Abstract Geometry and topology are fundamental concepts, which underlie a wide range of fascinating physical phenomena such as topological states of matter and topological defects. In quantum mechanics, the geometry of quantum states is fully captured by the quantum geometric tensor. Using a qubit formed by an NV center in diamond, we perform the first experimental measurement of the complete quantum geometric tensor. Our approach builds on a strong connection between coherent Rabi oscillations upon parametric modulations and the quantum geometry of the underlying states. We then apply our method to a system of two interacting qubits, by exploiting the coupling between the NV center spin and a neighboring 13C nuclear spin. Our results establish coherent dynamical responses as a versatile probe for quantum geometry, and they pave the way for the detection of novel topological phenomena in solid state.
Abstract Geometry and topology are fundamental concepts, which underlie a wide range of fascinating physical phenomena such as topological states of matter and topological defects. In quantum mechanics, the geometry of quantum states is fully captured by the quantum geometric tensor. Using a qubit formed by an NV center in diamond, we perform the first experimental measurement of the complete quantum geometric tensor. Our approach builds on a strong connection between coherent Rabi oscillations upon parametric modulations and the quantum geometry of the underlying states. We then apply our method to a system of two interacting qubits, by exploiting the coupling between the NV center spin and a neighboring 13C nuclear spin. Our results establish coherent dynamical responses as a versatile probe for quantum geometry, and they pave the way for the detection of novel topological phenomena in solid state.
A quantum state, such as a qubit state, defined in a parameter space is endowed with a property called the geometrical property. The geometrical property tells how much the quantum state changes in a parameter space; this property is a gauge invariant, physical, quantity, but it has not been experimentally observed until very recently. We give a simple experimental protocol to measure the geometrical property by periodically modulating the system and looking at the system response. The method can be easily applied to various qubit systems such as diamond NV centers and superconducting qubits. We will also review the current experimental situations regarding the measurement of geometrical structures.
A Berry curvature is an imaginary component of the quantum geometric tensor (QGT) and is well studied in many branches of modern physics; however, the quantum metric as a real component of the QGT is less explored. Here, by using tunable superconducting circuits, we experimentally demonstrate two methods to directly measure the quantum metric tensor for characterizing the geometry and topology of underlying quantum states in parameter space. The first method is to probe the transition probability after a sudden quench, and the second one is to detect the excitation rate under weak periodic driving. Furthermore, based on quantum metric and Berry-curvature measurements, we explore a topological phase transition in a simulated time-reversal-symmetric system. The work opens up a unique approach to explore the topology of quantum states with the QGT.
A controlled qubit in a rotating frame opens new opportunities to probe fundamental quantum physics, such as geometric phases in physically rotating frames, and can potentially enhance detection of magnetic fields. Realising a single qubit that can be measured and controlled during physical rotation is experimentally challenging. In this work, we demonstrate quantum control of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre within a diamond rotated at 200,000rpm, a rotational period comparable to the NV spin coherence time T2. We stroboscopically image individual NV centres that execute rapid circular motion in addition to rotation, and demonstrate preparation, control and readout of the qubit quantum state with lasers and microwaves. Using spin-echo interferometry of the rotating qubit, we are able to detect modulation of the NV Zeeman shift arising from the rotating NV axis and an external DC magnetic field. Our work establishes single NV qubits in diamond as quantum sensors in the physically rotating frame, and paves the way for the realisation of single-qubit diamond-based rotation sensors.
The concepts of topology and geometry are of critical importance in exploring exotic phases of quantum matter. Though they have been investigated on various experimental platforms, to date a direct probe of topological and geometric properties on a universal quantum computer even for a minimum model is still in vain. In this work, we first show that a density matrix form of the quantum geometric tensor (QGT) can be explicitly re-constructed from Pauli operator measurements on a quantum circuit. We then propose two algorithms, suitable for IBM quantum computers, to directly probe QGT. The first algorithm is a variational quantum algorithm particularly suitable for Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ)-era devices, whereas the second one is a pure quantum algorithm based on quantum imaginary time evolution. Explicit results obtained from IBM Q simulating a Chern insulator model are presented and analysed. Our results indicate that transmon qubit-based universal quantum computers have the potential to directly simulate and investigate topological and geometric properties of a quantum system.
This thesis investigates the theoretical foundations, material properties, and experimental realization of quantum sensors based on the Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers in diamond, a solid-state system that combines quantum coherence with room-temperature operability. The first chapter introduces the principles of quantum sensing, outlining the fundamental definitions, operating protocols, and physical processes underlying the quantum measurement paradigm. Emphasis is placed on the quantum sensing Hamiltonian and the distinction between various classes of quantum sensors. The second chapter focuses on diamond as a host material and on the NV center as a quantum defect. The electronic structure, optical transitions, and spin properties of the NV center are analyzed in detail. Several techniques of NV-based magnetometry are presented, including continuouswave and pulsed optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). The discussion also addresses coherence times (T1, T2, and T∗2 ) and methods of diamond synthesis together with NV-center generation through irradiation and annealing. Chapter three develops the physical theory describing the NV center. The Hamiltonian formalism includes spin-spin, hyperfine, and quadrupolar interactions, as well as couplings to external magnetic fields. The chapter further introduces the Bloch sphere representation, magnetic resonance phenomena, and models of lightmatter interaction, ranging from the semiclassical to the fully quantum Rabi framework. A seven-level rate-equation model is proposed to capture the spin dynamics and optical cycling processes of the NV center. The fourth chapter reports the experimental results. After describing materials and methods, several ODMR-based vector magnetometry experiments are presented, highlighting different spectral regimes and the dependence of resonance features on the external magnetic field geometry. Additional studies demonstrate temperature sensing and microwave-free magnetometry techniques for mapping magnetic field distributions. Sensitivity analysis and calibration procedures are also discussed.
As a fundamental concept, geometry is widely used in understanding physical phenomena. In quantum mechanics, geometry is related to the system’s quantum state and can be characterized by the quantum geometric tensor (QGT), whose real part is referred to as the quantum metric tensor (QMT), which defines the distance between two neighboring quantum states in the projected Hilbert space. Several pieces of research based on discrete variables have been proposed to extract the QMT, but research with the use of continuous variables is lacking. Here, we propose a method to extract the QMT of a continuous variable system, specified here as a cat-qubit. The method is developed by constructing the Kerr nonlinear parametric oscillator (KNPO) and by modulating it with external drives to induce adiabatic dynamics process within the state subspace spanned by the even and odd Scho¨dinger cat states. The method paves the way for exploring the geometry for continuous variable systems.