Spin-dependent Force from an NV center Ensemble on a Microlever

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the detection of a spin-dependent force exerted by an ensemble of NV centers on a micro-mechanical oscillator, revealing the interaction between spin states and mechanical motion in a diamond-based system.

Contribution

It reports the first observation of a spin-dependent force from an NV center ensemble on a microlever, using a novel torque measurement technique.

Findings

NV centers exert a measurable spin-dependent torque on a cantilever

The cantilever's fundamental mode is excited by NV spins under a magnetic field

The experiment enables exploration of quantum effects in micro-mechanical systems

Abstract

We report the observation of spin-dependent force induced by Nitrogen Vacancy (NV) centers embedded in a diamond crystal attached to a tethered oscillator. This result was obtained using a spin-dependent torque generated by a micro-diamond containing billions of NV centers, placed at the end of a commercially available silicon cantilever. %We demonstrate that the fundamental flexural mode of the cantilever is excited by the spins of the NV centers. These spins are uniformly coupled to an externally applied homogeneous magnetic field, which enables the NV centers to exert a measurable spin-dependent torque on the cantilever, driving its center of mass motion. Our experiment highlights the intricate interplay between the spin properties of NV centers and the mechanical behavior of the oscillator in the presence of a pure torque, providing a set of tools for exploring quantum effects in state of the art micro-mechanical systems.