Physics Colloquium, April 28, 2009
Engaging Diamonds in the Quantum Age David Awschalom

University of California, Santa Barbara

Eighty years since Dirac developed the quantum theory of electron spin, contemporary information technology still relies largely on classical electronics: the charge of electrons for computation and the magnetic materials for permanent storage. In contrast, the development of semiconductor spintronics aims to enable fundamentally new information technologies based on the quantum nature of the electron. We describe recent advances towards these goals, including the surprising ability to control single spins at room temperature for communication and computation in a material surrounding us for generations. Individual electron spins in diamond are imaged, initialized and read-out optically with coherence times extending well into the microsecond regime. Using magneto-optical imaging and electron spin resonance measurements, we demonstrate the coherent control and coupling of single spins as well as the effects of linking them to an adjustable spin bath. These studies reveal that spins in diamond provide an excellent test bed for basic models and protocols in both spintronics and quantum information.

References:
"The Diamond Age of Spintronics," D.D. Awschalom, R.J. Epstein, and R. Hanson, Scientific American 297, 84 (2007).
"Coherent dynamics of a single spin interacting with an adjustable spin bath," R. Hanson, V. V. Dobrovitski, A. E. Feiguin, O. Gywat, and D. D. Awschalom, Science 320, 352 (2008).
"Coherent manipulation of single spins in semiconductors", R. Hanson and D. D. Awschalom, Nature 453, 1043 (2008).

Dr. Awschalom's Web Site

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4:00 p.m., Physics Research Building (PRB), Room 1080

Reception at 3:45 p.m., Atrium, PRB