Reference Number: ARL-SRP-00058
Project Description
Silicon carbide (SiC) is an established wide-bandgap semiconductor widely used in power electronics, yet its point defects remain underexplored as practical solid-state spin qubits for quantum technologies. The core research problem is how to harness these defects—within different SiC polytypes and device architectures—to enable coherent quantum networks that also incorporate sensing functionality. The project’s objective is to advance ARL’s efforts by demonstrating SiC-based qubits as viable candidates for integrated quantum systems. Participants will perform work in one or more of three complementary areas: epitaxial growth of low-strain, low-defect-density SiC films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) followed by rigorous materials characterization; modeling and nanofabrication of photonic-crystal structures to enhance light–matter interactions; or design, processing, and wafer-scale demonstration of hybrid devices that co-integrate quantum, optoelectronic, MEMS, and power-electronic components. Methods and tools may include CVD, standard semiconductor process flows (lithography, etching, deposition), magnetic-resonance techniques, optical spectroscopies, electrical measurements, and structural probes. The expected outcome is a set of validated low-defect SiC materials, photonic nanostructures, or functional hybrid prototypes that establish SiC as a manufacturable platform for solid-state quantum networks and multi-modal sensing.
Technical Skills
- Chemical Sciences/Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Physics
