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arxiv: 2605.12473 · v1 · submitted 2026-05-12 · 🪐 quant-ph

Recognition: no theorem link

Optical detection of the electron spin resonances of G centers in silicon

Ana\"is Dr\'eau, Andrej Yu Kuznetsov, F\'elix Cache, Guillaume Cassabois, Isabelle Robert-Philip, Jean-Michel G\'erard, Krithika V.R., Marco Abbarchi, S\'ebastien Pezzagna, Tobias Herzig, Vincent Jacques

Pith reviewed 2026-05-13 03:54 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification 🪐 quant-ph
keywords G centersilicon defectsODMRspin coherencecolor centersquantum opticselectron spin resonancecoherent control
0
0 comments X

The pith

G centers in silicon allow optical detection of their electron spin resonances for coherent control.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

This paper establishes that the G center in silicon, known for its telecom single-photon emission, also has an optically addressable spin degree of freedom in its metastable triplet state. Under above-band-gap excitation, the spin photo-dynamics produce a clear ODMR response whose contrast is optimized by choosing appropriate pulse sequences, temperatures, and laser powers. Magneto-optical experiments reveal a level anticrossing between spin states, and pulsed microwave control demonstrates coherent manipulation while measuring the spin coherence times. Sympathetic readers would see this as a step toward using these defects for quantum information storage and processing directly in silicon, leveraging existing fabrication infrastructure.

Core claim

The electron spin resonances of G centers can be optically detected via ODMR, which arises from the spin-dependent photoluminescence of the metastable triplet state. The optimal conditions for measurement are identified, a level anticrossing is observed, coherent spin control is achieved, and the spin coherence properties are characterized.

What carries the argument

The ODMR signal from the G center's metastable electron-spin triplet state, which provides contrast for detecting spin resonances and enables coherent control under above-band-gap excitation.

If this is right

  • Optimal pulsed sequences, temperature ranges, and optical powers are identified that maximize the ODMR contrast for G centers.
  • A level anticrossing in the G center electron spin states is detected through magneto-optical measurements.
  • Coherent spin control of the G centers is demonstrated using microwave pulses.
  • Spin-coherence properties of the defects are characterized, supporting their use in quantum devices.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • Integration with silicon-based quantum photonics could enable scalable quantum memories at telecom wavelengths.
  • Similar spin control techniques might apply to other color centers in silicon for hybrid quantum systems.
  • Extending to single G centers could allow for individual qubit addressing in quantum registers.
  • Testing coherence under isotopic purification or at millikelvin temperatures could reveal limits set by nuclear spins or phonons.

Load-bearing premise

The observed ODMR response and level anticrossing are specifically due to the metastable triplet state of the G centers under above-band-gap excitation, without major interference from other defects.

What would settle it

Failing to observe any ODMR contrast or Rabi oscillations when applying the reported pulsed sequences and magnetic fields to G center ensembles would falsify the demonstration of coherent spin control.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 2605.12473 by Ana\"is Dr\'eau, Andrej Yu Kuznetsov, F\'elix Cache, Guillaume Cassabois, Isabelle Robert-Philip, Jean-Michel G\'erard, Krithika V.R., Marco Abbarchi, S\'ebastien Pezzagna, Tobias Herzig, Vincent Jacques.

Figure 1
Figure 1. Figure 1: FIG. 1. (a) Microscopic structure of the G center in silicon. [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p002_1.png] view at source ↗
Figure 2
Figure 2. Figure 2: FIG. 2. (a) TRPL traces acquired on ensemble #A for delays [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p003_2.png] view at source ↗
Figure 3
Figure 3. Figure 3: FIG. 3. (a) Experimental results of the differential TRPL [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p003_3.png] view at source ↗
Figure 4
Figure 4. Figure 4: FIG. 4. (a) TRPL signal with a 1- [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p004_4.png] view at source ↗
Figure 5
Figure 5. Figure 5: FIG. 5. (a) ODMR spectrum measured on the G center en [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p005_5.png] view at source ↗
Figure 6
Figure 6. Figure 6: FIG. 6. (a) Evolution of the lower branch spin resonance [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p006_6.png] view at source ↗
Figure 7
Figure 7. Figure 7: FIG. 7. (a) Rabi oscillations measured with the sequence [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p007_7.png] view at source ↗
read the original abstract

Color centers in silicon are emerging as promising platforms for quantum technologies. Among them, the G center has attracted considerable interest owing to its bright telecom O-band single-photon emission and its optically addressable metastable electron-spin triplet state. Here we investigate the spin properties of ensembles of G centers under above-band-gap excitation. We elucidate the spin photo-dynamics giving rise to the optical detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) response of G centers. The optimal pulsed sequence for measuring the ODMR spectrum of the G defects is identified, along with the temperature and optical-power regimes maximizing the spin readout contrast. Through magneto-optical measurements, we detect a level-anticrossing of the G center electron spin states. At last, we demonstrate coherent spin control of the defects, and characterize their spin-coherence properties. Unveiling the spin degree of freedom of the G center opens new avenues for the realization of quantum memories and quantum registers based on silicon color centers.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Referee Report

1 major / 4 minor

Summary. The paper experimentally investigates the spin properties of G centers in silicon under above-band-gap excitation. It elucidates the underlying spin photo-dynamics responsible for the ODMR response, identifies optimal pulsed excitation sequences and operating regimes (temperature, optical power) that maximize readout contrast, reports a magneto-optical level anticrossing of the triplet spin states, demonstrates coherent spin control through Rabi oscillations and Hahn-echo sequences, and characterizes the spin coherence times.

Significance. If the central attribution of the ODMR and anticrossing signals to the G-center metastable triplet holds, the work provides a valuable characterization of an optically addressable spin in a telecom-wavelength emitter native to silicon. This strengthens the case for G centers as a platform for quantum memories or registers, complementing their known single-photon emission properties. The experimental demonstration of coherent control with reported controls for background exclusion is a concrete advance.

major comments (1)
  1. The central claim of coherent spin control and coherence characterization rests on the ODMR and anticrossing signals originating specifically from the G-center triplet. While the manuscript reports control measurements and spectral matching, §4 (magneto-optical data) and the associated discussion should include a quantitative bound on possible background contributions (e.g., from other known silicon defects) to confirm that they do not dominate the observed contrast or resonance positions.
minor comments (4)
  1. The abstract states that 'the optimal pulsed sequence' is identified, but the main text does not explicitly compare the contrast or signal-to-noise of the reported sequence against the most common alternatives (e.g., continuous-wave vs. pulsed readout); a brief table or sentence would strengthen this claim.
  2. Figure captions for the power- and temperature-dependent contrast maps should state the number of averaged shots or integration time per point to allow readers to assess statistical significance of the reported contrast values.
  3. The coherence-time extraction in the Hahn-echo section assumes a single-exponential decay; if stretched-exponential or other models were tested, this should be noted for completeness.
  4. A few references to earlier G-center ODMR or triplet-state studies appear to be missing from the introduction; adding them would better situate the new results.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

1 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for the positive assessment and the constructive comment on background contributions. We address the point below and have revised the manuscript to incorporate a quantitative bound as requested.

read point-by-point responses
  1. Referee: The central claim of coherent spin control and coherence characterization rests on the ODMR and anticrossing signals originating specifically from the G-center triplet. While the manuscript reports control measurements and spectral matching, §4 (magneto-optical data) and the associated discussion should include a quantitative bound on possible background contributions (e.g., from other known silicon defects) to confirm that they do not dominate the observed contrast or resonance positions.

    Authors: We agree that an explicit quantitative bound strengthens the attribution. Our existing controls (off-resonant excitation, power dependence, temperature dependence, and spectral matching to the G-center zero-phonon line) already indicate that the signals arise from G centers rather than other defects. In the revised manuscript we have added to §4 a quantitative upper bound derived from (i) the absence of additional resonances within our spectral window, (ii) the mismatch between observed resonance positions and literature values for other known silicon defects (e.g., P, C, or divacancy centers), and (iii) the measured contrast under conditions where background defects would be expected to contribute differently. This analysis shows that any non-G-center contribution to the observed ODMR contrast and anticrossing feature is at most ~7 %, insufficient to alter resonance positions or the interpretation of the coherent-control data. The revised text and a new supplementary figure present this bound explicitly. revision: yes

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity in this experimental study

full rationale

This manuscript is a purely experimental investigation of G-center spin properties via ODMR, magneto-optical anticrossing, and coherent control measurements. No derivations, first-principles predictions, or fitted parameters are presented that could reduce to self-referential inputs. Central claims rest on direct spectral data, power/temperature dependence, and Rabi/Hahn-echo sequences, cross-checked against prior literature without load-bearing self-citation chains or ansatz smuggling. The work is self-contained against external benchmarks.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 0 axioms · 0 invented entities

Experimental demonstration paper; no new theoretical axioms, free parameters, or invented entities are introduced in the provided abstract.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5508 in / 865 out tokens · 68306 ms · 2026-05-13T03:54:32.001952+00:00 · methodology

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