Probing Dynamics of a Two-Dimensional Dipolar Spin Ensemble Using Single Qubit Sensor
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2025-02-05 |
| Journal | Physical Review Letters |
| Authors | Kristine Rezai, Soonwon Choi, Mikhail D. Lukin, Alexander O. Sushkov |
| Institutions | Harvard University Press, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Abstract
Section titled āAbstractāUnderstanding the thermalization dynamics of quantum many-body systems at the microscopic level is among the central challenges of modern statistical physics. Here we experimentally investigate individual spin dynamics in a two-dimensional ensemble of electron spins on the surface of a diamond crystal. We use a near-surface nitrogen-vacancy center as a nanoscale magnetic sensor to probe correlation dynamics of individual spins in a dipolar interacting surface spin ensemble. We observe that the relaxation rate for each spin is significantly slower than the naĆÆve expectation based on independently estimated dipolar interaction strengths with nearest neighbors and is strongly correlated with the timescale of the local magnetic field fluctuation. We show that this anomalously slow relaxation rate is due to the presence of strong dynamical disorder and present a quantitative explanation based on dynamic resonance counting. Finally, we use resonant spin-lock driving to control the effective strength of the local magnetic fields and reveal the role of the dynamical disorder in different regimes. Our work paves the way towards microscopic study and control of quantum thermalization in strongly interacting disordered spin ensembles.