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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)

   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.

    

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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)

   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.

    

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3. 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)

   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.

    

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4. Measurement of the e+e− → $$ {B}_s^0{\overline{B}}_s^0X $$ cross section in the energy range from 10.63 to 11.02 GeV using inclusive $$ {D}_s^{+} $$ and D0 production

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2023)131  

   Zhukova, V ; Mizuk, R ; Adachi, I ; Aihara, H ; Al_Said, S ; Asner, D M ; Atmacan, H ; Aulchenko, V ; Aushev, T ; Ayad, R ; et al ( August 2023 , Journal of High Energy Physics)

   We report the first measurement of the inclusivee⁺e⁻→$$ b\overline{b} $$$b\overline{b}$→$$ {D}_s^{\pm } $$$D_s^{\pm }$Xande⁺e⁻→$$ b\overline{b} $$$b\overline{b}$→ D⁰/$$ {\overline{D}}^0 $$${\overline{D}}^0$Xcross sections in the energy range from 10.63 to 11.02 GeV. Based on these results, we determineσ(e⁺e⁻→$$ {B}_s^0{\overline{B}}_s^0 $$$B_s^0{\overline{B}}_s^0$X) andσ(e⁺e⁻→$$ B\overline{B} $$$B\overline{B}$X) in the same energy range. We measure the fraction of$$ {B}_s^0 $$$B_s^0$events at Υ(10860) to bef_s= ($$ {22.0}_{-2.1}^{+2.0} $$${22.0}_{-2.1}^{+2.0}$)%. We determine also the ratio of the$$ {B}_s^0 $$$B_s^0$inclusive branching fractions$$ \mathcal{B} $$$B$($$ {B}_s^0 $$$B_s^0$→ D⁰/$$ {\overline{D}}^0 $$${\overline{D}}^0$X)/$$ \mathcal{B} $$$B$($$ {B}_s^0 $$$B_s^0$→$$ {D}_s^{\pm } $$$D_s^{\pm }$X) = 0.416 ± 0.018 ± 0.092. The results are obtained using the data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energye⁺e⁻collider.

    

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5. Photo-response of the $$N=Z$$ nucleus $$^{24}$$Mg

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-023-01111-7  

   Deary, J ; Scheck, M ; Schwengner, R ; O’Donnell, D ; Bemmerer, D ; Beyer, R ; Hensel, Th ; Junghans, A R ; Kögler, T ; Müller, S E ; et al ( September 2023 , The European Physical Journal A)

   The electricE1 and magneticM1 dipole responses of the$$N=Z$$$N=Z$nucleus$$^{24}$$${}^{24}$Mg were investigated in an inelastic photon scattering experiment. The 13.0 MeV electrons, which were used to produce the unpolarised bremsstrahlung in the entrance channel of the$$^{24}$$${}^{24}$Mg($$\gamma ,\gamma ^{\prime }$$$\gamma ,{\gamma }^{\prime }$) reaction, were delivered by the ELBE accelerator of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf. The collimated bremsstrahlung photons excited one$$J^{\pi }=1^-$$$J^{\pi }=1^{-}$, four$$J^{\pi }=1^+$$$J^{\pi }=1^{+}$, and six$$J^{\pi }=2^+$$$J^{\pi }=2^{+}$states in$$^{24}$$${}^{24}$Mg. De-excitation$$\gamma $$$\gamma$rays were detected using the four high-purity germanium detectors of the$$\gamma $$$\gamma$ELBE setup, which is dedicated to nuclear resonance fluorescence experiments. In the energy region up to 13.0 MeV a total$$B(M1)\uparrow = 2.7(3)~\mu _N^2$$$B\left(M1\right)\uparrow =2.7\left(3\right){\mu }_N^2$is observed, but this$$N=Z$$$N=Z$nucleus exhibits only marginalE1 strength of less than$$\sum B(E1)\uparrow \le 0.61 \times 10^{-3}$$$\sum B\left(E1\right)\uparrow \le 0.61\times {10}^{-3}$ e$$^2 \, $$${}^2$fm$$^2$$${}^2$. The$$B(\varPi 1, 1^{\pi }_i \rightarrow 2^+_1)/B(\varPi 1, 1^{\pi }_i \rightarrow 0^+_{gs})$$$B(\Pi 1,1_i^{\pi }\to 2_1^{+})/B(\Pi 1,1_i^{\pi }\to 0_{\mathrm{gs}}^{+})$branching ratios in combination with the expected results from the Alaga rules demonstrate thatKis a good approximative quantum number for$$^{24}$$${}^{24}$Mg. The use of the known$$\rho ^2(E0, 0^+_2 \rightarrow 0^+_{gs})$$${\rho }^2(E0,0_2^{+}\to 0_{\mathrm{gs}}^{+})$strength and the measured$$B(M1, 1^+ \rightarrow 0^+_2)/B(M1, 1^+ \rightarrow 0^+_{gs})$$$B(M1,1^{+}\to 0_2^{+})/B(M1,1^{+}\to 0_{\mathrm{gs}}^{+})$branching ratio of the 10.712 MeV$$1^+$$$1^{+}$level allows, in a two-state mixing model, an extraction of the difference$$\varDelta \beta _2^2$$$\Delta {\beta }_2^2$between the prolate ground-state structure and shape-coexisting superdeformed structure built upon the 6432-keV$$0^+_2$$$0_2^{+}$level.

    

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