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Jeudi 28 Fevrier 2013, 14h
Amphi Howleck, Esc C, 1ème etage
Electronic read-out of a single nuclear spin using a molecular spin transistor
F. Balestro
Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9
Quantum control of individual spins in condensed-matter devices is a field with a wide range of applications, from nanospintronics to quantum computing. The electron, possessing spin and orbital degrees of freedom, is conventionally used as the carrier of quantum information in proposed devices. However, electrons couple strongly to the environment, and so have very short relaxation and coherence times. It is therefore extremely difficult to achieve quantum coherence and stable entanglement of electron spins. In this context, single-molecule magnets (SMMs) are interesting candidates to be integrated in molecular spintronics devices[1]. Such devices lead the way for the electronic detection and coherent manipulation of SMMs spin states, exploitable in quantum computation schemes[2].
Figure : artistic view of a single TbPc2 embedded in a three terminal geometry .
We developped for this purpose a three terminal device based on a single bis-phthalocyaninato terbium complex (TbPc2). We showed that the nuclear spin of an individual metal atom embedded in a single-molecule magnet can be read-out electronically in one shot[3]. The observed long lifetimes (tens of seconds) and relaxation characteristics of nuclear spin at the single-atom scale open up strong perspectives for a coherent manipulation of a single nuclear spin with long decoherence time in TbPc2.
[1] L. Bogani and W. Wernsdorfer, Nature Materials 7, 179 (2008).
[2] M. N. Leuenberger and D. Loss, Nature 410, 789 (2001).
[3] R. Vincent, S. Klyatskaya, M. Ruben, W. Wernsdorfer, F. Balestro. Nature 488, 357 (2012).