# Enhanced spin state readout of Nitrogen-Vacancy centers in diamond using IR fluorescence

## TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel IR fluorescence method to significantly improve the spin state readout of NV centers in diamond, enhancing sensitivity and enabling single-shot measurements for quantum sensing and information processing.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a new IR fluorescence technique for NV centers that increases readout efficiency by an order of magnitude, advancing quantum sensing and computing capabilities.

## Key findings

- Expected an order of magnitude increase in signal-to-noise ratio.
- Potential for single-shot spin readout.
- Enhanced sensitivity for NV-based applications.

## Abstract

Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have been used in recent years for a wide range of applications, from nano-scale NMR to quantum computation. These applications depend strongly on the efficient readout of the NV center's spin state, which is currently limited. Here we suggest a method of reading the NV center's spin state, using the weak optical transition in the singlet manifold. We numerically calculate the number of photons collected from each spin state using this technique, and show that an order of magnitude enhancement in spin readout signal-to-noise ratio is expected, making single-shot spin readout within reach. Thus, this method could lead to an order of magnitude enhancement in sensitivity for ubiquitous NV based sensing applications, and remove a major obstacle from using NVs for quantum information processing.