3D optical manipulation of a single electron spin

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the use of optical tweezers to trap and manipulate single NV centers in diamond in three dimensions, enabling precise control of their position and orientation for advanced quantum sensing applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method for deterministic 3D trapping and in-situ control of NV center orientation using optical tweezers, enhancing quantum sensing capabilities.

Findings

NV axis can be controlled by trapping light polarization

Optically trapped NV centers enable 3D vectorial magnetometry

Demonstrated sensing of local optical density with trapped NVs

Abstract

Nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are promising elemental blocks for quantum optics [1, 2], spin-based quantum information processing [3, 4], and high-resolution sensing [5-13]. Yet, fully exploiting these capabilities of single NV centers requires strategies to accurately manipulate them. Here, we use optical tweezers as a tool to achieve deterministic trapping and 3D spatial manipulation of individual nano-diamonds hosting a single NV spin. Remarkably, we find the NV axis is nearly fixed inside the trap and can be controlled in-situ, by adjusting the polarization of the trapping light. By combining this unique spatial and angular control with coherent manipulation of the NV spin and fluorescent lifetime measurements near an integrated photonic system, we prove optically trapped NV center as a novel route for both 3D vectorial magnetometry and sensing of the local density of optical states.