Optical spin-state polarization in a binuclear europium complex towards molecule-based coherent light-spin interfaces

Abstract The success of the emerging field solid-state optical quantum information processing (QIP) critically depends on access to resonant materials. Rare-earth ion (REI)-based molecular systems, whose properties could be tuned taking advantage engineering strategies, are one systems actively pursued for implementation QIP schemes. Herein, we demonstrate efficient polarization ground-state nuclear spins—a fundamental requirement all-optical spin initialization and addressing—in a binuclear Eu(III) complex, featuring inhomogeneously broadened 5 D 0 ? 7 F transition. At 1.4 K, long-lived spectral holes have been burnt in transition: homogeneous linewidth (? h ) = 22 ± 1 MHz, which translates as coherence lifetime (T 2opt 14.5 0.7 ns, population 1spin 1.6 0.4 s obtained. results presented this study progressive step towards realization molecule-based coherent light-spin interfaces.