Spectroscopic detection and state preparation of a single praseodymium ion in a crystal

T. Utikal, E. Eichhammer, L. Petersen, A. Renn, S. Götzinger and V. Sandoghdar ()
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T. Utikal: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
E. Eichhammer: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
L. Petersen: Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich
A. Renn: Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich
S. Götzinger: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
V. Sandoghdar: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract The narrow optical transitions and long spin coherence times of rare earth ions in crystals make them desirable for a number of applications ranging from solid-state spectroscopy and laser physics to quantum information processing. However, investigations of these features have not been possible at the single-ion level. Here we show that the combination of cryogenic high-resolution laser spectroscopy with optical microscopy allows one to spectrally select individual praseodymium ions in yttrium orthosilicate. Furthermore, this spectral selectivity makes it possible to resolve neighbouring ions with a spatial precision of the order of 10 nm. In addition to elaborating on the essential experimental steps for achieving this long-sought goal, we demonstrate state preparation and read out of the three ground-state hyperfine levels, which are known to have lifetimes of the order of hundred seconds.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4627

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