Purcell enhancement and spin spectroscopy of silicon vacancy centers in silicon carbide using an ultra-small mode-volume plasmonic cavity

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the integration of silicon vacancy centers in silicon carbide with ultra-small plasmonic cavities, significantly enhancing emission rates and optical stability, advancing quantum networking capabilities.

Contribution

It introduces a simple fabrication method for plasmonic nanocavities supporting nanoscale modes, achieving high Purcell factors and improved optical stability of spin transitions in silicon vacancy centers.

Findings

Achieved Purcell factor of up to 48.

Enhanced optical stability of spin-preserving transitions.

Demonstrated potential for scalable quantum networking.

Abstract

Silicon vacancy (V$_{Si}$) centers in 4H-silicon carbide have emerged as a strong candidate for quantum networking applications due to their robust electronic and optical properties including a long spin coherence lifetime and bright, stable emission. Here, we report the integration of V$_{Si}$ centers with a plasmonic nanocavity to Purcell enhance the emission, which is critical for scalable quantum networking. Employing a simple fabrication process, we demonstrate plasmonic cavities that support a nanoscale mode volume and exhibit an increase in the spontaneous emission rate with a measured Purcell factor of up to 48. In addition to investigating the optical resonance modes, we demonstrate that an improvement in the optical stability of the spin-preserving resonant optical transitions relative to the radiation-limited value. The results highlight the potential of nanophotonic structures for advancing quantum networking technologies and emphasizes the importance of optimizing emitter-cavity interactions for efficient quantum photonic applications.