Understanding the Magnetic Resonance Spectrum of Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in an Ensemble of Randomly Oriented Nanodiamonds
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2017-08-02 |
| Journal | The Journal of Physical Chemistry C |
| Authors | Keunhong Jeong, Anna J. Parker, Ralph H. Page, Alexander Pines, Christophoros C. Vassiliou |
| Institutions | University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |
| Citations | 13 |
Abstract
Section titled āAbstractāNanodiamonds containing nitrogen vacancy (NV-) centers show promise for a number of emerging applications including targeted in vivo imaging and generating nuclear spin hyperpolarization for enhanced NMR spectroscopy and imaging. Here we develop a detailed understanding of the magnetic resonance behavior of NV- centers in an ensemble of nanodiamonds with random crystal orientations. Two-dimensional optically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals the distribution of energy levels, spin populations, and transition probabilities that give rise to a complex spectrum. We identify overtone transitions that are inherently insensitive to crystal orientation and give well-defined transition frequencies that access the entire nanodiamond ensemble. These transitions may be harnessed for high-resolution imaging and generation of nuclear spin hyperpolarization. The data are well described by numerical simulations from the zero- to high-field regimes, including the intermediate regime of maximum complexity. We evaluate the prospects of nanodiamond ensembles specifically for nuclear spin hyperpolarization and show that frequency-swept dynamic nuclear polarization may transfer a large amount of the NV- centerās hyperpolarization to nuclear spins by sweeping over a small region of its spin spectrum.