Symmetric carbon tetramers forming chemically stable spin qubits in hBN

Abstract

Point defect quantum bits in semiconductors have the potential to revolutionize sensing at atomic scales. Currently, vacancy related defects, such as the NV center in diamond and the VB$^-$ in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), are at the forefront of high spatial resolution and low dimensional sensing. On the other hand, vacancies' reactive nature and instability at the surface limit further developments. Here, we study the symmetric carbon tetramers in hBN and propose them as a chemically stable spin qubit for sensing in low dimensions. We utilize periodic-DFT and quantum chemistry approaches to reliably and accurately predict the electronic, optical, and spin properties of the studied defect. We show that the nitrogen centered symmetric carbon tetramer gives rise to spin state dependent optical signals with strain sensitive intersystem crossing rates. Furthermore, the weak hyperfine coupling of the defect to their spin environments results in a reduced electron spin resonance linewidth that may enhance sensitivity.