Implementation of zero field spin echo in NV centers

Abstract

In recent years, nanoscale quantum sensing has proven to be a powerful tool for probing condensed matter phenomena in a variety of systems. Among the many platforms used for sensing, the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamond is widely recognized as an ideal sensor due to its wide band-gap and the surrounding rigid diamond lattice. Traditional NV sensing schemes involve applying a DC magnetic field to split the nearly degenerate ±1 spin states one of which is then used in conjunction with the 0 state to detect small pertur- bations in the Zeeman splitting. In this project, however, we propose an alternative scheme that uses a three-state basis, allowing us to detect systems with DC fields that are small compared to the NV linewidth (~ 1MHz). This method will provide a necessary complementary approach to the normal modes magnetometry by allowing the sensor to probe at normally inaccessible 0-DC field limits while doubling the sensitivity of the traditional approach.