Decoherence of Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in Diamond

TL;DR

This paper presents an analytical quantum mechanical model for understanding decoherence and dephasing in nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond caused by environmental magnetic noise, with implications for experimental data fitting.

Contribution

It introduces a simple yet comprehensive model that captures the coupled eigenmodes of NV centers under environmental noise, including effects of rf fields, providing new insights into decoherence mechanisms.

Findings

All 9 eigenmodes are coupled due to environmental interactions.

The model allows for analytical solutions of decoherence dynamics.

Implications for experimental data fitting are discussed.

Abstract

We model the decoherence and dephasing of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond due to a noisy paramagnetic bath, with and without the presence of a rf field that couples levels of the ground electronic state manifold, using a simple quantum mechanical model that allows for analytical solutions. The model treats the NV three-level ground state system in the presence of fluctuating magnetic fields that arise from the environment, and that result in decoherence, dephasing and dissipation. We show that all 9 eigenmodes of the three-level system are coupled to each other due to interaction with the environment, and we discuss consequences for fitting experiments in which decoherence plays a role.