Magnetoelastic Control of Semiconductor Spins

Defect spins in semiconductors show great potential for quantum information processing and quantum sensing, offering long spin coherence times and single-spin sensitivities. However, current approaches to manipulating these spins can significantly perturb the local environment and often require high-power microwave sources, presenting a significant challenge for both sensing and scalable information processing applications. Building on previous demonstrations of acoustically-driven spin manipulation [1], we demonstrate efficient control of individual NV centers using magnetoelastic films coupled to Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices. We explore experimental design considerations to mitigate deleterious effects of having a magnetic film in close proximity to defect spin sensors and characterize spatial heterogeneity in the films using a scanning-tip approach.

[1] D. Labanowski, Vi. P. Bhallamudi, Q. Guo, C. M. Purser, B. A.. McCullian, P. C. Hammel, and S. Salahuddin. Voltage-driven, local, and efficient excitation of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. Science Advances, 4(9), 2018