Probing the dynamics of a nuclear spin bath in diamond through time-resolved central spin magnetometry

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates real-time measurement of nuclear spin environment in diamond using electron spin resonance, enabling control and understanding of nuclear spin dynamics at ambient conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a method for real-time readout and post-selection of the nuclear spin bath via fast ESR spectroscopy of a single NV center.

Findings

Real-time Overhauser field measurement achieved

Narrowing of Overhauser field distribution through post-selection

Quantitative analysis of nuclear spin dynamics using Allan deviation

Abstract

Using fast electron spin resonance spectroscopy of a single nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond, we demonstrate real-time readout of the Overhauser field produced by its nuclear spin environment under ambient conditions. These measurements enable narrowing the Overhauser field distribution by post-selection, corresponding to a conditional preparation of the nuclear spin bath. Correlations of the Overhauser field fluctuations are quantitatively inferred by analysing the Allan deviation over consecutive measurements. This method allows to extract the dynamics of weakly coupled nuclear spins of the reservoir.