Training on Laser Fabrication and Ion Implantation of Defects as Quantum Emitters

Project Information

LasIonDef

Grant agreement ID: 956387

DOI

10.3030/956387

Project closed

EC signature date 31 August 2020

Start date 1 October 2020

End date 31 January 2025

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 3 281 943,00

EU contribution

€ 3 281 943,00

Coordinated by

CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - LasIonDef (Training on Laser Fabrication and Ion Implantation of Defects as Quantum Emitters)

Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2025-01-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

LasIonDef proposes a unique multidisciplinary approach combining state of the art fabrication methods of ion implantation and laser writing to develop high performance and novel quantum emitters across three promising wide bandgap quantum platforms: diamond, GaN and hBN.

The main objectives of are LasIonDef:
• Development of novel micro and nanofabrication methods to realise high performance quantum emitters, photonics, electronics and microfluidics in promising quantum material platforms.
• Training of 13 ESRs in a highly interdisciplinary environment, with an outlook to the industrial commercialization of the quantum technologies.
• In addition to science, train ESRs in management, organisational, communication, and entrepreneurial skills. The wide-ranging training proposed within LasIonDef will enable ESRs to embark on successful careers in quantum technologies in either academic or industry settings.
• Create and maintain strong collaborations via research and training between researchers, industry, non-profit organizations, even after the conclusion of the LasIonDef project through spin-off projects, PhD and postdoc exchanges and participation to international networks and conferences.
• Educate the general public on quantum optics, emphasising how the quantum technologies developed within LasIonDef will have an impact on society. This crucial objective will be accomplished by a variety of locally and digitally targeted outreach activities led by the 13 ESRs and by their contribution to an educational demonstration kit developed together with EYEST.
• Develop prototype devices for quantum sensing and communication based on the quantum emitter and interfacing components realised in LasIonDef.

In conclusion, the main scientific and training objectives of the project were achieved, with ESRs successfully trained in diverse enviornments thanks to the broad knowledge of the supervisors from the consortium. In addition to comprehensive and multidiscplinary secondments, LasIonDef held network-wide schools on the scientific topics linked to the scientific objectives for complementing and strengthening the training that is provided locally by individual partners. In total, six scientific schools and three transferable skills schools were held in six different European cities.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

RO1: Development and study of different material platforms for quantum photonics
CU performed experiments on colour centres in AlN, GaN, hBN and diamond, with ESRs in CU making progress on understanding the dynamic of colour centers in these materials using autocorrelation spectroscopy and time-gated photoluminescence techniques.

RO2: Customised burst mode femtosecond laser for quantum emitter fabrication
A new burst mode of laser fabrication was exploited to study a thermal modification regime in diamond to enable the laser writing of high quality optical waveguides and electrical conductors in the bulk of diamond.

RO3: Experimental and theoretical study of quantum emitters
At UNITO, ESR Elena Hernández developed several studies on the formation and optimization of color centers in diamond, such as GeV under HPHT and MgV under hot implantation. Additionally, in collaboration with ESR Huseyin Bilge Yagci, a study on native centers in iii-nitrides was carried out by means of ion implantation and confocal microscopy characterization. WUST developed a theoretical model of NV centers under external strain that allows one to determine all the components of the local strain tensor. In collaboration with UNITO and CU, the model was used to characterize the strain distribution in laser-written diamond waveguides.

RO4: Integrated quantum sensors
IFN demonstrated the fabrication of photonic circuits in high NV density CVD diamond with characterization by CU showing preserved NV center spin coherence time and ODMR. The photonic circuits were characterized by CU for their electric and magnetic field sensitivity, leading to record high performance.

RO5: Spin-photon quantum interface for quantum communication node
IFN and UULM have developed a new hybrid fabrication method to precisely position silicon vacancy based quantum bits within laser-formed photonic circuits in diamond. With this new technique, we have demonstrated an integrated diamond chip that can engineer light at the single photon level.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project provided the following skills to its ESRs to increase their employability:

1. Research skills: exposure to cutting-edge research projects with a strong supervisor-student relationship leading to prolific scientific skills, including formidable paper-writing and presentation skills. Inter-sectoral secondments were emphasized, which broadened the knowledge of ESRs, for an interdisciplinary thought process able to tackle the most challenging modern scientific problems.

2. Transferable skills: the active involvement of non-academic beneficiaries and partner organizations provided ESRs with transferable skills in management, leadership, business innovation, scientific communication through traditional and social media.

3. Creativity and Entrepreneurship: LasIonDef provided an open and stimulating environment for creating new ideas. ESRs were encouraged to network at project events and contribute to the dissemination on the project web site and social networks. The balance between research and training within LasIonDef gave ESRs an exceptional combination of scientific and transversal skills, which improved their intersectorial employability as well as their entrepreneurial attitude towards deep-tech startup initiatives.

LasIonDef provided innovative doctoral training in the field of quantum technologies with topics including material synthesis, single-ion implantation and ion-beam lithography, laser processing, photonics design and characterisation, quantum optics, and microfluidic lab-on a chip development. Compared to previous doctoral programs on quantum technologies, LasIonDef presented a unique, interdisciplinary approach involving cutting edge fabrication technologies and promising material platforms.

ESRs developed innovative laser and ion beam and fabrication techniques to enable commercialisable quantum technologies with quantum bits with long coherence time within diamond. In a comprehensive study involving three types of diamond, ESRs discovered that laser writing process did not deteriorate the spin coherence time of the NVs, showing outstanding promise for quantum technologies. For quantum computing applications, ESRs studied ultrapure diamond, showing that the spin coherence time of the laser formed single NVs within laser formed optical interconnects were maintained. For quantum sensing applications, ESRs studied diamond samples with a lower purity, which allowed for a higher number of NVs to boost the sensitivity and found preserved spin coherence time of the defects within laser formed photonics.

ESR Mohammed Sahnawaz Alam applied a sophisticated theoretical model to better understand the properties of quantum emitters within diamond waveguides. His theoretical work provided vital feedback in guiding experimental studies on the laser and ion beam fabrication of novel integrated and miniaturized quantum sensors in diamond led by ESRs Yanzhao Guo and Sajedeh Shahbazi. The laser and ion beam fabricated quantum sensors by the ESRs provided a robust platform for advanced quantum sensing applications.

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