Rotation Sensing with Nuclear Spins in Diamond

We demonstrate a solid-state rotation sensor based on the ¹⁴N nuclear spins intrinsic to nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers in diamond [1]. The operation of diamond rotation sensors are analogs of vapor-based NMR devices, constituting a scalable and miniaturizable solid-state platform, capable of operation in a broad range of environmental conditions. The sensor employs direct optical polarization and readout of the ¹⁴N nuclear spins and a radio-frequency double-quantum pulse protocol that monitors ¹⁴N nuclear spin precession. This measurement protocol suppresses the sensitivity to temperature variations in the ¹⁴N quadrupole splitting, and it does not require microwave pulses resonant with the NV electron spin transitions. The nuclear spin interferometric technique developed in this work may find application in solid-state frequency references and in extending tests of fundamental interactions at micro- and nanoscale to those involving nuclear spins. With further improvements, it may also find use in practical devices such as miniature diamond gyroscopes for navigational applications.

[1] A. Jarmola, S. Lourette, V. M. Acosta, A. G. Birdwell, P. Blümler, D. Budker, T. Ivanov, V. S. Malinovsky. Sci. Adv. 7, eabl3840 (2021)