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6CCVD Research

Nuclear Spin Gyroscope based on the Nitrogen Vacancy Center in Diamond

At a Glance

Section titled “At a Glance”
MetadataDetails
Publication Date2021-05-14
JournalPhysical Review Letters
AuthorsVladimir V. Soshenko, Stepan V. Bolshedvorskii, Olga R. Rubinas, Vadim N. Sorokin, Andrey N. Smolyaninov
InstitutionsP.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Texas A&M University
Citations83
AnalysisFull AI Review Included

Executive Summary

Section titled “Executive Summary”
  • Core Technology: Demonstrated a proof-of-concept solid-state gyroscope utilizing the hyperpolarized 14N nuclear spin ensemble within Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers in diamond.
  • Key Achievement: Reported the first direct gyroscopic measurement of sub-Hz rotation using a solid-state nuclear spin ensemble, verified against a commercial MEMS gyroscope.
  • Sensing Mechanism: Rotation is detected via dynamic phase acquisition resulting from a pseudomagnetic field induced by the angular velocity.
  • Error Mitigation: Systematic shifts caused by temperature drift and stray magnetic fields were actively compensated using integrated co-magnetometer and co-thermometer feedback loops based on the same NV ensemble.
  • Performance Metrics: The sensor achieved a measured noise floor of 52 deg/s/√Hz, with the magnetic field compensation system achieving a sensitivity of 10 nT/√Hz.
  • Operational Setup: The entire experimental apparatus, including optics, RF/MW control, and FPGA, was mounted on a rotating platform for autonomous operation and calibration, paving the way for low-drift, compact devices.

Technical Specifications

Section titled “Technical Specifications”
ParameterValueUnitContext
Sensing Element14N Nuclear Spin EnsembleN/AAssociated with NV centers (I=1).
Nuclear Spin Polarization (mI=0)77 ± 1%Achieved via recursive transfer sequence.
Nuclear Spin Coherence Time (T2*)2.37msMeasured via Double Quantum (DQ) Ramsey spectroscopy.
Gyro Noise Floor (Measured)52deg/s/√HzEstimated from Power Spectral Density (PSD) of gyro output.
Magnetometer Noise Floor10nT/√HzUsed for magnetic field compensation (Comagnetometer).
Equivalent Rotation Noise (Mag)11deg/s/√HzNoise floor contribution from magnetic field uncertainty.
Working Point (Ramsey Delay)1944”sTime point selected for maximum derivative measurement.
Diamond NV Concentration~1ppmUsed in the diamond plate sample (Velman LLC).
Laser Wavelength/Power520 nm, 100 mWN/AUsed for optical pumping and readout.
Constant Magnetic Field (B0)~10GaussApplied along the NV axis (111 crystallographic axis).
Maximum Turntable Speed1/3HzUsed for calibration measurements.
Electron Resonance Shift (Startup)+300kHzCaused by a temperature shift of approximately -4 K during thermalization.

Key Methodologies

Section titled “Key Methodologies”

  1. Nuclear Spin Hyperpolarization:

    • The 14N nuclear spin ensemble is initialized into the mI = 0 state using a recursive population transfer sequence.
    • This involves spectrally narrow Microwave (MW) π pulses to transfer population between electron spin states (mS = 0 to mS = ±1) conditioned on nuclear spin state, followed by optical pumping (green laser) to reset the electron spin to mS = 0.

  2. Rotation Sensing via DQ Ramsey Spectroscopy:

    • A broadband Radiofrequency (RF) π/2 pulse (frequency f5 ~ 5 MHz) prepares the nuclear spin into a “bright” superposition state (|b) = (|1) + |-1))/√2).
    • The free evolution period (fixed at 2 ms) allows the nuclear spin to acquire a dynamic phase (φ = 2(ÎłnBz + Ω)τ), where Ω is the rotation rate and ÎłnBz is the Zeeman splitting.
    • The factor of 2 arises because the Ramsey phase accumulates for the superposition of states with ΔmI = 2 (Double Quantum interference).

  3. Referenced Readout and Signal Recalculation:

    • The nuclear spin state is converted into a measurable fluorescence contrast signal via a selective MW π pulse.
    • An optimized referenced readout technique is employed, utilizing two consecutive measurements with alternating free precession times (tp and tn) corresponding to positive and negative slopes of the Ramsey fringe.
    • This differential measurement (Equation 7) effectively subtracts low-frequency noise related to initialization fidelity and laser/MW power fluctuations.

  4. Systematic Shift Compensation (Co-sensing):

    • A co-magnetometer is implemented by continuously probing the mS = ±1 electron spin transitions using digital frequency modulation (2 kHz and 4 kHz modulation frequencies). This provides feedback to exclude the magnetic field component (ÎłnΔBz) from the rotation signal (ΔΩ).
    • A co-thermometer is realized using information from both ESR transitions to compensate for temperature-related shifts in the electron and nuclear hyperfine terms.

  5. Autonomous Rotation Setup:

    • The entire experimental apparatus (including laser, MW/RF generators, FPGA control, and laptop) is mounted on a high-load turntable and powered by a UPS, enabling full, autonomous rotation and wireless control for calibration.

Commercial Applications

Section titled “Commercial Applications”
  • High-Precision Inertial Navigation Systems (INS): Provides a compact, solid-state alternative to Ring Laser Gyroscopes (RLGs) and Fiber Optic Gyroscopes (FOGs), offering superior long-term bias stability compared to MEMS devices.
  • GPS-Denied Navigation: Essential for steering and localization of autonomous vehicles (UAVs, UGVs) operating in environments where satellite signals are unavailable (e.g., tunnels, urban canyons, underwater).
  • Solid-State Quantum Sensing: Advances the development of chip-scale quantum sensors, leveraging the long coherence times of NV centers for robust, miniaturized devices.
  • Aerospace and Defense: Potential for highly stable, low-drift gyroscopes required for precision guidance and stabilization systems in compact form factors.
  • High-Stability Robotics: Applications in advanced robotics requiring extremely stable angular rate measurement over long operational periods without drift.
View Original Abstract

A rotation sensor is one of the key elements of inertial navigation systems and compliments most cell phone sensor sets used for various applications. Currently, inexpensive and efficient solutions are mechanoelectronic devices, which nevertheless lack long-term stability. Realization of rotation sensors based on spins of fundamental particles may become a drift-free alternative to such devices. Here, we carry out a proof-of-concept experiment, demonstrating rotation measurements on a rotating setup utilizing nuclear spins of an ensemble of nitrogen vacancy centers as a sensing element with no stationary reference. The measurement is verified by a commercially available microelectromechanical system gyroscope.

Tech Support

Section titled “Tech Support”

Original Source

Section titled “Original Source”

References

Section titled “References”
  1. 2019 - XXV International Congress Of Aeronautics And Astronautics, Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics
  2. 1988 - 34th International Instrumentation Symposium, Instrument Society of America
  3. 2014 - The Fiber-Optic Gyroscope, Second Edition

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