Nanowerk December 30, 2019
An international team of researchers ( USA- University of Chicago, UC Santa Barbara, Argonne National Laboratory, Japan) created a hybrid quantum system that acoustically drives transitions in electron spins. The experiment showed a basis for mechanical (strain) control. They developed a theoretical model from a combination of direct experimental observation and density functional theory calculations. From all of this information, they illustrated different types of mechanical strain that drive longer-lasting spins. The material studied was silicon carbide, which has been shown recently to support long-lived spin states that can be accessed optically. The results offer theoretical understanding and experimental demonstrations of controlling the spin states in silicon carbide and provide a basis for applications in long-distance quantum communication, new approaches to quantum computation, as well as potential quantum sensing with MEMS…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
An x-ray image of sound waves. (Image: Kevin Satzinger and Samuel Whiteley)