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arXiv:2007.15394 · Physical Review Applied

Robust Detection of High-Frequency Signals at the Nanoscale

Carlos Munuera-Javaloy, Yue Ban, Xi Chen, Jorge Casanova

Published Nov 20, 2020• 14 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present a method relying on shortcuts to adiabaticity to achieve quantum detection of high-frequency signals at the nanoscale in a robust manner. More specifically, our protocol delivers tailored amplitudes and frequencies for control fields that, firstly, enable the coupling of the sensor with high-frequency signals and, secondly, minimize errors that would otherwise spoil the detection process. To exemplify the method, we particularize to detection of signals emitted by fast-rotating nuclear spins with nitrogen-vacancy-center quantum sensors. However, our protocol is straightforwardly applicable to other quantum devices such as silicon-vacancy centers, germanium-vacancy centers, or divacancies in silicon carbide.

DOI
10.1103/physrevapplied.14.054054

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We present a method relying on shortcuts to adiabaticity to achieve quantum detection of high-frequency signals at the nanoscale in a robust manner. More specifically, our protocol delivers tailored amplitudes and frequencies for control fields that, firstly, enable the coupling of the sensor with high-frequency signals and, secondly, minimize errors that would otherwise spoil the detection process. To exemplify the method, we particularize to detection of signals emitted by fast-rotating nuclear spins with nitrogen-vacancy-center quantum sensors. However, our protocol is straightforwardly applicable to other quantum devices such as silicon-vacancy centers, germanium-vacancy centers, or divacancies in silicon carbide.
To meet the growing demand for nanoscale surface analysis, nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers offer a high-sensitivity alternative by leveraging their ability to operate in immediate proximity to the sample. In this work, we propose a quantum control protocol designed to overcome the inherent challenges of solid-state environments, specifically by mitigating anisotropy and strong dipole-dipole interactions to enable the detection of isotropic chemical shifts at the nanoscale. To achieve this, our scheme synchronizes a slowly rotating magnetic field with tailored RF decoupling and MW control of the NV sensors. We provide an analytical mapping that explicitly links the measured spectrum to the control sequence features and the underlying system parameters, enabling a straightforward characterization of the sample.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is widely used in fields ranging from chemistry and materials science to neuroscience. Nanoscale NMR spectroscopy using nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond has emerged as a promising platform due to an unprecedented sensitivity down to the single spin level. At the nanoscale, high nuclear spin polarization through spin fluctuations (statistical polarization) far outweighs thermal polarization. However, until now efficient NMR detection using coherent averaging techniques could not be applied to the detection of statistical polarization, leading to long measurement times. Here we present two protocols to enable coherent averaging of stochastic oscillatory signals through rectification. We demonstrate these protocols on an artificial radio frequency signal detected with a single NV center at 2.7 T. The signal-to-noise scaling with number of measurements N increases from N^{0.5} to N^{1}, improving the measurement time significantly. The relevance of rectification for the detection of statistically polarized nuclear spins using ensembles of NV centers is outlined, paving the way for efficient nanoscale NMR spectroscopy.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is widely used in fields ranging from chemistry, materials science to neuroscience. Nanoscale NMR spectroscopy using Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond has emerged as a promising platform due to an unprecedented sensitivity down to the single spin level. At the nanoscale, high nuclear spin polarization through spin fluctuations (statistical polarization) far outweighs thermal polarization. However, until now efficient NMR detection using coherent averaging techniques could not be applied to the detection of statistical polarization, leading to long measurement times. Here we present two protocols to enable coherent averaging of statistically oscillating signals through rectification. We demonstrate these protocols on an artificial radiofrequency signal detected with a single NV center at 2.7 T. The signal-to-noise scaling with number of measurements 𝑁 increases from 𝑁0.5 to 𝑁1, improving the measurement time significantly. The relevance of rectification for the detection of statistically polarized nuclear spins using ensembles of NV centers is outlined, paving the way for efficient nanoscale NMR spectroscopy.
In recent years, the field of quantum sensing has garnered increasing attention due to its potential to revolutionize various scientific and technological domains. Among the different quantum sensors, the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color center in diamond stands out for its ease of use, ability to be read out and initialized with a laser, and long coherence times even at room temperature. Over the past years, numerous quantum control sequences have been developed to successfully deploy NV sensors in diverse situations, such as measuring nearby spin clusters, classical AC signals, and static magnetic fields. However, the NV center faces limitations when coupling to high frequency signals. More specifically, as the frequency of the target signal increases, stronger driving fields over NVs are needed, ultimately reaching the limits of current experimental capabilities. In this thesis, we propose several protocols to address this high-frequency problem in different scenarios.
Magnetic field fluctuations on nanometer length scales manifest in a diverse range of phenomena -- electron and spin dynamics in materials and devices, quantum many-body systems, and molecular chemistry. Measuring these phenomena requires sensors with a challenging combination of broad spectral bandwidth, high sensitivity, and nanoscale spatial resolution. Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, atom-like quantum sensors in diamond, possess the requisite sensitivity and nanoscale sensing volume, but are typically limited in bandwidth by the practical speed of the applied quantum control sequence. Here, we overcome this limitation by exposing the NV qubit to a microwave dressing field during a dynamical decoupling sequence, which both amplifies and frequency-mixes target signals at arbitrary frequencies into the detection band of the dynamical decoupling protocol. We demonstrate this approach by using NV centers to detect both coherent and noisy nanoscale spin wave dynamics in a magnetic yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) thin film over a broad frequency range. Our technique generalizes to other qubit platforms, providing a versatile framework for nanoscale spectroscopy across diverse physical and chemical systems.
Advances in sensing devices that utilize nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center ensembles in diamond are driving progress in microscale nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Utilizing quantum sensing techniques in the high-field regime significantly boosts sensitivity by increasing thermal polarization and improves spectral quality via enhanced energy shifts. Compatible with the latter, a straightforward manner to further raise sensor sensitivity is to increase NV concentration, although this intensifies detrimental dipole-dipole interactions among NVs. In this Letter, we present a method for detecting NMR signals in high-field scenarios while effectively suppressing dipole-dipole couplings in the NV ensemble. Thus, this approach enhances sensitivity by combining highly doped diamond substrates and elevated magnetic fields.