Coherent Control of a Single Electron Spin with Electric Fields

TLDR

Manipulating single spins is essential for spin‑based quantum information processing, and electrical control is attractive because local electric fields are easy to generate on‑chip. We demonstrated coherent control of a single‑electron spin in a quantum dot via an oscillating electric field, achieving 90° rotations in ~55 ns mediated by spin‑orbit interaction, and together with recent two‑spin exchange work, this establishes fully electrical manipulation of spin qubits.

Abstract

Manipulation of single spins is essential for spin-based quantum information processing. Electrical control instead of magnetic control is particularly appealing for this purpose, because electric fields are easy to generate locally on-chip. We experimentally realized coherent control of a single-electron spin in a quantum dot using an oscillating electric field generated by a local gate. The electric field induced coherent transitions (Rabi oscillations) between spin-up and spin-down with 90 degrees rotations as fast as approximately 55 nanoseconds. Our analysis indicated that the electrically induced spin transitions were mediated by the spin-orbit interaction. Taken together with the recently demonstrated coherent exchange of two neighboring spins, our results establish the feasibility of fully electrical manipulation of spin qubits.