This PhD project aims to develop a 4H-SiC integrated platform for spin–photon interfaces and on-chip single-photon detection, essential for scalable quantum repeaters. 4H-SiC hosts spin-active colour centres, such as silicon vacancies, which can be engineered via electron-beam irradiation and annealing. These centres offer room-temperature qubit operation with optical and microwave control.
The project focuses on three key scientific objectives:
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Purcell-Enhanced Emission: Deterministically couple SiC colour centres to photonic crystal nanocavities (PCNs) using machine-learning-guided inverse design. Techniques include digital etching, in-situ condensation tuning, and nanopositioning. Key challenges include emitter-cavity alignment and spectral diffusion.
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Strong Spin–Photon Coupling: Increase cavity quality factor (Q) and mode volume (V) to achieve deterministic strong coupling. If single-emitter coupling is limited, the project will explore ensemble coupling or high-Purcell regimes for fast spin readout.
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On-Chip Photon Routing and Detection: Integrate photon demultiplexing and superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) to form quantum interconnect primitives. Challenges include interface losses and cryogenic integration, with mitigation strategies including hybrid packaging and ML-assisted design.
The project is supported by ongoing funded programmes at the University of Glasgow and supervised by a leading expert in semiconductor cavity QED. The doctoral researcher will gain comprehensive training in nanofabrication, spectroscopy, ML-assisted photonic design, cryogenics, and quantum systems integration—preparing them to lead future quantum hardware development.