Optimized quantum sensing with a single electron spin using real-time adaptive measurements

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates real-time adaptive measurement techniques with a single electron spin in diamond, significantly improving magnetic field sensing sensitivity and range compared to traditional methods.

Contribution

The authors implement real-time adaptive measurements in solid-state quantum sensing, surpassing standard limits and showcasing enhanced sensitivity and dynamic range.

Findings

Achieved magnetic field sensitivity of 6.1 ± 1.7 nT/Hz^{1/2}

Demonstrated adaptive protocol's advantage over non-adaptive methods

Surpassed standard measurement limit in Ramsey interferometry

Abstract

Quantum sensors based on single solid-state spins promise a unique combination of sensitivity and spatial resolution. The key challenge in sensing is to achieve minimum estimation uncertainty within a given time and with a high dynamic range. Adaptive strategies have been proposed to achieve optimal performance but their implementation in solid-state systems has been hindered by the demanding experimental requirements. Here we realize adaptive d.c. sensing by combining single-shot readout of an electron spin in diamond with fast feedback. By adapting the spin readout basis in real time based on previous outcomes we demonstrate a sensitivity in Ramsey interferometry surpassing the standard measurement limit. Furthermore, we find by simulations and experiments that adaptive protocols offer a distinctive advantage over the best-known non-adaptive protocols when overhead and limited estimation time are taken into account. Using an optimized adaptive protocol we achieve a magnetic field sensitivity of $6.1 \pm 1.7$ nT *Hz$^{-1/2}$ over a wide range of 1.78 mT. These results open up a new class of experiments for solid-state sensors in which real-time knowledge of the measurement history is exploited to obtain optimal performance.