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Optical Control of a Single Nuclear Spin in the Solid State.
M L Goldman1, T L Patti1, D Levonian1
1Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|May 2, 2020
Summary
Researchers used a novel all-optical Raman technique to precisely control nuclear spins in diamond using the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center. This method
Area of Science:
- Quantum Information Science
- Solid-State Physics
- Optics and Photonics
Background:
- Individual nuclear spins are crucial for quantum information processing.
- Coherent manipulation of nuclear spins in solids is challenging.
- Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are promising quantum emitters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel all-optical method for coherent manipulation of nuclear spins.
- To investigate the role of the NV center's electronic states in spin control.
- To identify the limiting factors for coherent control performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color center in diamond.
- Employed an all-optical Raman technique for spin manipulation.
- Analyzed the intrinsic physical properties of the NV center.
Main Results:
- Successfully demonstrated coherent optical control of a proximal ^{14}N nuclear spin.
- Identified that transverse hyperfine coupling and radiative decay rates in the NV excited state limit control performance.
- Evaluated the physical constraints on coherent control fidelity.
Conclusions:
- The developed all-optical Raman technique enables precise nuclear spin control.
- Performance is fundamentally limited by NV center excited-state properties.
- This method has potential for extension to other color centers for quantum applications.
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