Spectral tuning and nanoscale localization of single color centers in silicon via controllable strain
The development of color centers in silicon enables scalable quantum technologies by combining telecom-wavelength emission and compatibility with mature silicon fabrication. However, large-scale integration requires precise control of each emitter's optical transition to generate indistinguishable photons for quantum networking. Here, we demonstrate a foundry-fabricated photonic integrated circuit (PIC) combining suspended silicon waveguides with a microelectromechanical (MEMS) cantilever to apply local strain and spectrally tune individual G-centers. Applying up to 35 V between the cantilever and the substrate induces a reversible wavelength shift of the zero-phonon line exceeding 100 pm, with no loss in brightness. Moreover, by modeling the strain-induced shifts with a digital twin physical model, we achieve vertical localization of color centers with sub-3 nm vertical resolution, directly correlating their spatial position, dipole orientation, and spectral behavior. This method enables on-demand, low-power control of emission spectrum and nanoscale localization of color centers, advancing quantum networks on a foundry-compatible platform.
Authors
- Matteo Pirro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5527-4821)
- Alessandro Buzzi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1243-8611)
- Valeria Saggio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8746-9431)
- Carlos Errando-Herranz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7249-7392)
- Camille Papon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9468-9536)
- Dirk Englund (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1043-3489)
- Hamza Raniwala (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9887-3704)
- Odiel Hooybergs
Institutions
- QuTech (NL)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
- Delft University of Technology (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-10-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63871-8
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Silicon Nanostructures and Photoluminescence
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.55
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Air Force Research Laboratory