Controllable and shortcut-based population transfers with a composite system of a nitrogen-vacancy electron spin and microwave photons

Abstract

Optimal population transfer is of critical importance for quantum information processing. Here an efficient scheme is proposed for implementing controllable and shortcut-based population transfers with a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) electron spin and cavity photons. The electron spin is placed inside a setup of circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED). Under a suitable magnetic field bias, the ground state of electron spin constitutes an effective triplet. By means of the quantized cavity field and classical drivings, we obtain a $$\Delta $$ -configuration interaction within a composite three-state system. Based on the adjustable Rabi couplings, the shortcut-based population transfers can be performed controllably. Moreover, compared with the adiabatic counterparts, the operations assisted by counter-diabatic drivings need much shorter times and then are less susceptible to decoherence effects. Our scheme provides a promising avenue toward optimized transfer operations on NV center electron spins in circuit QED.