Defects in optically active semiconductors for quantum applications

Defects can provide highly homogeneous potentials for quantum particles (electrons and holes) in crystals, enabling atomic-like physics in a solid-state environment. The availability of high-purity crystals, in which either single defects can be resolved or ensembles of non-interacting defects can exist, has spurred significant interest in utilizing defects for quantum-enabled applications (i.e. sensing and information processing). In this talk I will first present the potential of combining solid-state defects and integrated photonics to realize quantum information processors, focusing on my own group’s research on the nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond. In the second half, I present our work researching the fundamental properties of defects that are promising alternatives to diamond-based platforms.​