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Strong tunable spin-spin interaction in a weakly coupled nitrogen vacancy spin-cavity electromechanical system

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2021-05-12
JournalPhysical review. B./Physical review. B
AuthorsWei Xiong, Jiaojiao Chen, Bao‐Long Fang, Mingfeng Wang, Liu Ye
InstitutionsHefei University, Wenzhou University
Citations28
AnalysisFull AI Review Included

Technical Documentation & Analysis: Strong Tunable Spin-Spin Interaction in NV-Diamond Systems

Section titled “Technical Documentation & Analysis: Strong Tunable Spin-Spin Interaction in NV-Diamond Systems”

This documentation analyzes the research paper “Strong Tunable Spin-Spin Interaction in a Weakly Coupled Nitrogen Vacancy Spin-Cavity Electromechanical System” and aligns its requirements with 6CCVD’s advanced MPCVD diamond capabilities, focusing on providing materials and services necessary for replication and extension of this quantum information processing breakthrough.


  • Core Achievement: Demonstrated a method to achieve effective strong spin-spin coupling between two single Nitrogen Vacancy (NV) centers in diamond, even when they are only weakly coupled to an electromechanical cavity.
  • Mechanism: The strong coupling is mediated by a low-frequency polariton (a hybrid mode of the cavity and mechanical resonator), whose coupling strength ($\lambda_+$) is enhanced by three orders of magnitude near a critical point ($G_c$) of the linearized electromechanical subsystem.
  • Material Requirement: The system relies fundamentally on high-quality Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) hosting NV centers with long spin coherence times ($T_2$).
  • Quantum Gate Implementation: The enhanced coupling enables coherent quantum-information exchange, successfully simulating a robust iSWAP gate with high fidelity, resilient against typical cavity and mechanical dissipation at cryogenic temperatures ($\sim 20$ mK).
  • Feasibility: The proposed system uses experimentally accessible parameters, including NV placement within $\sim 30$ nm of an on-chip conductor, a requirement 6CCVD supports through custom SCD substrates and advanced nanofabrication preparation.

The following hard data points were extracted from the research paper, highlighting the critical physical and operational parameters of the hybrid quantum system.

ParameterValueUnitContext
NV Zero-Field Splitting (D)$\approx 2.87$GHzTriplet ground state S=1
Weak Spin-Cavity Coupling ($\lambda$)$2\pi \times 7$KHzEstimated for NV proximity $d=50$ nm
Enhanced Spin-Polariton Coupling ($\lambda_+$)$2\pi \times 3.5$MHzAchieved strong coupling regime
Coupling Enhancement Factor ($\lambda_+ / \lambda$)$0.5 \times 10^3$N/AThree orders of magnitude enhancement
Cavity Quality Factor (Q)$3 \times 10^4$N/ATypical gigahertz cavity
Desired Cavity Quality Factor (Q)$10^5$N/AFeasible for higher fidelity
Cavity Decay Rate ($\kappa$)1MHzUsed in iSWAP simulation
NV Transversal Relaxation ($\gamma_{\perp}$)1KHzUsed in iSWAP simulation
Effective Spin-Spin Coupling ($g_{eff}$)$2\pi \times 350$KHzUsed for iSWAP gate simulation
Operating Temperature (Simulated)$\sim 20$mKNonzero thermal occupation ($n_{th} \approx 0.01$)
Nanofabrication Proximity (d)$\sim 30$nmRequired placement of NV spin near on-chip conductor

The experiment relies on precise material integration and critical point tuning to manipulate quantum coupling strengths.

  1. Hybrid System Setup: A single NV center in a diamond substrate is positioned in close proximity ($d \sim 30$ nm to $50$ nm) to the central conductor of a coplanar-waveguide (CPW) resonator, which acts as the on-chip cavity.
  2. Qubit Definition: The $m_s = 0$ and $m_s = -1$ sublevels of the NV triplet ground state ($S=1$) are utilized as the two-level quantum system (qubit).
  3. Electromechanical Linearization: A strong microwave driving field is applied to the cavity, linearizing the electromechanical subsystem and generating two hybrid modes: high-frequency ($\omega_+$) and low-frequency ($\omega_{-}$) polaritons.
  4. Critical Point Tuning: The linearized electromechanical coupling strength ($G$) is precisely tuned via the driving field until it reaches the critical value ($G_c = 1/2 \sqrt{\Delta_a \omega_m}$), causing the low-frequency polariton mode to vanish ($\omega_{-} \rightarrow 0$).
  5. Coupling Enhancement: Operating near $G_c$ results in the total suppression of coupling between the NV spin and the high-frequency polariton, while the coupling to the low-frequency polariton ($\lambda_+$) is enhanced by three orders of magnitude.
  6. Quantum Information Exchange: The low-frequency polariton serves as a robust quantum bus, enabling the realization of strong, polariton-mediated spin-spin coupling ($g_{eff}$) between two separated NV centers for coherent quantum gate operations (iSWAP).

6CCVD provides the foundational MPCVD diamond materials and precision engineering services required to replicate and advance this critical research in hybrid quantum systems.

Research Requirement6CCVD Solution & CapabilityTechnical Advantage
High Coherence NV QubitsOptical Grade Single Crystal Diamond (SCD)Our SCD material offers ultra-low defect density and minimal strain, essential for achieving the long spin coherence times ($T_2$) necessary for high-fidelity quantum gates (iSWAP fidelity $\sim 99.9%$ simulated).
Custom Substrate DimensionsSCD Plates (0.1 ”m to 500 ”m thickness)We supply custom-sized SCD wafers and plates, providing the ideal platform for integrating the NV centers with the on-chip CPW resonators and mechanical elements.
Nanofabrication ReadinessUltra-Smooth Polishing (Ra < 1 nm)SCD surfaces are polished to an atomic level (Ra < 1 nm), crucial for subsequent high-resolution nanofabrication steps (e.g., etching, implantation) required to place NV centers within the required $30$ nm proximity to the conductor.
On-Chip Circuit IntegrationCustom Metalization ServicesWe offer in-house metal deposition capabilities (Au, Pt, Pd, Ti, W, Cu) necessary for fabricating the high-Q coplanar waveguide resonators and microwave antennas used to drive and couple the system components.
Scalability and Large Area SystemsPolycrystalline Diamond (PCD) up to 125 mmFor future scalable quantum networks requiring multiple spins and complex circuits, 6CCVD provides large-area PCD substrates up to 125 mm in diameter, polished to Ra < 5 nm for inch-size wafers.
Cryogenic CompatibilityAll Materials Certified for Cryogenic UseOur MPCVD diamond materials maintain superior thermal and mechanical stability, ensuring reliable performance at the required millikelvin operating temperatures ($T \sim 20$ mK).

6CCVD’s in-house PhD team specializes in diamond material science and quantum applications. We offer comprehensive engineering consultation to assist researchers in selecting the optimal SCD grade, controlling nitrogen incorporation for NV creation, and designing substrates compatible with advanced electromechanical integration for similar polariton-mediated quantum information processing projects.

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

View Original Abstract

The long coherence time of a single nitrogen vacancy (NV) center spin in\ndiamond is a crucial advantage for implementing quantum information processing.\nHowever, the realization of strong coupling between single NV spins is\nchallenging. Here we propose a method to greatly enchance the interaction\nbetween two single NV spins in diamond which are only weakly coupled to an\nelectromechanical cavity. Owing to the presence of a critical point for the\nlinearized electromechanical subsystem, the coupling between a single NV spin\nand the high-frequency polariton (formed by the mechanical and cavity modes)\ncan be fully decoupled, but the coupling between the single NV spin and the\nlow-frequency polariton is however greatly enhanced. Thus, AC Stark shift of\nthe single NV spin can be measured. With the low-frequency polariton as a\nquantum bus, a strong coupling between two single NV centers is achievable.\nThis effective strong coupling can ensure coherent quantum-information exchange\nbetween two spin qubits in the weakly coupled spin-cavity elecromechanical\nsystem.\n