Integrating and Reading Out Zero-Dimensional Quantum Systems in Solid-State Platforms

Abstract

Electronic spectroscopy of zero-dimensional (0D) quantum systems, including point defects in solids, atomic states, and small molecules, is a critical tool for developing a fundamental understanding of these systems, with applications ranging from solid-state and molecular materials development to emerging technologies rooted in quantum information science. Toward this end, scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) has demonstrated atomic-scale sensitivity, but is not easily scalable for applications, whereas device-based approaches rely on embedding these systems within a solid-state tunnel junction (TJ) and are not generally applicable. In this talk, I will demonstrate an all-electrical readout mechanism for these quasi-0D states that is modular and general, dramatically expanding the phase space of accessible quantum systems and providing an approach that is amenable to scaling and integration with other solid-state quantum technologies. Our approach relies on the creation of high-quality tunnel junctions via the mechanical exfoliation and stacking of multi-layer graphene (MLG) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) to encapsulate the target quantum system (QS) in an MLG/hBN/QS/hBN/MLG heterostructure. This structure allows for electronic spectroscopy and readout of candidate quantum systems through a combination of Coulomb and spin-blockade, providing access to entire classes of quantum systems that have previously only been accessible via optical spectroscopy or magnetic resonance measurements of large ensembles, if at all

Bio

Dr. Marzieh Kavand is an experimental condensed matter physicist. Dr. Kavand received her PhD in Physics from the University of Utah in 2018. From 2018 to 2020, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and then moved to The Ohio State University (OSU) as a postdoctoral researcher from 2020 to 2022, and a research Associate scientist from 2022 to 2023. In 2023, she joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Alabama. Her research focuses on experimental studies of magnetic materials and quantum devices to understand fundamental spin properties and interactions, with applications in quantum information science and quantum sensing.