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arXiv:1903.01559 · Physical Review Letters

Randomization of Pulse Phases for Unambiguous and Robust Quantum Sensing

Zhenyu Wang, J. E. Lang, Simon Schmitt, Johannes Lang, Jorge Casanova, Liam Paul McGuinness, T. S. Monteiro, Fedor Jelezko, Martin Bodo Plenio

Published May 24, 2019• 36 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We develop theoretically and demonstrate experimentally a universal dynamical decoupling method for robust quantum sensing with unambiguous signal identification. Our method uses randomization of control pulses to simultaneously suppress two types of errors in the measured spectra that would otherwise lead to false signal identification. These are spurious responses due to finite-width π pulses, as well as signal distortion caused by π pulse imperfections. For the cases of nanoscale nuclear-spin sensing and ac magnetometry, we benchmark the performance of the protocol with a single nitrogen vacancy center in diamond against widely used nonrandomized pulse sequences. Our method is general and can be combined with existing multipulse quantum sensing sequences to enhance their performance.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.122.200403

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We develop theoretically and demonstrate experimentally a universal dynamical decoupling method for robust quantum sensing with unambiguous signal identification. Our method uses randomization of control pulses to simultaneously suppress two types of errors in the measured spectra that would otherwise lead to false signal identification. These are spurious responses due to finite-width π pulses, as well as signal distortion caused by π pulse imperfections. For the cases of nanoscale nuclear-spin sensing and ac magnetometry, we benchmark the performance of the protocol with a single nitrogen vacancy center in diamond against widely used nonrandomized pulse sequences. Our method is general and can be combined with existing multipulse quantum sensing sequences to enhance their performance.
We show that the addition of correlated phases to the recently developed method of randomized dynamical decoupling pulse sequences can improve its performance in quantum sensing. In particular, by correlating the relative phases of basic pulse units in dynamical decoupling sequences, we are able to improve the suppression of the signal distortion due to π pulse imperfections and spurious responses due to finite-width π pulses. This enhances the selectivity of quantum sensors such as those based on NV centers in diamond.
We present a method to identify spurious signals generated by finite-width pulses in quantum sensing experiments and apply it to recently proposed dynamical decoupling sequences for accurate spectral interpretation. We first study the origin of these fake resonances and quantify their behavior in a situation that involves the measurement of a classical magnetic field. Here we show that a change of the initial phase of the sensor or, equivalently, of the decoupling pulses leads to oscillations in the spurious signal intensity while the real resonances remain intact. Finally we extend our results to the quantum regime for the unambiguous detection of remote nuclear spins by utilization of a nitrogen vacancy sensor in diamond.
Sensing, localizing, and identifying individual nuclear spins or frequency components of a signal in the presence of a noisy environment requires the development of robust and selective methods of dynamical decoupling. An important challenge that remains to be addressed in this context are spurious higher-order resonances in current dynamical decoupling sequences as they can lead to the misidentification of nuclei or of different frequency components of external signals. Here we overcome this challenge with engineered quantum sensing sequences that achieve both enhanced robustness and the simultaneous suppression of higher-order-harmonic resonances. We experimentally demonstrate the principle using a single nitrogen-vacancy center spin sensor which we apply to the unambiguous detection of external protons.
Abstract Dynamical decoupling (DD), usually implemented by sophisticated sequences of instantaneous control pulses, is a well-established quantum control technique for quantum information and quantum sensing. In practice, the pulses are inevitably imperfect with many systematic errors that may influence the performances of DD. In particular, Rabi error and detuning are primary systemic errors arising from finite pulse duration, incorrect time control, and frequency instability. Here, we propose a phase-modulated DD with staggered global phases for the basic units of the pulse sequences to suppress these systemic errors. By varying the global phases appended to the pulses in the dynamical decoupling unit alternatively with 0 or π, our protocol can significantly reduce the influences of Rabi error and detuning. Our protocol is general and can be combined with the most existing DD sequences such as universal DD, knill DD, XY, etc. As an example, we further apply our method to quantum lock-in detection for measuring time-dependent alternating signals. Our study paves the way for a simple and feasible way to realize robust dynamical decoupling sequences, which can be applicable for various quantum sensing scenarios.
We present a quantum sensing technique that utilizes a sequence of π pulses to cyclically drive the qubit dynamics along a geodesic path of adiabatic evolution. This approach effectively suppresses the effects of both decoherence noise and control errors while simultaneously removing unwanted resonance terms, such as higher harmonics and spurious responses commonly encountered in dynamical decoupling control. As a result, our technique offers robust, wide-band, unambiguous, and high-resolution quantum sensing capabilities for signal detection and individual addressing of quantum systems, including spins. To demonstrate its versatility, we showcase successful applications of our method in both low-frequency and high-frequency sensing scenarios. The significance of this quantum sensing technique extends to the detection of complex signals and the control of intricate quantum environments. By enhancing detection accuracy and enabling precise manipulation of quantum systems, our method holds considerable promise for a variety of practical applications.
Dynamical decoupling sequences are essential for nanoscale quantum sensing, but the finite duration of microwave pulses generates spurious responses. While phase randomization (PR) protocol can suppress these artifacts, they rely on probabilistic averaging. This introduces an inherent statistical variance that demands excessive sequence lengths and stringent hardware capabilities for true random phase generation. Here, we propose Hadamard sensing channel (HSC), a deterministic phase-design framework based on Hadamard matrices. HSC completely eliminates the statistical variance of PR by exactly and deterministically canceling spurious signals using a finite set of orthogonal phase patterns. Simulations confirm that HSC matches the ideal suppression of PR but exhibits superior robustness against control errors. HSC offers a mathematically exact and hardware-friendly solution for reliable high-resolution nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance.