Sensing distant nuclear spins with a single electron spin.

We experimentally demonstrate the use of a single electronic spin to measure the quantum dynamics of distant individual nuclear spins from within a surrounding spin bath. Our technique exploits coherent control of the electron spin, allowing us to isolate and monitor nuclear spins weakly coupled to the electron spin. Specifically, we detect the evolution of distant individual 13C nuclear spins coupled to single nitrogen vacancy centers in a diamond lattice with hyperfine couplings down to a factor of 8 below the electronic spin bare dephasing rate. Potential applications to nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging and quantum information processing are discussed.

Coherent sensing of a mechanical resonator with a single-spin qubit.

Mechanical systems can be influenced by a wide variety of small forces, ranging from gravitational to optical, electrical, and magnetic. When mechanical resonators are scaled down to nanometer-scale dimensions, these forces can be harnessed to enable coupling to individual quantum systems. We demonstrate that the coherent evolution of a single electronic spin associated with a nitrogen vacancy center in diamond can be coupled to the motion of a magnetized mechanical resonator. Coherent manipulation of the spin is used to sense driven and Brownian motion of the resonator under ambient conditions with a precision below 6 picometers. With future improvements, this technique could be used to detect mechanical zero-point fluctuations, realize strong spin-phonon coupling at a single quantum level, and implement quantum spin transducers.

Damping of nanomechanical resonators.

We study the transverse oscillatory modes of nanomechanical silicon nitride strings under high tensile stress as a function of geometry and mode index m≤9. Reproducing all observed resonance frequencies with classical elastic theory we extract the relevant elastic constants. Based on the oscillatory local strain we successfully predict the observed mode-dependent damping with a single frequency-independent fit parameter. Our model clarifies the role of tensile stress on damping and hints at the underlying microscopic mechanisms.

On-chip interferometric detection of nanomechanical motion.

An integrable on-chip displacement transduction of nanomechenical motion is developed that senses the modulation of the optical near-field of an illuminated vibrating string with a nearby Schottky photodiode. This scheme poses no restrictions on resonator material and avoids additional damping. The achieved sensitivity of 1 pm/Hz(1/2) enables the detection of Brownian motion of our mechanical resonators at room temperature. Implementing a feedback scheme of the detected signal into the electrical actuation, we demonstrate self-oscillation.

Universal transduction scheme for nanomechanical systems based on dielectric forces.

Any polarizable body placed in an inhomogeneous electric field experiences a dielectric force. This phenomenon is well known from the macroscopic world: a water jet is deflected when approached by a charged object. This fundamental mechanism is exploited in a variety of contexts-for example, trapping microscopic particles in an optical tweezer, where the trapping force is controlled via the intensity of a laser beam, or dielectrophoresis, where electric fields are used to manipulate particles in liquids. Here we extend the underlying concept to the rapidly evolving field of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). A broad range of possible applications are anticipated for these systems, but drive and detection schemes for nanomechanical motion still need to be optimized. Our approach is based on the application of dielectric gradient forces for the controlled and local transduction of NEMS. Using a set of on-chip electrodes to create an electric field gradient, we polarize a dielectric resonator and subject it to an attractive force that can be modulated at high frequencies. This universal actuation scheme is efficient, broadband and scalable. It also separates the driving scheme from the driven mechanical element, allowing for arbitrary polarizable materials and thus potentially ultralow dissipation NEMS. In addition, it enables simple voltage tuning of the mechanical resonance over a wide frequency range, because the dielectric force depends strongly on the resonator-electrode separation. We use the modulation of the resonance frequency to demonstrate parametric actuation. Moreover, we reverse the actuation principle to realize dielectric detection, thus allowing universal transduction of NEMS. We expect this combination to be useful both in the study of fundamental principles and in applications such as signal processing and sensing.