Electronically Controlled Color Centers in Diamond for Quantum Applications

In this project we will demonstrate electrical manipulation and readout of the spin state of color centers in synthetic diamond.

Color centers are intentionally introduced defects in the diamond crystal that can contain foreign atoms, e.g. nitrogen, and which can exist in different spin and charge states.

The goal of the project is to achieve control of the spin state  using graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) on the diamond surface, something that has never been attempted before.

The spin state of diamond color centers can act as qubits for room-temperature quantum computers, but also finds other applications, e.g. in quantum cryptography, nanoscale magnetometry and thermometry, and many more.Diamond has recently emerged as a leading platform for quantum technologies and is also a promising semiconductor for next-generation electronics.

Graphene, on the other hand, is a semimetal consisting of a single sheet of carbon atoms and it has many unique properties, especially electronic.

Our group has, in a collaborative effort, very recently demonstrated microwave-frequency operation of GFETs on diamond substrates.

By using  graphene transistors fabricated on the surface of diamond with embedded color centers, we propose a unique carbon-on-carbon technology where qubits are manipulated and readout by electronic, scalable means.