Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopy of Individual Nuclear Spins in a Dense Bath

Echo-based spectroscopy of the superhyperfine interaction of an electronic spin with nuclear spins in its surroundings enables detailed insights into the microscopic magnetic environment of spins in solids. Still, it is an outstanding challenge to resolve individual nuclear spins in a dense bath, in...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alexander Ulanowski, Olivier Kuijpers, Benjamin Merkel, Adrian Holzäpfel, Andreas Reiserer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2025-06-01
Series:PRX Quantum
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PRXQuantum.6.020344
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849434397253566464
author Alexander Ulanowski
Olivier Kuijpers
Benjamin Merkel
Adrian Holzäpfel
Andreas Reiserer
author_facet Alexander Ulanowski
Olivier Kuijpers
Benjamin Merkel
Adrian Holzäpfel
Andreas Reiserer
author_sort Alexander Ulanowski
collection DOAJ
description Echo-based spectroscopy of the superhyperfine interaction of an electronic spin with nuclear spins in its surroundings enables detailed insights into the microscopic magnetic environment of spins in solids. Still, it is an outstanding challenge to resolve individual nuclear spins in a dense bath, in which many of them exhibit a comparable coupling strength. This simultaneously requires a high spectral resolution and a large signal-to-noise ratio. However, when probing spin ensembles, dipolar interactions between the dopants can lead to a concentration-dependent trade-off between resolution and signal. Here, we fully eliminate this limitation of previous optical-echo-envelope-modulation spectroscopy experiments by integrating the emitters into a high-finesse resonator, which allows for strong optical echoes even at very low concentrations. To demonstrate its potential, the technique is applied to erbium dopants in yttrium orthosilicate (Er:YSO). Achieving an unprecedented spectral resolution enables precise measurements of the superhyperfine interaction with four of the Y nuclear spins densely surrounding each emitter. The achieved boost of the signal, enabled by the resonator, allows for extending the approach to the lowest concentration possible—to the level of single dopants, thereby providing a tool for detecting and studying individual nuclear spins. Thus, our technique paves the way for an improved understanding of dense nuclear-spin baths in solids.
format Article
id doaj-art-30df4e05af044298b7a69a9a9f325e97
institution Kabale University
issn 2691-3399
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher American Physical Society
record_format Article
series PRX Quantum
spelling doaj-art-30df4e05af044298b7a69a9a9f325e972025-08-20T03:26:39ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPRX Quantum2691-33992025-06-016202034410.1103/PRXQuantum.6.020344Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopy of Individual Nuclear Spins in a Dense BathAlexander UlanowskiOlivier KuijpersBenjamin MerkelAdrian HolzäpfelAndreas ReisererEcho-based spectroscopy of the superhyperfine interaction of an electronic spin with nuclear spins in its surroundings enables detailed insights into the microscopic magnetic environment of spins in solids. Still, it is an outstanding challenge to resolve individual nuclear spins in a dense bath, in which many of them exhibit a comparable coupling strength. This simultaneously requires a high spectral resolution and a large signal-to-noise ratio. However, when probing spin ensembles, dipolar interactions between the dopants can lead to a concentration-dependent trade-off between resolution and signal. Here, we fully eliminate this limitation of previous optical-echo-envelope-modulation spectroscopy experiments by integrating the emitters into a high-finesse resonator, which allows for strong optical echoes even at very low concentrations. To demonstrate its potential, the technique is applied to erbium dopants in yttrium orthosilicate (Er:YSO). Achieving an unprecedented spectral resolution enables precise measurements of the superhyperfine interaction with four of the Y nuclear spins densely surrounding each emitter. The achieved boost of the signal, enabled by the resonator, allows for extending the approach to the lowest concentration possible—to the level of single dopants, thereby providing a tool for detecting and studying individual nuclear spins. Thus, our technique paves the way for an improved understanding of dense nuclear-spin baths in solids.http://doi.org/10.1103/PRXQuantum.6.020344
spellingShingle Alexander Ulanowski
Olivier Kuijpers
Benjamin Merkel
Adrian Holzäpfel
Andreas Reiserer
Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopy of Individual Nuclear Spins in a Dense Bath
PRX Quantum
title Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopy of Individual Nuclear Spins in a Dense Bath
title_full Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopy of Individual Nuclear Spins in a Dense Bath
title_fullStr Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopy of Individual Nuclear Spins in a Dense Bath
title_full_unstemmed Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopy of Individual Nuclear Spins in a Dense Bath
title_short Cavity-Enhanced Spectroscopy of Individual Nuclear Spins in a Dense Bath
title_sort cavity enhanced spectroscopy of individual nuclear spins in a dense bath
url http://doi.org/10.1103/PRXQuantum.6.020344
work_keys_str_mv AT alexanderulanowski cavityenhancedspectroscopyofindividualnuclearspinsinadensebath
AT olivierkuijpers cavityenhancedspectroscopyofindividualnuclearspinsinadensebath
AT benjaminmerkel cavityenhancedspectroscopyofindividualnuclearspinsinadensebath
AT adrianholzapfel cavityenhancedspectroscopyofindividualnuclearspinsinadensebath
AT andreasreiserer cavityenhancedspectroscopyofindividualnuclearspinsinadensebath