Depolarization dynamics in a strongly interacting solid-state spin ensemble

TL;DR

This paper investigates how dense ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond lose spin polarization, revealing fast, density-dependent relaxation behaviors explained by a microscopic model involving interactions, disorder, and dissipation.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive microscopic model that accurately predicts depolarization dynamics in strongly interacting solid-state spin ensembles, aligning with experimental data.

Findings

Depolarization is fast and density-dependent.

The model accounts for non-exponential relaxation.

Results enable controlled many-body spin experiments.

Abstract

We study the depolarization dynamics of a dense ensemble of dipolar interacting spins, associated with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. We observe anomalously fast, density-dependent, and non-exponential spin relaxation. To explain these observations, we propose a microscopic model where an interplay of long-range interactions, disorder, and dissipation leads to predictions that are in quantitative agreement with both current and prior experimental results. Our results pave the way for controlled many-body experiments with long-lived and strongly interacting ensembles of solid-state spins.