Single NV Centers as Sensors for Radio-Frequency Fields

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that a single NV center in diamond can be used as a highly localized sensor to detect and analyze radio-frequency magnetic fields by measuring the phase evolution of its electron spin coherence.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel method for using a single NV center as a quantum sensor for RF magnetic fields, enabling extraction of field components through spin coherence measurements.

Findings

Single NV centers can detect RF magnetic fields.

Phase evolution of spin coherence reveals RF field components.

Experimental validation with diamond NV centers.

Abstract

We show that a single electron spin can serve as a sensor for radio-frequency (RF) magnetic fields. The longitudinal and transverse components of the RF field can be extracted from the phase acquired during free evolution of the spin coherence. In our experimental demonstration, a single electron spin of an NV center in diamond serves as an atomic-size of two components of an RF field.