Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage in physics, chemistry, and beyond

At a Glance

Metadata	Details
Publication Date	2017-03-08
Journal	Reviews of Modern Physics
Authors	Nikolay V. Vitanov, Andon A. Rangelov, Bruce W. Shore, K. Bergmann
Institutions	Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Citations	796
Analysis	Full AI Review Included

STIRAP in Solid-State Quantum Systems: A 6CCVD Technical Analysis

This documentation analyzes the application of Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage (STIRAP) as detailed in the attached review, focusing specifically on its implementation within solid-state platforms, particularly diamond color centers, and connecting the material requirements to 6CCVD’s advanced MPCVD diamond capabilities.

Executive Summary

The comprehensive review highlights STIRAP as a robust and highly efficient methodology for coherent population transfer, crucial for advancing quantum technologies.

Core Value Proposition: STIRAP enables selective, lossless population transfer immune to spontaneous emission and robust against experimental variations (pulse timing, intensity).
Solid-State Relevance: The technique is successfully applied to solid-state platforms, notably Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers in Single Crystal Diamond (SCD), leveraging diamond’s long coherence times, even at room temperature.
Quantum Information Processing (QIP): STIRAP is essential for achieving the ultrahigh fidelity (errors typically below 10^-4) required for single- and two-qubit gates in diamond-based quantum registers.
Adiabatic Control: Successful STIRAP implementation requires precise control over pulse timing and shape, demanding high-quality materials and integrated microwave/optical components.
6CCVD Material Solution: Replication and extension of this research necessitate Electronic Grade Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) substrates, custom polished and metalized for integrated microwave control lines.

Technical Specifications

The following table summarizes key quantitative parameters and requirements extracted from the review, particularly those relevant to solid-state and high-fidelity applications.

Parameter	Value	Unit	Context
Required QIP Fidelity (Max Error)	10^-4	N/A	Threshold for scalable quantum information processing (p. 14)
NV Center Electronic Spin Splitting	150	MHz	Zeeman splitting of $m_s = \pm 1$ sublevels (p. 44)
NV Center Nuclear Spin Splitting	2.2	MHz	Hyperfine sublevels $m_n$ (p. 44)
Adiabatic Pulse Rise Time ($\tau_{rise}$)	1.2	µs	Required for adiabatic evolution in NV centers (p. 44)
Non-Adiabatic Pulse Rise Time ($\tau_{rise}$)	20	ns	Leads to detrimental Rabi oscillations (non-adiabatic) (p. 44)
Global Adiabatic Condition (Pulse Area A)	$\gg \pi/2$	N/A	Minimum requirement for efficient population transfer (p. 6)
Dressed Qubit Coherence Time	Seconds range	N/A	Achieved using half-STIRAP in trapped ions (p. 33)

Key Methodologies

The implementation of STIRAP in solid-state NV centers requires precise material engineering and control over optical and microwave fields. The core experimental steps for NV center STIRAP (as described on pages 43-44) are:

Platform Selection: Utilizing high-purity diamond substrates containing isolated Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers.
Initial State Preparation: Preparing the NV electronic spin in the $m_s = 0$ ground state, typically followed by a microwave $\pi$-pulse (MW1) to transfer population to the $m_s = -1$ hyperfine manifold.
STIRAP Pulse Sequence: Applying counterintuitive optical pulses ($\Omega_{\sigma+}$ and $\Omega_{\sigma-}$ at 637 nm) to couple the $m_s = -1$ initial state to the $m_s = +1$ target state via a highly detuned intermediate state ($A_2$ level).
Adiabatic Control: Ensuring the optical pulses have sufficiently slow rise times ($\tau_{rise} \approx 1.2 \mu s$) to maintain the system in the decoherence-free “dark state,” preventing transient population in the lossy intermediate state.
Target State Detection: Using a second microwave $\pi$-pulse (MW2) to map the final population of the $m_s = +1$ target state back to the $m_s = 0$ state, followed by fluorescence measurement.
Integrated Control: Utilizing metalized structures (e.g., microwave transmission lines) fabricated directly onto the diamond surface to deliver the necessary MW pulses for spin manipulation.

6CCVD Solutions & Capabilities

The successful implementation of STIRAP in solid-state quantum systems, particularly NV centers, relies fundamentally on the quality and customization of the diamond substrate. 6CCVD is uniquely positioned to supply the materials required to replicate and advance this research.

Applicable Materials

To achieve the long coherence times and high-fidelity control demonstrated in NV center STIRAP experiments, researchers require ultra-low defect density diamond.

Electronic Grade Single Crystal Diamond (SCD): Recommended for NV center research. 6CCVD provides SCD with extremely high purity, minimizing strain and defects that lead to decoherence, thereby maximizing the quantum coherence time necessary for high-fidelity STIRAP operations.
Custom Substrates: We offer SCD plates up to 500 µm thick and substrates up to 10 mm, allowing for robust integration into complex cryogenic or room-temperature quantum setups.

Customization Potential

The experimental methodologies described necessitate precise material preparation and integration of control electronics.

Requirement from Research	6CCVD Capability	Technical Advantage
High-Quality Optical Interface	Polishing: Ra < 1 nm (SCD)	Ensures minimal scattering loss and optimal coupling efficiency for the 637 nm optical P and S pulses.
Integrated Microwave Control	Custom Metalization: Au, Pt, Ti, W, Cu	Fabrication of on-chip microwave transmission lines (MW1, MW2) directly onto the SCD surface, critical for delivering the precise MW pulses used in spin state preparation and detection (p. 44).
Non-Standard Dimensions	Custom Dimensions: Plates/wafers up to 125 mm (PCD)	Provides flexibility for large-scale integration or specialized geometries required for magnetic field control (Zeeman splitting) or optical setups.
Precise Material Thickness	Thickness Control: SCD (0.1 µm - 500 µm)	Allows engineering of diamond membranes or thin layers optimized for NV creation and efficient heat dissipation.

Engineering Support

6CCVD’s in-house PhD team specializes in the growth and characterization of MPCVD diamond for advanced applications. We offer comprehensive engineering support for projects involving:

Material Selection: Assisting researchers in selecting the optimal diamond grade (e.g., low-strain SCD) and NV creation method (e.g., implantation, in-situ growth) for similar NV Center Quantum Information Processing (QIP) projects.
Design Optimization: Consulting on substrate geometry, polishing requirements, and metal stack design to maximize the efficiency of integrated optical and microwave control systems used in STIRAP protocols.

For custom specifications or material consultation, visit 6ccvd.com or contact our engineering team directly.

View Original Abstract

The technique of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP), which allows\nefficient and selective population transfer between quantum states without\nsuffering loss due to spontaneous emission, was introduced in 1990 (Gaubatz\n\emph{et al.}, J. Chem. Phys. \textbf{92}, 5363, 1990). Since then STIRAP has\nemerged as an enabling methodology with widespread successful applications in\nmany fields of physics, chemistry and beyond. This article reviews the many\napplications of STIRAP emphasizing the developments since 2000, the time when\nthe last major review on the topic was written (Vitanov \emph{et al.}, Adv. At.\nMol. Opt. Phys. \textbf{46}, 55, 2001). A brief introduction into the theory of\nSTIRAP and the early applications for population transfer within three-level\nsystems is followed by the discussion of several extensions to multi-level\nsystems, including multistate chains and tripod systems. The main emphasis is\non the wide range of applications in atomic and molecular physics (including\natom optics, cavity quantum electrodynamics, formation of ultracold molecules,\nprecision experiments, etc.), quantum information (including single- and\ntwo-qubit gates, entangled-state preparation, etc.), solid-state physics\n(including processes in doped crystals, nitrogen-vacancy centers,\nsuperconducting circuits, etc.), and even some applications in classical\nphysics (including waveguide optics, frequency conversion, polarization optics,\netc.). Promising new prospects for STIRAP are also presented (including\nprocesses in optomechanics, detection of parity violation in molecules,\nspectroscopy of core-nonpenetrating Rydberg states, and population transfer\nwith X-ray pulses).\n