Environment-assisted metrology with spin qubits

We investigate the sensitivity of a recently proposed method for precision measurement [ Phys. Rev. Lett. 106 140502 (2011)], focusing on an implementation based on solid-state spin systems. The scheme amplifies a quantum sensor response to weak external fields by exploiting its coupling to spin imp...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cappellaro, Paola, Hodges, Jonathan S., Goldstein, Garry, Jiang, Liang, Maze, Jeronimo R., Sørensen, A. S., Lukin, Mikhail D.
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: American Physical Society 2012
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/72570
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3207-594X
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3969-3604
Description
Summary:We investigate the sensitivity of a recently proposed method for precision measurement [ Phys. Rev. Lett. 106 140502 (2011)], focusing on an implementation based on solid-state spin systems. The scheme amplifies a quantum sensor response to weak external fields by exploiting its coupling to spin impurities in the environment. We analyze the limits to the sensitivity due to decoherence and propose dynamical decoupling schemes to increase the spin coherence time. The sensitivity is also limited by the environment spin polarization; therefore, we discuss strategies to polarize the environment spins and present a method to extend the scheme to the case of zero polarization. The coherence time and polarization determine a figure of merit for the environment's ability to enhance the sensitivity compared to echo-based sensing schemes. This figure of merit can be used to engineer optimized samples for high-sensitivity nanoscale magnetic sensing, such as diamond nanocrystals with controlled impurity density.