Check-probe spectroscopy of lifetime-limited emitters in bulk-grown silicon carbide

Abstract

Solid-state single-photon emitters provide a versatile platform for exploring quantum technologies such as optically connected quantum networks. A key challenge is to ensure the optical coherence and spectral stability of the emitters. Here, we introduce a high-bandwidth ‘check-probe’ scheme to quantitatively measure (laser-induced) spectral diffusion and ionisation rates, as well as homogeneous linewidths. We demonstrate these methods on single V2 centres in commercially available bulk-grown 4H-silicon carbide. Despite observing significant spectral diffusion under laser illumination (≳GHz s⁻¹), the optical transitions are narrow (~35 MHz), and remain stable in the dark (≳1 s). Through Landau-Zener-Stückelberg interferometry, we determine the optical coherence to be near-lifetime limited (T₂ = 16.4(4) ns), hinting at the potential for using bulk-grown materials for developing quantum technologies. These results advance our understanding of spectral diffusion of quantum emitters in semiconductor materials, and may have applications for studying charge dynamics across other platforms.