Electron induced nanoscale nuclear spin relaxation probed by hyperpolarization injection

TL;DR

This study investigates how a central electronic spin, specifically an NV center, influences nuclear spin relaxation in its nanoscale environment by using hyperpolarization injection to control and probe nuclear spins.

Contribution

It introduces a method to quantify electron-mediated nuclear spin relaxation at the nanoscale using hyperpolarization injection in a nitrogen vacancy center system.

Findings

Relaxation times vary with hyperpolarization levels.

Electron-mediated relaxation extends over several nanometers.

Potential for spatially discriminating nuclear spins in nanoscale environments.

Abstract

We report on experiments that quantify the role of a central electronic spin as a relaxation source for nuclear spins in its nanoscale environment. Our strategy exploits hyperpolarization injection from the electron as a means to controllably probe an increasing number of nuclear spins in the bath, and subsequently interrogate them with high fidelity. Our experiments are focused on a model system of a nitrogen vacancy (NV) center electronic spin surrounded by several hundred 13C nuclear spins. We observe that the 13C transverse spin relaxation times vary significantly with the extent of hyperpolarization injection, allowing the ability to measure the influence of electron mediated relaxation extending over several nanometers. These results suggest interesting new means to spatially discriminate nuclear spins in a nanoscale environment, and have direct relevance to dynamic nuclear polarization and quantum sensors and memories constructed from hyperpolarized nuclei.