Project Brief: The President and Fellows of Harvard College

NIST Measurement Science and Engineering Research Grants

QUANTUM CONTROL TECHNIQUES FOR DIAMOND-BASED MAGNETOMETERS WITH APPLICATIONS TO QUANTUM INFORMATION PROCESSING

Develop nanometer-scale, diamond-based magnetic field sensors that employ the rules of quantum mechanics to detect magnetic fields with extremely high sensitivity.

RECIPIENT: The President and Fellows of Harvard College, Cambridge, MA

• Project duration: 3 Years
• Total NIST Funding: $1,441,440

In recent years, metrology and quantum information science have emerged as complementary areas of research. Ideas from quantum information theory, such as the use of entangled states, have been proposed to improve the sensitivity of measurement devices, while new sensing strategies and tools have been devised to meet the needs of quantum information processing, in particular for single qubit readout. This project involves applying the principles of quantum information science to the development of nanoscale magnetic field sensors based on single spin qubits in diamond. Specifically, the project will take advantage of quantum control techniques and advances in measurement and entanglement theory to develop a magnetic sensor with an unprecedented combination of sensitivity and spatial resolution. The sensor's possible applications will be investigated, including performing qubit readouts and transfers, and detecting magnetic fields at the level of single electronic and nuclear spins.

Public contact (for project information):

Kevin Galvin, 617-495-1585
kevin_galvin [at] harvard.edu (kevin_galvin[at]harvard[dot]edu)