Single spins in diamond: polarization, readout, and coherent control

The Nitrogen-Vacancy (N-V) color center in diamond is well suited for studying electronic and nuclear spin phenomena, since its spin state can be both initialized and read out optically. Moreover, N-V center spins may allow for quantum information processing, as measurements have shown long room- temperature electron spin coherence times well into the microsecond regime. Here, we report on recent experimental progress towards coherent control and coupling of single spins in diamond. Using magneto-photoluminescence imaging and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements at room temperature, we have investigated single N-V center spins that are coupled to electron spins of nearby nitrogen (N) defects. These N spins are optically inactive (`dark'), but can be detected via the N-V center, as the N-V and the N spins are coupled via the magnetic dipolar interaction. Some of the N-V centers are strongly coupled to only one single N spin, allowing the controlled polarization and readout of this single `dark' N spin \footnote{R. Hanson, F. M. Mendoza, R. J. Epstein and D. D. Awschalom, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 97}, 087601 (2006)}. From time-resolved pump-probe measurements we find the relaxation time of the single N electron spin to be 75 microseconds at room temperature. More recently, we have demonstrated the coherent control of the N-V center spin using optical detection of pulsed ESR and spin echo techniques \footnote{R. Hanson, O. Gywat and D.D. Awschalom, Phys. Rev. B {\bf 74}, 161203(R) (2006)}. Using these tools at different static magnetic fields, we have found that the main source of decoherence for the N-V center spins in our sample is the dipolar coupling to the surrounding bath of N spins. These results pave the way towards room-temperature coherent control of coupled spin states in diamond.