Correlating dynamic strain and photoluminescence of solid-state defects with stroboscopic x-ray diffraction microscopy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a stroboscopic X-ray diffraction microscopy technique to image dynamic strain in solid-state defects, correlating lattice distortions with photoluminescence in SiC for quantum applications.

Contribution

The development of a real-time, high-resolution imaging method for dynamic strain near quantum defects in semiconductors is a novel advancement.

Findings

Achieved 100 ps time resolution and 25 nm spatial resolution in strain imaging.

Correlated lattice distortions with enhanced photoluminescence in SiC defects.

Demonstrated direct imaging of local strain and structure-function relationships.

Abstract

Control of local lattice perturbations near optically-active defects in semiconductors is a key step to harnessing the potential of solid-state qubits for quantum information science and nanoscale sensing. We report the development of a stroboscopic scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy approach for real-space imaging of dynamic strain used in correlation with microscopic photoluminescence measurements. We demonstrate this technique in 4H-SiC, which hosts long-lifetime room temperature vacancy spin defects. Using nano-focused X-ray photon pulses synchronized to a surface acoustic wave launcher, we achieve an effective time resolution of 100 ps at a 25 nm spatial resolution to map micro-radian dynamic lattice curvatures. The acoustically induced lattice distortions near an engineered scattering structure are correlated with enhanced photoluminescence responses of optically-active SiC quantum defects driven by local piezoelectric effects. These results demonstrate a unique route for directly imaging local strain in nanomechanical structures and quantifying dynamic structure-function relationships in materials under realistic operating conditions.