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arXiv:2608.09212 · Diamond and Related Materials

Squeezing for dispersive readout of NV magnetometer

A. M. Kozodaev, S. M. Drofa, P. G. Vilyuzhanina, A. Chernyavskiy, N. I. Salangin, A. N. Smolyaninov, S. Ya. Kilin, I. S. Cojocaru, S. V. Bolshedvorskii, V. V. Soshenko, F. Y. Khalili, A. V. Akimov

quant-phSubmitted Aug 10, 2026• Announced Aug 11, 2026• 0 citations
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Abstract

Nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond have established themselves as good sensing element for various type of sensors. In particular magnetometers based on diamond impurities are quickly developing and are already on the market. Yet, optical readout in these systems complicates system design. Recently schemes of dispersive readout of nitrogen vacancy spin state using high finesse dielectric cavities for microwave field were proposed, which do not use the optical readout scheme. However, only shot noise based estimates were so far done for sensitivity of these devices. Here we provide detailed analysis of various practically relevant noise and loss sources for such a system. Furthermore, we consider the possibility of using the squeezing quantum state of the probing microwave field and show it allows to improve the device performance even at room temperature.

DOI
10.1016/j.diamond.2026.114102

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Nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond have established themselves as good sensing element for various type of sensors. In particular magnetometers based on diamond impurities are quickly developing and are already on the market. Yet, optical readout in these systems complicates system design. Recently schemes of dispersive readout of nitrogen vacancy spin state using high finesse dielectric cavities for microwave field were proposed, which do not use the optical readout scheme. However, only shot noise based estimates were so far done for sensitivity of these devices. Here we provide detailed analysis of various practically relevant noise and loss sources for such a system. Furthermore, we consider the possibility of using the squeezing quantum state of the probing microwave field and show it allows to improve the device performance even at room temperature.
Nitrogen-vacancy color centers in diamond have proven themselves as a good, sensitive element for the measurement of magnetic fields. While the mainstream of magnetometers based on NV centers uses so-called optically detected magnetic resonance, there has recently been a suggestion to use dispersive readout of a dielectric cavity to enhance the sensitivity of magnetometers. Here, we demonstrate that the dispersive readout approach can be significantly improved if a two-channel scheme is considered.
Solid-state quantum sensors based on ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have emerged as powerful platforms for high-precision metrology. Coupling the NV ensemble to a microwave cavity mode in a cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED) configuration enables spin readout that surpasses the limitations of conventional optical detection, achieving sub-picotesla magnetic sensitivities. However, existing continuous-wave cQED approaches remain far from the intrinsic spin-projection-noise limit due to spin saturation and power broadening. Here, we introduce a dispersive cQED readout technique to overcome these fundamental limitations in NV ensemble sensing. We develop a comprehensive theoretical framework describing the dispersive interaction and analyze the time-domain dynamics of a strongly-coupled NV-cavity system. Our results indicate near-unity inverse readout fidelity and femtotesla-level sensitivity using a commercially available diamond NV ensemble. Importantly, the dispersive readout exhibits a distinct sensitivity scaling that improves as 1/N with increasing number of spins N, providing a practical pathway toward approaching the standard quantum limit for solid-state spin-ensemble sensors.
Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are of great interest for nano- and macro-scale magnetic field sensing. Most sensing protocols rely on conventional optical readout, which is limited by photon shot noise. The recently developed photoelectrical (PE) readout of the NV center electron spin state promises to overcome these limitations. However, the noise of the PE readout and its influence on readout efficiency have not been thoroughly studied. In this work, we perform magnetic field sensing and estimate the sensitivity using optical and PE readout with a single and an ensemble of NV centers in diamond. We investigate the electronic noise associated with the photoelectric detection and estimate the readout efficiency, using Gaussian statistics. Our quantitative analysis shows that the Johnson-Nyquist noise-limited photoelectric magnetic field sensitivity could outperform optical measurements by an order of magnitude. This work is an essential step towards the development of on-chip magnetometers using photoelectrical detection in diamond.
Abstract We demonstrate dispersive readout of the spin of an ensemble of nitrogen-vacancy centers in a high-quality dielectric microwave resonator at room temperature. The spin state is inferred from the reflection phase of a microwave signal probing the resonator. Time-dependent tracking of the spin state is demonstrated, and is employed to measure the T 1 relaxation time of the spin ensemble. Dispersive readout provides a microwave interface to solid state spins, translating a spin signal into a microwave phase shift. We estimate that its sensitivity can outperform optical readout schemes, owing to the high accuracy achievable in a measurement of phase. The scheme is moreover applicable to optically inactive spin defects and it is non-destructive, which renders it insensitive to several systematic errors of optical readout and enables the use of quantum feedback.
Abstract Quantum sensors based on solid-state defects, in particular nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond, enable precise measurement of magnetic fields, temperature, rotation, and electric fields. Cavity quantum electrodynamic (cQED) readout, in which an NV ensemble is hybridized with a microwave mode, can overcome limitations in optical spin detection and has resulted in leading magnetic sensitivities at the pT-level. This approach, however, remains far from the intrinsic spin-projection noise limit due to thermal Johnson-Nyquist noise and spin saturation effects. Here we tackle these challenges by combining recently demonstrated spin refrigeration techniques with comprehensive nonlinear modeling of the cQED sensor operation. We demonstrate that the optically-polarized NV ensemble simultaneously provides magnetic sensitivity and acts as a heat sink for the deleterious thermal microwave noise background, even when actively probed by a microwave field. Optimizing the NV-cQED system, we demonstrate a broadband sensitivity of 576 ± 6 fT/ Hz\sqrt{{{{\rm{Hz}}}}}Hz​ Hz around 15 kHz in ambient conditions. We then discuss the implications of this approach for the design of future magnetometers, including near-projection-limited devices approaching 3 fT/ Hz\sqrt{{{{\rm{Hz}}}}}Hz​ Hz sensitivity enabled by spin refrigeration.