Probing quantum defect states in Zr-doped homoepitaxial AlN

IF 3.8 2区物理与天体物理 Q2 PHYSICS, APPLIED

Applied Physics Letters Pub Date : 2026-10-05 DOI:10.1063/5.0354170

T. Njuguna,H. Alwan,J. Li,J. Y. Lin,H. X. Jiang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The neutral defect complex comprising zirconium substituting onto the Al sublattice (ZrAl) and an adjacent nitrogen vacancy (VN), (ZrAl−VN)0, in aluminum nitride (AlN) crystals is theoretically predicted to host unique spin states suitable for quantum manipulation. Here, we report experimental observations of both intradefect and band-to-impurity optical transitions involving (ZrAl− VN)0 in AlN. This defect was realized via in situ doping of Zr into AlN homoepitaxial layers grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Below-bandgap excitation at λexc = 260 nm resolved emission peaks at 1.89, 2.11, and 3.52 eV, in excellent agreement with those predicted by first-principles calculations for the intradefect and band-to-impurity type of transitions involving (ZrAl− VN)0, providing experimental validation of the defect's electronic structure. Temperature-dependent PL further demonstrates that the (ZrAl− VN)0 state maintains a stable optical emission up to room temperature, with a high thermal activation energy of 48 meV, indicative of thermal robustness against nonradiative quenching. While further spin-based measurements are needed to assess coherence and manipulation limits, experimental and theoretical findings validate Zr-doped AlN as a promising platform for the realization of room-temperature quantum defect devices, including solid-state qubits and integrated quantum photonic technologies.

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探测zr掺杂同外延AlN的量子缺陷态

从理论上预测了氮化铝（AlN）晶体中由锆取代Al亚晶格（ZrAl）和相邻氮空位（VN）（ZrAl−VN）0组成的中性缺陷配合物具有适合量子操纵的独特自旋态。在这里，我们报告了AlN中涉及（ZrAl−VN）0的缺陷内和带到杂质的光学跃迁的实验观察。该缺陷是通过在金属有机化学气相沉积法生长的AlN同外延层中原位掺杂Zr来实现的。在λexc = 260 nm的带隙激发下，分辨出了1.89、2.11和3.52 eV的发射峰，这与缺陷内和涉及（ZrAl−VN）0的带到杂质型跃迁的第一性原理计算结果非常吻合，为缺陷的电子结构提供了实验验证。温度相关的PL进一步表明，（ZrAl−VN）0态在室温下保持稳定的光发射，具有48 meV的高热活化能，表明对非辐射猝灭具有热稳健性。虽然需要进一步的基于自旋的测量来评估相干性和操作极限，但实验和理论发现验证了zr掺杂AlN是实现室温量子缺陷器件（包括固态量子比特和集成量子光子技术）的有前途的平台。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Applied Physics Letters 物理-物理：应用

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

10.00%

发文量

1821

审稿时长

1.6 months

期刊介绍： Applied Physics Letters (APL) features concise, up-to-date reports on significant new findings in applied physics. Emphasizing rapid dissemination of key data and new physical insights, APL offers prompt publication of new experimental and theoretical papers reporting applications of physics phenomena to all branches of science, engineering, and modern technology. In addition to regular articles, the journal also publishes invited Fast Track, Perspectives, and in-depth Editorials which report on cutting-edge areas in applied physics. APL Perspectives are forward-looking invited letters which highlight recent developments or discoveries. Emphasis is placed on very recent developments, potentially disruptive technologies, open questions and possible solutions. They also include a mini-roadmap detailing where the community should direct efforts in order for the phenomena to be viable for application and the challenges associated with meeting that performance threshold. Perspectives are characterized by personal viewpoints and opinions of recognized experts in the field. Fast Track articles are invited original research articles that report results that are particularly novel and important or provide a significant advancement in an emerging field. Because of the urgency and scientific importance of the work, the peer review process is accelerated. If, during the review process, it becomes apparent that the paper does not meet the Fast Track criterion, it is returned to a normal track.