Quantum sensing of nanophotonic spin density
At a Glance
Section titled âAt a Glanceâ| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2021-08-03 |
| Authors | Farid Kalhor, LiâPing Yang, Leif Bauer, Zubin Jacob |
| Institutions | Northeast Normal University, Purdue University West Lafayette |
| Citations | 1 |
Abstract
Section titled âAbstractâPhotonic spin density (PSD) in the near-field gives rise to exotic phenomena such as photonic skyrmions, optical spin-momentum locking and unidirectional topological edge waves. Experimental investigation of these phenomena requires a nanoscale probe that directly interacts with PSD. Here, we propose and demonstrate that the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond can be used as a quantum sensor for detecting the spinning nature of photons. This room temperature magnetometer can measure the local polarization of light in ultra-subwavelength volumes through photon-spin-induced virtual transitions. The direct detection of lightâs spin density at the nanoscale using NV centers in diamond opens a new frontier for studying exotic phases of photons as well as future on-chip applications.