We use spectral-hole burning to investigate spin dynamics within the electronic Zeeman sublevels of the ground state, ${}^4{I}_{15/2}$, of the erbium (${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$) ions in erbium-doped fibers (EDFs). Conducted at ultralow temperatures and under varying magnetic fields, our study reveals distinct changes in spin-relaxation dynamics across different conditions. We identified three decay components at approximately $7$ mK, with one achieving spin lifetimes of over 9 h under optimal conditions, while two components were observed at higher temperatures. The fairly stable relative weights of the decay components across conditions suggest distinct ion populations contributing to the observed relaxation dynamics. While earlier studies struggled to account for all decay components at higher temperatures, our approach successfully models spin dynamics across all observed decay components, using a consistent set of underlying mechanisms—spin flip-flop interactions, direct coupling to two-level systems, and Raman-type processes—and distinguishing the decay components by the strengths with which these mechanisms contribute. These results suggest EDFs’ potential as a promising candidate for quantum memory applications, with further room for optimization.

Close

PrevNext

View figure in article

• Optical quantum information processing
• Quantum communication
• Quantum memories
• Quantum networks
• Quantum repeaters
• Optical fibers
• Rare-earth doped crystals
• Rare-earth ions