Temperature dependence of divacancy spin coherence in implanted silicon carbide

TL;DR

This study investigates how temperature affects the spin coherence and relaxation properties of divacancy defects in implanted silicon carbide, providing insights for quantum applications and temperature sensing.

Contribution

It systematically analyzes the temperature dependence of key spin parameters in divacancy defects in SiC, revealing similar behaviors across different implantation doses and offering theoretical explanations.

Findings

Spin properties vary with temperature from 5 to 300 K.

Lower ion fluence results in longer coherence and depolarization times.

The work aids in developing solid-state thermometers based on SiC.

Abstract

Spin defects in silicon carbide (SiC) have attracted increasing interest due to their excellent optical and spin properties, which are useful in quantum information processing. In this paper, we systematically investigate the temperature dependence of the spin properties of divacancy defects in implanted 4\emph{H}-SiC. The zero-field splitting parameter $D$, the inhomogeneous dephasing time $T_2^{*}$, the coherence time $T_2$, and the depolarization time $T_1$ are extensively explored in a temperature range from 5 to 300 K. Two samples implanted with different nitrogen molecule ion fluences ($\rm {N_2}^{+}$, $1\times 10^{14}/\rm cm^{2}$ and $1\times 10^{13}/\rm cm^{2}$) are investigated, whose spin properties are shown to have similar temperature-dependent behaviors. Still, the sample implanted with a lower ion fluence has longer $T_{2}$ and $T_{1}$. We provide possible theoretical explanations for the observed temperature-dependent dynamics. Our work promotes the understanding of the temperature dependence of spin properties in solid-state systems, which can be helpful for constructing wide temperature-range thermometers based on the mature semiconductor material.