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Group of
Quantum Simulators and Integrated Photonics
Alexey Akimov
Principal investigator. RQC Scientific Director
Group publications
About the Group
Thulium (Tm) atom is a good candidate for quantum simulation due to high orbital momentum in the ground state allowing to investigate dipole-dipole interactions and to observe Feshbach resonances in a low magnetic field
The group was founded in 2012. The research directions originally consisted of two group of directions; the first one was deep laser cooling and quantum simulations with thulium atoms and the second one was integrated solid state quantum circuits including development of integrated detectors. The second part shifted nowadays to the field of quantum sensing, which now occupy majority of experimental efforts with very little fraction of integrated photonic circuits.
Quantum simulation is the method of building a controllable quantum system to model a hard to compute on a classical computer quantum system. Ultracold atomic ensemble trapped in optical lattice is convenient platform for quantum simulations. Among possible simulation applications are: understanding of high-temperature superconductivity, the investigation of topological quantum matter; observation and control of quantum matter at the level of individual atoms; the exploration of fundamental phenomena in statistical physics, understanding of question of dynamics in astrophysical and high energy problems.
In the field of quantum sensing current directions of research are focused on use of color center in diamond or boron nitride to measure such quantities as temperature, magnetic field or rotation. Large fraction of this research is devoted to understating better and find better ways to grow and post process color center containing crystals, optimization and development of new method of control of the color center internal state as well as methods of readout of useful signal from the color centers. Group is also working on development of device porotypes, which could be then used in industry.
Research Areas
- 1
Laser cooling of Tm atoms - 2
Integrated solid-state quantum circuits (including the development of integrated detectors)
Members
Anna Zykova Project Manager
Ivan Cojocaru Senior Researcher
Vladimir Khlebnikov Senior Researcher
Pavel Aksentsev Research Fellow
Alexander Kozodaev Junior Researcher
Svyatoslav Drofa Research Fellow
Sergey Kuzmin Junior Researcher
Ivan Pyrkh Senior Researcher
Arjuna Rudnev Research Fellow
Davlet Kumpilov Senior Researcher
Vladislav Tsyganok Deputy Head of the laboratory
Daniil Pershin Leading Researcher
Polina Vilyuzhanina Research Fellow
Airat Ibrahimov Junior Researcher
Andrey Chernyavsky Senior Researcher
Kirill Dyadkin Junior Researcher
Yury Bunkov Head of Laboratory
Alexander Raskatov Inter Researcher
German Subbotin Research Fellow
Leonid Koldunov Сoordinator-methodologist
History
2012 Establishment of the group within the Russian Quantum Center
2013 The first cold atoms were obtained
Development and testing, together with Skonel, of a new generation of superconducting detectors optimized for detection of NV color centers in diamond emission
Use of new detectors for characterization of single-photon sources based on color centers in diamond
2014 Magneto-optical trapping of thulium atoms at a strong transition achieved
In collaboration with Skontel: Optimization of single-photon detectors, reduction of their dark counts, and increase of the maximum count rate
2015 Implemented a narrow-transition magneto-optical trap for thulium atoms with a molasses for pre-cooling
First measurement of light-assisted collisions in thulium atoms in a new magneto-optical trap
In collaboration with Skontel, Photonic Nano-Meta Technologies, and Perdue University, the development of single-photon sources based on NV centers enhanced by metamaterials
2016 Thulium atoms are loaded into an optical dipole trap at a wavelength of 532 nm
Detection of Feshbach resonances in a low field
Implementation of a fiber-based single-photon source based on NV centers in diamond
2017 Almost complete spin polarization of a cold cloud of thulium atoms achieved
Bright single-photon sources in detonation nanodiamond aggregates have been demonstrated
2018 Detailed study of the Feshbach resonances of polarized atoms in a wide range of temperatures were conducted. The effect of the change of the resonance’s statistic with temperature and the anomalous temperature shift of the resonances have been discovered
The polarizability of the thulium atom in an optical dipole trap at 532 nm has been measured
Microwave spectroscopy of the ground state of the thulium atom has been performed using a special antenna
In collaboration with ITMO University, an antenna was developed that uses a highly efficient dielectric resonator to create a uniform microwave field in a large volume of diamond.
2019 In collaboration with ITMO University, the second generation of an MW antenna was developed for manipulating the ground state of the thulium atom, and the transfer of population between adjacent magnetic levels was demonstrated with an efficiency of at least 93%.
Experimental measurement of the temperature-dependent shift of the ¹⁴N nuclear spin associated with the hyperfine splitting of the NV center
2020 A Bose-Einstein condensate of thulium atoms was obtained and optimized using machine learning
New methods for optimization of the coherent properties of NV centers for sensor applications were proposed
SiV centers in nano-diamonds were investigated
2021 The anomalous temperature shift of the Feshbach resonances in the thulium atom were explained
A new method for measurement of the nitrogen concentration (C-centers, p1-center) in diamonds based on internal magnetometry in diamond is proposed
2022 An optical dipole trap at a wavelength of 1064 nm is implemented. It is used for evaporative cooling of thulium atoms to a Bose-Einstein condensate state. About 16,000 atoms were obtained in a Bose-Einstein condensate state
The possibility of optimization of the coherent properties of NV centers for sensor applications in the case of high concentrations was investigated. A record-breaking conversion of nitrogen atoms into useful NV centers of 37% was achieved
The interaction of NV centers with a dense ensemble of the 13th carbon isotope was studied
2023 Modification of the setup – creation of a second “scientific” vacuum volume and implementation of ultra-cold atom transport between volumes
Obtained a Bose-Einstein condensate in a “scientific volume”
2024 Implemented a one-dimensional lattice and a disordered potential for the condensate.
Temperature sensors based on GeV centers in diamond were optimized in terms of sensitivity and simplified
A cycle of works on the implementation of coherent control of nuclear spin states in NV centers coloring in diamonds has been completed
2025 The polarizability of the thulium atom at a wavelength of 574 nm has been measured, and a configuration with zero polarizability has been found, which paves the way for the implementation of selective movement of atoms in an optical lattice
The possibility of a factor of thousandfold suppression of losses at the non-low energy magnetic level of the thulium atom has been discovered, which opens up the possibility of using the Zeeman components of the thulium atom in quantum simulations
The interaction of ensembles of NV centers of different orientations in one diamond was studied, and conclusions were drawn about their role in such interaction in sensor applications
A new principle for constructing microwave-range generators based on magnon structures was developed
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