title: Coherent sensing of a mechanical resonator with a single-spin qubit.
abstract: Mechanical systems can be influenced by a wide variety of small forces, ranging from gravitational to optical, electrical, and magnetic. When mechanical resonators are scaled down to nanometer-scale dimensions, these forces can be harnessed to enable coupling to individual quantum systems. We demonstrate that the coherent evolution of a single electronic spin associated with a nitrogen vacancy center in diamond can be coupled to the motion of a magnetized mechanical resonator. Coherent manipulation of the spin is used to sense driven and Brownian motion of the resonator under ambient conditions with a precision below 6 picometers. With future improvements, this technique could be used to detect mechanical zero-point fluctuations, realize strong spin-phonon coupling at a single quantum level, and implement quantum spin transducers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kolkowitz
authors.forename: Ania C Bleszynski
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Jayich
authors.forename: Quirin P
authors.initials: QP
authors.lastname: Unterreithmeier
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rabl
authors.forename: J G E
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Mikhail D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lukin