High-precision mapping of diamond crystal strain using quantum interferometry

Abstract

Crystal strain variation imposes significant limitations on many quantum sensing and information applications for solid-state defect qubits in diamond. Thus, precision measurement and control of diamond crystal strain is a key challenge. Here, we report diamond strain measurements with a unique set of capabilities, including micron-scale spatial resolution, millimeter-scale field-of-view, and a two order-of-magnitude improvement in volume-normalized sensitivity over previous work [1], reaching $5(2)\times 10^{-8}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}\cdot {\mu \mathrm{m}}^3}$ (with spin-strain coupling coefficients representing the dominant systematic uncertainty). We use strain-sensitive spin-state interferometry on ensembles of nitrogen vacancy (NV) color centers in single-crystal CVD bulk diamond with low strain gradients. This quantum interferometry technique provides insensitivity to magnetic-field inhomogeneity from the electronic and nuclear spin bath, thereby enabling long NV ensemble electronic spin dephasing times and enhanced strain sensitivity. We demonstrate the strain-sensitive measurement protocol first on a scanning confocal laser microscope, providing quantitative measurement of sensitivity as well as three-dimensional strain mapping; and second on a wide-field imaging quantum diamond microscope (QDM). Our strain microscopy technique enables fast, sensitive characterization for diamond material engineering and nanofabrication; as well as diamond-based sensing of strains applied externally, as in diamond anvil cells or embedded diamond stress sensors, or internally, as by crystal damage due to particle-induced nuclear recoils.

14 pages, 8 figures

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Cited by in corpus (9)

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• Spectroscopy Study on NV Sensors in Diamond-based High-pressure Devices
• Mineral Detection of Neutrinos and Dark Matter. A Whitepaper
• Directional Detection of Dark Matter Using Solid-State Quantum Sensing
• Quantum Fisher Information in Curved Spacetime: Dirac Particles in Noisy Channels around a Schwarzschild Black Hole
• Robust external spin hyperpolarization of quadrupolar nuclei enabled by strain