Control of individual electron-spin pairs in an electron-spin bath
H.P. Bartling (Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, TU Delft - Quantum Internet Division)
N. Demetriou (TU Delft - QID/Taminiau Lab, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre)
N. C.F. Zutt (Student TU Delft, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
D.P. Kwiatkowski (TU Delft - QID/Taminiau Lab, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
M. J. Degen (TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, TU Delft - QID/Hanson Lab, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
S.J.H. Loenen (Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, TU Delft - Business Development)
C.E. Bradley (Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QID/Taminiau Lab, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre)
M. Markham (Element Six Innovation)
Daniel J. Twitchen (Element Six Innovation)
T.H. Taminiau (TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - Quantum Internet Division)
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Abstract
The decoherence of a central electron spin due to the dynamics of a coupled electron-spin bath is a core problem in solid-state spin physics. Ensemble experiments have studied the central spin coherence in detail, but such experiments average out the underlying quantum dynamics of the bath. Here, we show the coherent back-action of an individual NV center on an electron-spin bath and use it to detect, prepare, and control the dynamics of a pair of bath spins. We image the NV-pair system with subnanometer resolution and reveal a long dephasing time [T2∗=44(9) ms] for a qubit encoded in the electron-spin pair. Our experiment reveals the microscopic quantum dynamics that underlie the central spin decoherence and provides new opportunities for controlling and sensing interacting spin systems.