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Solid-state physics

Single spins in silicon see the light

Nature volume 497, pages 46–47 (2013)Cite this article

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The spin state of a single erbium atom in a tiny silicon transistor has been probed using laser light. The finding opens a path towards a hybrid spin–photon quantum-computing architecture. See Letter p.91

The relentless drive to scale down semiconductor devices, which are at the heart of computers, tablets and video game consoles, has long been predicted to hit a brick wall when atomic dimensions are reached. However, with smaller devices also comes increased access to new functionalities, which can be based on the control of single atoms and atomic defects1. Access to properties other than the commonly used electric charge of electrons in a semiconductor, such as the spin of electrons and nuclei, is a possible route to improved device performance, and perhaps even to quantum computing2. Indeed, researchers have demonstrated3 robust control of the spin of an electron bound to a single phosphorus atom in silicon. In this issue, Yin et al.4 (page 91) describe another exciting advance in spin control — the spin-selective 'optical addressing' of a single atom in silicon.

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Figure 1: Optical access to a single erbium atom in silicon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Christoph D. Weis and Thomas Schenkel are in the Accelerator and Fusion Research Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.,

    Christoph D. Weis & Thomas Schenkel

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  1. Christoph D. Weis
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  2. Thomas Schenkel
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Correspondence to Thomas Schenkel.

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Weis, C., Schenkel, T. Single spins in silicon see the light. Nature 497, 46–47 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/497046a

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