Abstract
Quantum networking and computing technologies demand scalable hardware with high-speed control for large systems of quantum devices. Solid-state platforms have emerged as promising candidates, offering scalable fabrication for a wide range of qubits. Architectures based on spin–photon interfaces allow for highly connected quantum networks over photonic links, enabling entanglement distribution for quantum networking and distributed quantum computing protocols. With the potential to address these demands, optically active spin defects in silicon are one proposed platform for building quantum technologies. Here we electrically excite the silicon T centre in integrated optoelectronic devices that combine nanophotonic waveguides and cavities with p–i–n diodes. We observe single-photon electroluminescence from a cavity-coupled T centre with g(2)(0) = 0.05(2). Further, we use the electrically triggered emission to herald the electron spin state, initializing it with 92(8)% post-selected fidelity. This shows electrically injected single-photon emission from a silicon colour centre and a new method of heralded spin initialization with electrical excitation. These findings present a new telecommunications-band light source for silicon and a highly parallel control method for T centre quantum processors, advancing the T centre as a versatile defect for scalable quantum technologies.
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The data that support this work are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Integrated Photonics team at Photonic Inc. for their contributions to the design and fabrication of the silicon chip presented in this work. This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), the Canada Research Chairs program (CRC), the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the B.C. Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF), the Quantum Information Science program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), and Photonic Inc. S.A.M. acknowledges support from NSERC (PDF-587831-2024). S.S. is supported by the Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship.
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M.D., S.S. and D.B.H. designed the experiment. M.D. and F.A. designed the samples used in the study. I.M. and N.J. fabricated the samples. C.C. assisted in conceiving the experiment and device design. M.D., C.B., S.A.M. and M.G. built the measurement apparatus. M.D., S.A.M. and E.H. measured the diode characteristics. M.D. measured the EL, lifetime, photon correlations and spin initialization SPAM fidelity. S.A.M., C.D. and M.L.W.T. advised on design and analysis. All authors participated in preparation of the manuscript.
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M.D., C.B., S.A.M., C.C., M.G., I.M., F.A., C.D., N.J., S.S. and D.B.H are current or recent employees of and/or have a financial interest in Photonic Inc., a quantum technology company. C.B., C.C., I.M., F.A., C.D., N.J., M.L.W.T., S.S. and D.B.H. have a financial interest in Photonic Inc. E.H. declares no competing interests.
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Dobinson, M., Bowness, C., Meynell, S.A. et al. Electrically triggered spin–photon devices in silicon. Nat. Photon. 19, 1132–1137 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-025-01752-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-025-01752-8
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