Electromagnetically induced transparency in a diamond spin ensemble enables all-optical electromagnetic field sensing

Area of Science:

• Quantum Optics
• Solid-State Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are promising solid-state qubits.
• Probing NV center electron-spin resonance requires sensitive techniques.
• Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) offers high-resolution optical probing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To utilize EIT for probing narrow electron-spin resonance in diamond NV centers.
• To demonstrate the potential of diamond-EIT systems for precision sensing.
• To explore applications in quantum information and fundamental physics.

Main Methods:

• Employed a multipass diamond chip at cryogenic temperatures (6-30 K).
• Used simultaneous optical excitation at two frequencies to induce EIT.
• Measured EIT resonances and evaluated sensitivity to electric and magnetic fields.

Main Results:

• Achieved EIT resonances with >6% contrast and 0.4 MHz FWHM.
• Demonstrated all-optical probing sensitivity of 0.2 V/cm/√[Hz] for electric fields.
• Achieved sensitivity of 0.1 nT/√[Hz] for magnetic fields, with a prototype magnetometer noise floor <1 nT/√[Hz].

Conclusions:

• Diamond-EIT systems provide a powerful method for probing NV center spin states.
• The demonstrated sensitivity highlights potential for precision measurements.
• These findings support the development of diamond-EIT devices for quantum technologies and fundamental science.