Quadrupolar resonance spectroscopy of individual nuclei using a room-temperature quantum sensor

Abstract

Nuclear quadrupolar resonance (NQR) spectroscopy reveals chemical bonding patterns in materials and molecules through the unique coupling between nuclear spins and local fields. However, traditional NQR techniques require macroscopic ensembles of nuclei to yield a detectable signal, which precludes the study of individual molecules and obscures molecule-to-molecule variations due to local perturbations or deformations. Optically active electronic spin qubits, such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond, facilitate the detection and control of individual nuclei through their local magnetic couplings. Here, we use NV centers to perform NQR spectroscopy on their associated nitrogen-14 ($^{14}$N) nuclei at room temperature. In mapping the nuclear quadrupolar Hamiltonian, we resolve minute variations between individual nuclei. The measurements further reveal correlations between the parameters in the NV center's electronic spin Hamiltonian and the $^{14}$N quadropolar Hamiltonian, as well as a previously unreported Hamiltonian term that results from symmetry breaking. We further design pulse sequences to initialize, readout, and control the quantum evolution of the $^{14}$N nuclear state using the nuclear quadrupolar Hamiltonian.