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Opportunities for Long-Range Magnon-Mediated Entanglement of Spin Qubits via On- and Off-Resonant Coupling

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2021-10-21
JournalPRX Quantum
AuthorsMasaya Fukami, Denis R. Candido, David D. Awschalom, Michael E. Flatté, Masaya Fukami
InstitutionsEindhoven University of Technology, University of Chicago
Citations90
AnalysisFull AI Review Included
  • Core Achievement: Predicted strong, long-distance (> 2 ”m) entanglement between Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) spin qubits mediated by magnon modes in Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) nanostructures.
  • Scalability Solution: This magnon-mediated coupling provides a pathway for scalable two-qubit gates over optically resolvable micron distances, overcoming a major challenge for solid-state quantum computing platforms.
  • High Performance (YIG Bar): Optimized YIG bar geometry yields exceptional performance, including single-magnon cooperativity (C) exceeding 104 under on-resonant conditions.
  • High Fidelity Gate: The off-resonant virtual-magnon exchange protocol achieves high fidelity (F ≈ 0.95 at 70 mK) and is robust against thermal magnon fluctuations up to T ≈ 150 mK.
  • Fast Gate Operation: The on-resonant transduction protocol offers faster gate operation but requires lower temperatures and extremely low Gilbert damping (α ≀ 10-7) to outperform the virtual-magnon exchange.
  • Gate to Decoherence Ratio (GDR): Predicted useful entangling gates with GDR > 700 for NV centers separated by 2.2 ”m in the YIG bar system.
  • Methodology: Results are based on a realistic Hamiltonian formalism incorporating dipole and exchange interactions, simulated using the Lindblad master equation at finite temperatures.
ParameterValueUnitContext
NV-NV Separation (Max Useful)> 2.2”mDistance for useful entangling gate
Required Operating Temperature (T)≀ 150mKMaximum temperature for useful entanglement
NV Center Coherence Time (T2*)1msUsed in simulation
NV Zero-Field Splitting (DNV)2π x 2.877GHzNV center property
YIG Saturation Magnetization (Ms)245.8mT/”0YIG material property
YIG Bar Thickness (d)5nmOptimized geometry example
YIG Bar Length (l)3”mOptimized geometry example
Single-Magnon Cooperativity (C)≄ 104DimensionlessYIG bar, on-resonant coupling
Gate to Decoherence Ratio (GDR)> 700DimensionlessYIG bar, 2.2 ”m separation, off-resonant
Effective NV-NV Coupling (geff)2π x 90kHzYIG bar, 2.2 ”m separation, off-resonant
Virtual-Magnon Fidelity (F)0.95DimensionlessT = 70 mK, off-resonant protocol
Transduction Fidelity (F)0.81DimensionlessT = 70 mK, on-resonant protocol
Gilbert Damping (α)10-5DimensionlessValue used for primary simulations
  1. Dipole-Exchange Magnon Formalism: Employed a complete Hamiltonian formalism to describe dipole-exchange magnons in YIG nanostructures, accounting for both magnetic dipole and quantum exchange interactions.
  2. Magnon Mode Diagonalization: Diagonalized the magnon Hamiltonian for two geometries—infinitely long YIG waveguides and finite YIG bars—using the Bogoliubov transformation to obtain normal magnon modes and frequencies.
  3. NV-Magnon Coupling Calculation: Derived the NV-magnon coupling strength (g”) by applying the Bogoliubov transformation to the interaction Hamiltonian, focusing on the lowest energy magnon band (n, m) = (0, 0).
  4. Effective NV-NV Hamiltonian: Used the Schrieffer-Wolff transformation to derive the effective NV-NV interaction (geff) for the off-resonant virtual-magnon exchange protocol.
  5. Lindblad Master Equation Simulation: Simulated the time evolution of the hybrid system (two NV centers and one magnon mode) at finite temperatures (T ≀ 300 mK) using the Lindblad master equation.
  6. Protocol Comparison: Compared two entanglement protocols—on-resonant transduction (Jaynes-Cummings model) and off-resonant virtual-magnon exchange—by evaluating entanglement negativity, Bell inequality violation, and fidelity under varying Gilbert damping (α) and coherence times (T2*).
  • Quantum Computing (Qubit Interconnects): The primary application is enabling scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computers by providing fast, high-fidelity, long-range (micron scale) two-qubit gates between solid-state spin qubits (NV centers).
  • On-Chip Quantum Networks: Magnon waveguides serve as efficient, low-loss quantum buses for connecting distant quantum nodes on a single chip, essential for building integrated quantum processors.
  • Hybrid Quantum Systems: Provides optimized design parameters (YIG dimensions, NV placement) for integrating diamond-based spin qubits with ferromagnetic materials, accelerating the development of hybrid quantum architectures.
  • Cryogenic Magnonics Research: The work guides experimental efforts in ultra-low temperature (millikelvin) magnonics, particularly in optimizing YIG film quality (low Gilbert damping) necessary for quantum coherence applications.
  • Quantum Sensing and Relaxometry: The detailed analysis of NV spin coupling to magnetic fringe fields and magnon-induced decoherence informs the design of high-sensitivity NV-based magnetometers operating near ferromagnetic films.
View Original Abstract

The ability to manipulate entanglement between multiple spatially separated qubits is essential for quantum-information processing. Although nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond provide a promising qubit platform, developing scalable two-qubit gates remains a well-known challenge. To this end, magnon-mediated entanglement proposals have attracted attention due to their long-range spin-coherent propagation. Optimal device geometries and gate protocols of such schemes, however, have yet to be determined. Here we predict strong long-distance (>ÎŒm) NV-NV coupling via magnon modes with cooperativities exceeding unity in ferromagnetic bar and waveguide structures. Moreover, we explore and compare on-resonant transduction and off-resonant virtual-magnon exchange protocols, and discuss their suitability for generating or manipulating entangled states at low temperatures (T 150mK) under realistic experimental conditions. This work will guide future experiments that aim to entangle spin qubits in solids with magnon excitations.