Letter abstract


Nature Physics 2, 835 - 838 (2006)
doi:10.1038/nphys465

Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics | Information theory and computation

Electrical detection of coherent 31P spin quantum states

Andre R. Stegner1, Christoph Boehme2,3, Hans Huebl1, Martin Stutzmann1, Klaus Lips3 and Martin S. Brandt1

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In recent years, a variety of solid-state qubits has been realized, including quantum dots1, 2, superconducting tunnel junctions3, 4 and point defects5, 6. Owing to its potential compatibility with existing microelectronics, the proposal by Kane7, 8—on the basis of phosphorus donors in silicon—has been pursued intensively9, 10, 11. A key issue of this concept is the readout of the 31P quantum state. Electrical measurements of magnetic resonance have been carried out on single spins12, 13, but the statistical nature of these experiments based on random-telegraph-noise measurements has impeded the readout of single spin states. Here, we demonstrate the measurement of the spin state of 31P donor electrons in silicon and the observation of Rabi flops by purely electric means, that is by coherent manipulation of spin-dependent charge-carrier recombination between the 31P donor and paramagnetic localized states at the Si/SiO2 interface. The electron spin information is shown to be coupled through the hyperfine interaction to the 31P nucleus, suggesting that recombination-based readout of nuclear spins is feasible.

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  1. Walter Schottky Institut, Technische Universität München, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
  2. University of Utah, Physics Department, 115S 1400E, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
  3. Abt. Silizium-Photovoltaik, Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin, Kekuléstr. 5, 12489 Berlin, Germany

Correspondence to: Andre R. Stegner1 e-mail: stegner@wsi.tum.de

Correspondence to: Christoph Boehme2,3 e-mail: boehme@physics.utah.edu

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