Probing one-dimensional systems via noise magnetometry with single spin qubits

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical framework for using noise magnetometry with single spin probes, like NV centers, to locally measure charge and spin correlations in one-dimensional topological systems, enabling new insights into edge states and scattering mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to independently measure charge and spin correlations in 1D systems using spin probes, with tunable spatial resolution and temperature-dependent analysis.

Findings

Able to distinguish impurity versus interaction scattering mechanisms.

Allows visualization of 1D edge states with wavevector resolution.

Enables probing of charge and spin excitations across various length scales.

Abstract

The study of exotic one-dimensional states, particularly those at the edges of topological materials, demand new experimental probes that can access the interplay between charge and spin degrees of freedom. One potential approach is to use a single spin probe, such as a Nitrogen Vacancy center in diamond, which has recently emerged as a versatile tool to probe nanoscale systems in a non-invasive fashion. Here we present a theory describing how noise magnetometry with spin probes can directly address several questions that have emerged in experimental studies of 1D systems, including those in topological materials. We show that by controlling the spin degree of freedom of the probe, it is possible to measure locally and independently local charge and spin correlations of 1D systems. Visualization of 1D edge states, as well as sampling correlations with wavevector resolution can be achieved by tuning the probe-to-sample distance. Furthermore, temperature-dependent measurements of magnetic noise can clearly delineate the dominant scattering mechanism (impurities vs. interactions) -- this is of particular relevance to quantum spin Hall measurements where conductance quantization is not perfect. The possibility to probe both charge and spin excitations in a wide range of length scales opens new pathways to bridging the large gap between atomic scale resolution of scanning probes and global transport measurements.