{K}} _{\text {S}}^{{0}}} {{\textrm{K}} _{\text {S}}^{{0}}} ) = (6.2 \pm 3.0 \pm 0.2 \pm 0.8)\%$$ $A_{\mathrm{CP}}\left({\text{K}}_{\text{S}}^0{\text{K}}_{\text{S}}^0\right)=(6.2\pm 3.0\pm 0.2\pm 0.8)\%$, where the three uncertainties represent the statistical uncertainty, the systematic uncertainty, and the uncertainty in the measurement of the$$CP$$ $\mathrm{CP}$asymmetry in the$${{{\textrm{D}}}^{{0}}} \rightarrow {{\textrm{K}} _{\text {S}}^{{0}}} {{{\mathrm{\uppi }}}^{{+}}} {{{\mathrm{\uppi }}}^{{-}}} $$ ${\text{D}}^0\to {\text{K}}_{\text{S}}^0{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}$decay. This is the first$$CP$$ $\mathrm{CP}$asymmetry measurement by CMS in the charm sector as well as the first to utilize a fully hadronic final state. 

   more » « less