Nonresonant Electric Quantum Control of Individual On-Surface Spins

Abstract

Quantum control techniques play an important role in manipulating and harnessing the properties of different quantum systems, including isolated atoms. Here, we propose to achieve quantum control over a single on-surface atomic spin using Landau-Zener-St¨uckelberg-Majorana (LZSM) interferometry implemented with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM). Specifically, we model how the application of time-dependent, non-resonant AC electric fields across the STM tip-surface gap makes it possible to achieve precise quantum state manipulation in an isolated Fe2+ ion on a MgO/Ag(100) surface. We propose a protocol to combine Landau-Zener tunneling with LZSM interferometry that permits one to measure the quantum spin tunneling of an individual Fe2+ ion. The proposed experiments can be implemented with ESR-STM instrumentation, opening a new venue in the research of on-surface single spin control.