Room Temperature Dynamics of an Optically Addressable Single Spin in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

TL;DR

This paper investigates the room temperature spin dynamics of a single optically addressable emitter in hexagonal boron nitride, advancing understanding of its structure and control for quantum applications.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed characterization of room temperature optically detected magnetic resonance in h-BN emitters and develops protocols for optimized spin readout.

Findings

Room temperature magnetic resonance detected in h-BN emitter

Transition rates constrained and quantified through simulations

Optical control protocols designed for improved spin readout

Abstract

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) hosts pure single-photon emitters that have shown evidence of optically detected electronic spin dynamics. However, the electrical and chemical structure of these optically addressable spins is unknown, and the nature of their spin-optical interactions remains mysterious. Here, we use time-domain optical and microwave experiments to characterize a single emitter in h-BN exhibiting room temperature optically detected magnetic resonance. Using dynamical simulations, we constrain and quantify transition rates in the model, and we design optical control protocols that optimize the signal-to-noise ratio for spin readout. This constitutes a necessary step towards quantum control of spin states in h-BN.