Nonlinear Wave-Spin Interactions in Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates nonlinear wave-spin interactions in NV centers, revealing effects like sum/difference frequency resonance and electromagnetically induced transparency, with implications for quantum control and sensing.

Contribution

It introduces a method to realize and verify nonlinear effects in NV centers through microwave-spin interactions, advancing quantum sensing technologies.

Findings

Observation of sum and difference frequency resonances.

Verification of phase coherence via two-photon Rabi oscillations.

Potential for enhanced quantum control and sensing applications.

Abstract

Nonlinear phenomena represent one of the central topics in the study of wave-matter interactions and constitute the key blocks for various applications in optical communication, computing, sensing, and imaging. In this work, we show that by employing the interactions between microwave photons and electron spins of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, one can realize a variety of nonlinear effects, ranging from the resonance at the sum or difference frequency of two or more waves to electromagnetically induced transparency from the interference between spin transitions. We further verify the phase coherence through two-photon Rabi-oscillation measurements. The highly sensitive, optically detected NV-center dynamics not only provides a platform for studying magnetically induced nonlinearities but also promises novel functionalities in quantum control and quantum sensing.