The Awschalom Group

Group Photo 2008

Our group has active research activities in optical and magnetic interactions in semiconductor quantum structures, spin dynamics and coherence in condensed matter systems ("spintronics"), macroscopic quantum phenomena in nanometer-scale magnets, and implementations of quantum computation in the solid state. We have developed a variety of low temperature femtosecond-resolved magneto-optical spatiotemporal spectroscopies aimed at exploring charge and spin motion in the quantum domain. Our work focuses on the physics of newly-developed mesoscopic magnetic/semiconducting systems, such as hybrid magnetic semiconductor heterostructures, chemically- synthesized nanostructures, zero-dimensional matter, and molecular systems.

Recent Publications

  • "Decoherence-protected quantum gates for a hybrid solid-state spin register", T. van der Sar, Z. H. Wang, M. S. Blok, H. Bernien, T. H. Taminiau, D. M. Toyli, D. A. Lidar, D. D. Awschalom, R. Hanson, and V. V. Dobrovitski, Nature 484, 82 (2012).
  • "Persistence of Single Spin Coherence above 600K in Diamond", D. M. Toyli, D. J. Christle, A. Alkauskas, B. B. Buckley, C. G. Van de Walle, D. D. Awschalom, arXiv:1201.4420v1.
  • "Electrical Tuning of Single Nitrogen-Vacancy Center Optical Transitions Enhanced by Photoinduced Fields", L. C. Bassett, F. J. Heremans, C. G. Yale, B. B. Buckley, and D. D. Awschalom, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 266403 (2011).
  • "Spin Coherence during Optical Excitation of a Single Nitrogen-Vacancy Center in Diamond", G. D. Fuchs, A. L. Falk, V. V. Dobrovitski, and D. D. Awschalom, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 157602 (2012).
  • "Room temperature coherent control of defect spin qubits in silicon carbide", W. F. Koehl, B. B. Buckley, F. J. Heremans, G. Calusine, and D. D. Awschalom, Nature 479, 84 (2011).
    Related article: "Silicon carbide defects hold promise for device-friendly qubits", A. G. Smart, Physics Today 65(1), 10 (January, 2012).
    Related article: "Diamond and silicon converge", Nature 479, 47 (2011).