Strain Sensing Using a Single Silicon Vacancy Center in a Diamond Cantilever

The silicon vacancy center (SiV) in diamond is studied because of its good optical properties which allows for quantum information applications. The SiV spin also has a high strain susceptibility, 4 orders of magnitude larger than that of the NV ground state. Here we investigate the interaction of a mechanical resonator, consisting of a diamond cantilever, and a single SiV spin embedded in it. We explore the potential of this platform for strain sensing as well as quantum information processing. The long lifetime of the cantilever, around 200 ms at 4K, with fiber coupling for optical access, also offers opportunities in quantum information for mechanical memory coupled to an SiV, which has been studied as a memory node for a quantum network.