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Generation of genuine all-way entanglement in defect-nuclear spin systems through dynamical decoupling sequences

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2024-03-28
JournalQuantum
AuthorsEvangelia Takou, Edwin Barnes, Sophia E. Economou
InstitutionsVirginia Tech
Citations6
AnalysisFull AI Review Included

Technical Documentation & Analysis: High-Fidelity Multipartite Entanglement in Diamond

Section titled “Technical Documentation & Analysis: High-Fidelity Multipartite Entanglement in Diamond”

This document analyzes the research paper “Generation of genuine all-way entanglement in defect-nuclear spin systems through dynamical decoupling sequences” to provide technical specifications and highlight how 6CCVD’s advanced MPCVD diamond solutions enable and accelerate this critical quantum computing research.


This research demonstrates a robust theoretical framework for generating high-quality Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ)-like entangled states in solid-state defect platforms, specifically using Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers in diamond coupled to $^{13}$C nuclear spins.

  • High-Fidelity Entanglement: Protocols achieve genuine multipartite GHZ-like states involving up to $M=10$ qubits with maximal all-way correlations exceeding 95% and gate errors below 0.05%.
  • Optimized Gate Speed: The Multi-spin (single-shot) entanglement scheme significantly reduces gate duration, achieving GHZ$_{8}$-like states in less than 1 ms, offering a substantial advantage over conventional sequential methods.
  • M-Tangling Power Metric: A novel, computationally efficient metric ($\epsilon_{p,M}(U)$) is introduced to quantify and verify genuine multipartite entanglement, guiding the selection of optimal Dynamical Decoupling (DD) sequences.
  • Robustness to Errors: The protocols, particularly when combined with XY decoupling sequences (XY2), show high robustness against systematic and random electronic pulse control errors, crucial for real-world implementation.
  • Material Requirement: Success hinges on high-quality Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) substrates that provide long electronic coherence times ($T_2$) and a controlled nuclear spin environment ($^{13}$C).

The following hard data points were extracted from the analysis of the optimized entanglement protocols:

ParameterValueUnitContext
Maximum Entangled Qubits (M)10QubitsGHZ-like states prepared
Maximal All-Way Correlation> 0.95N/AM-tangling power saturation
Gate Error (Infidelity)< 0.05%Due to residual entanglement with unwanted nuclei
Gate Time (GHZ$_{10}$, Sequential)< 4msTotal sequence time constraint
Gate Time (GHZ$_{8}$, Multi-spin)< 1msSingle-shot operation duration
Electronic Dephasing Tolerance ($\theta^{-1}$)400”sPreserves M-tangling power > 90% (Sequential)
Pulse Error Tolerance (Systematic)2%XY2 sequence maintains high fidelity
Nuclear Spin Register27$^{13}$C SpinsBased on Taminiau et al. characterization
Qubit PlatformNV CenterN/AElectron spin coupled to nuclear spins in diamond

The research focuses on optimizing the control sequences used to generate entanglement between the electron spin (NV center) and the nuclear spin register ($^{13}$C).

  1. Dynamical Decoupling (DD) Sequences: Electron-nuclear spin entanglement is generated using DD sequences (e.g., CPMG: $t/4 - \pi - t/2 - \pi - t/4)^N$ or XY2) consisting of $\pi$-pulses applied to the electron spin, interleaved with free evolution periods ($t$).
  2. Selective Coupling: By tuning the interpulse spacing ($t$) to match specific nuclear spin resonance conditions, the electron spin is selectively coupled to target nuclear spins while decoupling from the remaining spin bath.
  3. Sequential Protocol: Requires $M-1$ consecutive entangling gates, where each gate selectively entangles one nuclear spin with the electron. This method requires longer total gate times.
  4. Multi-spin Protocol: Utilizes a single-shot operation to simultaneously entangle the electron with a subset of nuclei, drastically reducing gate count and total gate time.
  5. M-Tangling Power Optimization: The metric $\epsilon_{p,M}(U)$ is used to systematically determine the optimal DD sequences (unit time $t$ and iterations $N$) that maximize all-way correlations for the target GHZ state.
  6. Error Modeling: Non-unitary dynamics are modeled using Kraus operators to analyze the impact of electronic dephasing and pulse control errors on the entanglement quality.

The successful implementation and scaling of these high-fidelity entanglement protocols are fundamentally dependent on the quality and customization of the diamond material. 6CCVD is uniquely positioned to supply the necessary substrates and engineering services.

The research requires diamond substrates that support long electronic coherence times ($T_2$) and precise control over the nuclear spin environment.

Research Requirement6CCVD SolutionMaterial Specification
Long Coherence Times ($T_2$)Optical Grade SCDHigh-purity, low-strain Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) is essential to minimize background spin bath noise, enabling the multi-millisecond gate operations demonstrated (up to 4 ms).
Controlled Spin RegisterIsotopically Purified SCDWe offer custom CVD growth to control $^{13}$C concentration. Researchers can select highly purified $^{12}$C substrates (< 50 ppm $^{13}$C) to reduce the background bath, or substrates with tailored $^{13}$C concentrations (natural abundance or enriched) to create specific nuclear spin registers.
Defect IntegrationCustom NV/SiV PrecursorsWhile the paper focuses on NV, our SCD substrates are ideal for creating other defect platforms (e.g., SiV, SiC defects mentioned in the text) via implantation or in-situ doping, supporting diverse quantum applications.

The complexity of DD sequences and the need for integrated control structures necessitate advanced material processing capabilities.

Research Requirement6CCVD CapabilityTechnical Advantage
High-Speed Microwave ControlIn-House MetalizationWe apply custom metal layers (Au, Pt, Ti, W, Cu) directly onto the diamond surface for fabricating microwave striplines or antennas, ensuring the precise, low-error $\pi$-pulses required by the optimized DD sequences (CPMG/XY2).
Nanophotonic IntegrationUltra-Low Roughness PolishingOur SCD polishing achieves Ra < 1 nm, providing an atomically smooth surface necessary for subsequent lithography and integration of nanophotonic interfaces (e.g., waveguides, resonators) that enable spin-photon coupling.
Large-Scale IntegrationCustom DimensionsWe supply SCD plates up to 500 ”m thick and Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) wafers up to 125 mm in diameter, supporting the scaling of multi-qubit registers and quantum network nodes.
Substrate RobustnessThick SubstratesWe offer substrates up to 10 mm thick, providing mechanical stability for complex experimental setups involving high-power RF/microwave delivery and cryogenic environments.

The optimization framework presented (M-tangling power, DD sequence selection) requires deep expertise in material science and quantum control.

6CCVD’s in-house PhD team, comprised of expert material scientists and quantum engineers, can provide consultation on material selection, defect engineering, and substrate preparation necessary to achieve the long coherence times and controlled spin environments required to replicate or extend these high-fidelity GHZ state generation projects. We offer technical guidance on optimizing diamond specifications (e.g., nitrogen concentration, isotopic purity) to match specific experimental constraints.

Call to Action: For custom specifications or material consultation, visit 6ccvd.com or contact our engineering team directly. We ship globally (DDU default, DDP available).

View Original Abstract

Multipartite entangled states are an essential resource for sensing, quantum error correction, and cryptography. Color centers in solids are one of the leading platforms for quantum networking due to the availability of a nuclear spin memory that can be entangled with the optically active electronic spin through dynamical decoupling sequences. Creating electron-nuclear entangled states in these systems is a difficult task as the always-on hyperfine interactions prohibit complete isolation of the target dynamics from the unwanted spin bath. While this emergent cross-talk can be alleviated by prolonging the entanglement generation, the gate durations quickly exceed coherence times. Here we show how to prepare high-quality GHZ<mml:math xmlns:mml=“http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML”&gt;&lt;mml:msub&gt;&lt;mml:mi/&gt;&lt;mml:mi&gt;M&lt;/mml:mi&gt;&lt;/mml:msub&gt;&lt;/mml:math&gt;-like states with minimal cross-talk. We introduce the <mml:math xmlns:mml=“http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML”&gt;&lt;mml:mi&gt;M&lt;/mml:mi&gt;&lt;/mml:math&gt;-tangling power of an evolution operator, which allows us to verify genuine all-way correlations. Using experimentally measured hyperfine parameters of an NV center spin in diamond coupled to carbon-13 lattice spins, we show how to use sequential or single-shot entangling operations to prepare GHZ<mml:math xmlns:mml=“http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML”&gt;&lt;mml:msub&gt;&lt;mml:mi/&gt;&lt;mml:mi&gt;M&lt;/mml:mi&gt;&lt;/mml:msub&gt;&lt;/mml:math&gt;-like states of up to <mml:math xmlns:mml=“http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML”&gt;&lt;mml:mi&gt;M&lt;/mml:mi&gt;&lt;mml:mo&gt;=&lt;/mml:mo&gt;&lt;mml:mn&gt;10&lt;/mml:mn&gt;&lt;/mml:math> qubits within time constraints that saturate bounds on <mml:math xmlns:mml=“http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML”&gt;&lt;mml:mi&gt;M&lt;/mml:mi&gt;&lt;/mml:math&gt;-way correlations. We study the entanglement of mixed electron-nuclear states and develop a non-unitary <mml:math xmlns:mml=“http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML”&gt;&lt;mml:mi&gt;M&lt;/mml:mi&gt;&lt;/mml:math&gt;-tangling power which additionally captures correlations arising from all unwanted nuclear spins. We further derive a non-unitary <mml:math xmlns:mml=“http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML”&gt;&lt;mml:mi&gt;M&lt;/mml:mi&gt;&lt;/mml:math&gt;-tangling power which incorporates the impact of electronic dephasing errors on the <mml:math xmlns:mml=“http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML”&gt;&lt;mml:mi&gt;M&lt;/mml:mi&gt;&lt;/mml:math&gt;-way correlations. Finally, we inspect the performance of our protocols in the presence of experimentally reported pulse errors, finding that XY decoupling sequences can lead to high-fidelity GHZ state preparation.