Electron spin manipulation and readout through an optical fiber

Area of Science:

• Quantum Optics
• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond serve as robust solid-state qubits.
• NV centers enable high-precision nanoscale magnetic-field sensing.
• Integrating NV centers into fiber-optic formats presents opportunities for diverse technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate an ultracompact fiber-optic probe for NV center applications.
• To enable manipulation, polarization, and readout of NV electron spins via fiber optics.
• To explore applications in quantum information, neuroscience, and bioimaging.

Main Methods:

• Attaching a diamond microcrystal with aligned NV axes to a fiber tip.
• Integrating a two-wire microwave transmission line for spin manipulation.
• Utilizing optical initialization and photoluminescence readout via the same fiber.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of a fiber-optic probe for NV center manipulation and readout.
• Integration of microwave control and optical access within a compact fiber format.
• Potential for nanoscale sensing and quantum technologies.

Conclusions:

• The developed fiber-optic probe facilitates advanced applications of NV centers.
• This technology bridges quantum sensing and fiber-optic integration.
• Enables new possibilities in quantum information processing and bio-related imaging.