Electrically Detected Magnetic Resonance (EDMR) Spectroscopy of Impurity-Doped Semiconductors

The measurement of spin coherence is fundamental to the development of quantum technologies. Electron spin coherence is shortened by two principal factors: (i) electron spin-spin interactions and (ii) electron-nuclear spin interactions. To address (ii) researchers are able to produce isotopically purified Si-28, thereby removing Si-29 that possesses an unpaired nuclear spin. To take advantage of these purified materials they are doped with impurity ions such P, Sb, etc. which provide electronic spin. Having reduced (ii) by isotopic purification, it is also important to reduce (i) by using low spin doping levels. These lightly-doped materials present a challenge in how we characterise them (by measurement of the spin coherence (T2)) as the low background spin level is beneath the noise level of many techniques.

 The PSI has internationally-leading expertise in spin-coherence measurement within the EPSRC National EPR Facility. However, due to technological and fundamental limitations the capability available has a noise level (~1E12 spins/cm2) that prevents the measurement of very small spin numbers. The use of dilution fridges can drop the base temperature to mK levels thereby allowing, in principle, such measurement (of single spins) but then device design required to do this is complex, and this results in a few labs worldwide having this capability.

 An alternative approach is the method of on-chip electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR). This project will establish the ability to perform EDMR measurements at temperatures down to ~1.4K in-house and thereby provide the PSI and UK with this capacity. The project will have direct access to the ability to create bespoke spin-doped systems within isotopically purified systems and study these using the EDMR capability. The development of the EDMR will involve collaboration with the UK National Physical Laboratory who will provide expertise in microwave engineering and precision measurement.

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