Nuclear magnetic resonance on a single atom with a local probe

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates nuclear magnetic resonance on a single atom using a local probe, enabling precise control and characterization of nuclear spins at the atomic scale for quantum information applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method for performing NMR on a single atom with a local probe, overcoming addressability challenges and enabling direct control of nuclear spins in quantum systems.

Findings

Resolved nuclear spin transitions of a single 47Ti atom

Successfully driven nuclear spins irrespective of electron spin hybridization

Confirmed multiple NMR transitions consistent with eigenenergy calculations

Abstract

The nuclear spin is a prime candidate for quantum information applications due to its weak coupling to the environment and inherently long coherence times. However, this weak coupling also challenges the addressability of the nuclear spin. Here we demonstrate nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) on a single on-surface atom using a local scanning probe. We employ an electron-nuclear double resonance measurement scheme and resolve nuclear spin transitions of a single 47Ti isotope with a nuclear spin of I = 5/2. The quadrupole interaction enables to resolve multiple NMR transitions, which are consistent with our eigenenergy calculations. Our experimental results indicate that the nuclear spin can be driven efficiently irrespective of its hybridization with the electron spin, which is required for direct control of the nuclear spin in the long-lifetime regime. This investigation of NMR on a single atom in a platform with atomic-scale control is a valuable development for other platforms deploying nuclear spins for characterization techniques or quantum information technology.