Strain Enhanced Spin Readout Contrast in Silicon Carbide Membranes

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that applying strain to silicon carbide membranes significantly improves the contrast of spin readout, enhancing quantum sensing capabilities at room temperature.

Contribution

It introduces strain engineering as a novel method to boost spin readout contrast in silicon carbide quantum defects, validated through simulations and experiments.

Findings

Readout contrast exceeds 60% with strain application

Strain enhances spin-photon interface performance

Preserves coherence properties of single spins

Abstract

Quantum defects in solids have emerged as a transformative platform for advancing quantum technologies. A key requirement for these applications is achieving high-fidelity single-spin readout, particularly at room temperature for quantum biosensing. Here, we demonstrate through ab initio simulations of a primary quantum defect in 4H silicon carbide that strain is an effective control parameter for significantly enhancing readout contrast. We validate this principle experimentally by inducing local strain in silicon carbide-on-insulator membranes, achieving a readout contrast exceeding 60% while preserving the favorable coherence properties of single spins. Our findings establish strain engineering as a powerful and versatile strategy for optimizing coherent spin-photon interfaces in solid-state quantum systems.