Steven Bennett, Harvard
Abstract
Single electronic spins associated with nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in
diamond can be used as sensitive magnetometers. In a recent experiment, a single NV spin was used to probe the thermal motion of a magnetized cantilever at room temperature, and it is predicted that the same approach could be used to detect mechanical motion at the level of
single phonons. In this talk I will discuss the sensitivity limits of this technique. Further, I will discuss measurement backaction, which can limit the sensitivity but could also be exploited to prepare nonclassical states of a mechanical oscillator. Beyond sensitive detection, realizing strong spin-oscillator coupling at the single phonon level would have implications for quantum information applications, by allowing long-range coupling between NV centers mediated by mechanical oscillators. Finally, I will briefly discuss using a single NV electronic spin to probe distant nuclear spins in the diamond lattice.