High-resolution spectroscopic techniques for studying rare-earth ions in nanoparticles

Rare-earth doped nanoparticles can exhibit narrow optical and spin linewidths at low temperatures. These outstanding properties for nanomaterials make them attractive for quantum technologies based on optically addressable spins such as quantum memories and computers. Although accurate linewidth measurements have been reported using, for example, spectral hole burning or photon echo techniques, so far they have been mostly restricted to large ensembles of particles. Being able to extend linewidths measurements to few and single particles is particularly important in view of their integration in nanophotonic devices. In this paper, we present techniques for determining inhomogeneous and homogeneous linewidths of small ensembles of rare-earth ions in doped nanoparticles with high signal-to-noise ratios for convenient integration times. Using these techniques we have observed property variations for particles from the same synthesis, a first step towards their optimization for applications in quantum technologies.