Measurement of Fast Electron Spin Relaxation Times with Atomic Resolution

Abstract

In a Spin The relaxation dynamics of electron spins in solid-state systems is of crucial importance for their usage in quantum computation and information storage. The interaction of the spin with its local environment results in lifetimes in the pico- to microsecond range. Thus, high temporal and spatial resolutions are needed to measure the relaxation time with atomic precision. Loth et al. (p. 1628 , see the cover; see the Perspective by Morgenstern ) used a scanning tunneling microscope with a spin-polarized tip to monitor the electron spin relaxation times of individual atoms adsorbed on a surface. A spin was excited by a pump signal, and its state read out after a variable time delay with a weak probe pulse that produced a spin-sensitive tunneling current. This general technique may be applicable to other systems with fast dynamics.