Ultrafast control of nuclear spins using only microwave pulses: towards switchable solid-state quantum gates

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates ultrafast control of nuclear spins in a solid-state system using microwave pulses, enabling rapid and switchable quantum gate operations by manipulating electron spins.

Contribution

It introduces a microwave-only method for controlling nuclear spins and designing switchable quantum gates in solid-state systems.

Findings

Nuclear spins can be locked or oscillate on nanosecond timescales.

Control is achieved solely through microwave pulses without additional magnetic fields.

The method enables fast, switchable quantum gate operations.

Abstract

We demonstrate the control of the alpha-proton nuclear spin, I=1/2, coupled to the stable radical CH(COOH)2, S=1/2, in a gamma-irradiated malonic acid single crystal using only microwave pulses. We show that, depending on the state of the electron spin mS=+/-1/2, the nuclear spin can be locked in a desired state or oscillate between mI=+1/2 and mI=-1/2 on the nanosecond time scale. This approach provides a fast and efficient way of controlling nuclear spin qubits and also enables the design of switchable spin-based quantum gates by addressing only the electron spin.