Coherent Electric Control of a Qudit embedded in an Electronuclear Spin System

Spin-based quantum systems offer a promising platform for studying quantum phenomena and advancing quantum information processing (QIP) technologies [1]. While qubits have traditionally been the focus of QIP, qudits—quantum systems with more than two levels—provide several advantages, such as increased computational capacity, enhanced error resilience, and more efficient use of resources by utilizing higher-dimensional Hilbert spaces [2]. However, spin manipulation methods based on magnetic fields face challenges such as crosstalk and difficulties in confining magnetic fields at the nanoscale [3], which limit their utility for qudit control.

In this work, we demonstrate the electric coherent control of a qudit embedded in a hyperfine-coupled electron-nuclear spin system within a ZnO crystal defect. Using an electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR)-based pulse sequence [4], we incorporate DC electric fields to control the phase of individual qudit states. Additionally, we report the excitation of double-quantum transitions in a bulk ensemble spin system through nuclear electric resonance (NER) driven by hyperfine and quadrupolar couplings. By combining AC and DC electric fields, we achieve full control over the qudit states, enabling coherent rotations across different axes of the spin space. These results provide a framework for controlling qudits in spin systems and highlight the potential for electric-field-driven manipulation in high-dimensional, spin-based quantum computing architectures.

[1] V. Cerletti et al., Nanotechnology 16,R27 (2005)

[2] Y. Wang et al., Front. Phys. 8,589504 (2020)

[3] J. Liu et al., Nat. Phys. 17, 1205–1209 (2021)

[4] S. Lim et al., arXiv:2405.20827 (2024)