English

Atomic-Scale Quantum Control of Single Spin Defects in a Two-Dimensional Semiconductor

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 2026-02-27 v1 Materials Science Quantum Physics

Abstract

Individual spin defects in solids are promising building blocks for quantum technologies, but their deterministic creation, individual addressability, and operation near surfaces remain major challenges. Two-dimensional materials provide an attractive alternative, as their single-layer thickness enables direct atomic-scale access to defect states. Here, we demonstrate single-spin control of solid-state defects in a two-dimensional semiconductor by a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy and electron spin resonance. We create and manipulate individual sulfur vacancies and carbon substitution defects in monolayer molybdenum disulfide and characterize their spin dynamics, including coherent control, at the single-defect level. Using atomic manipulation, we further engineer and probe spin-spin interactions between defect pairs. Our results demonstrate deterministic creation, addressability, coherent manipulation, and controlled coupling of individual spin defects within a single experimental platform. This establishes atomically engineered spin defects in two-dimensional semiconductors as a versatile class of controllable solid-state quantum systems and opens a route towards tailored quantum sensing experiments.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2602.22301,
  title  = {Atomic-Scale Quantum Control of Single Spin Defects in a Two-Dimensional Semiconductor},
  author = {Kwan Ho Au-Yeung and Wantong Huang and Johanna Matusche and Paul Greule and Jonas Arnold and Lovis Hardeweg and Máté Stark and Luise Renz and Affan Safeer and Daniel Jansen and Thomas Michely and Jeison Fischer and Wolfgang Wernsdorfer and Christoph Sürgers and Hannu-Pekka Komsa and Johannes Schwenk and Wouter Jolie and Philip Willke},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.22301},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

30 pages, 4 figures in the main text, 10 supplementary figures

R2 v1 2026-07-01T10:52:45.531Z