A quantum system can feature unusual phenomena such as quantum entanglement. This exotic aspect of quantum mechanics can be exploited to solve or model computational problems that are impractical or impossible to solve with standard, classical computers. This work will investigate the quantum behaviors of an otherwise classical mechanical oscillator, such as a diamond cantilever or a diamond nanobeam. The motion of the mechanical oscillator will be controlled through its interactions with an electron in diamond. These types of nano-mechanical systems have the potential to realize the exotic behavior of quantum entanglement and become a building block in a diamond-chip based quantum computer. This project will also make contributions to education and human resource by providing excellent training to graduate and undergraduate students in areas of both scientific and technological importance.
This project will investigate the coupling between an electron spin in diamond and the mechanical motion of a diamond nanomechanical oscillator. The spin-phonon coupling will be mediated through off-resonant Raman transitions to the excited states of a nitrogen vacancy center in diamond. Experimental efforts will focus on the fabrication of diamond nanomechanical oscillators, the generation of spin-driven coherent mechanical motion, and the cooling of the nanomechanical oscillator through its coupling to a single electron spin. The successful implementation of these efforts should enable us to pursue mechanically-mediated quantum entanglement between electron spins. The Sorensen-Molmer entanglement scheme, which is relatively robust against thermal mechanical motion, will be explored for the generation of a maximally-entangled spin state. The longer term goal is to realize a solid-state analog of the trapped ion system.
