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Fazhan Shi

Publications and source records attributed to Fazhan Shi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Electric imaging and dynamics of photo-charged graphene edge

The one-dimensional side gate based on graphene edges shows a significant capability of reducing the channel length of field-effect transistors, further increasing the integration density of semiconductor devices. The nano-scale electric field distribution near the edge provides the physical limit of the effective channel length, however, its imaging under ambient conditions still lacks, which is a critical aspect for the practical deployment of semiconductor devices. Here, we used scanning nitrogen-vacancy microscopy to investigate the electric field distribution near edges of a single-layer-graphene. Real-space scanning maps of photo-charged floating graphene flakes were acquired with a spatial resolution of $\sim$ 10 nm, and the electric edge effect was quantitatively studied by analyzing the NV spin energy level shifts due to the electric Stark effect. Since the graphene flakes are isolated from external electric sources, we brought out a theory based on photo-thermionic effect to explain the charge transfer from graphene to oxygen-terminated diamond probe with a disordered distribution of charge traps. Real-time tracing of electric fields detected the photo-thermionic emission process and the recombination process of the emitted electrons. This study provides a new perspective for graphene-based one-dimensional gates and opto-electronics with nanoscale real-space imaging, and moreover, offers a novel method to tune the chemical environment of diamond surfaces based on optical charge transfer.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Critical fluctuation and noise spectra in two-dimensional Fe$_{3}$GeTe$_{2}$ magnets

Critical fluctuations play a fundamental role in determining the spin orders for low-dimensional quantum materials, especially for recently discovered two-dimensional (2D) magnets. Here we employ the quantum decoherence imaging technique utilizing nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond to explore the critical magnetic fluctuations and the associated temporal spin noise in van der Waals magnet $\rm{Fe_{3}GeTe_{2}}$. We show that the critical fluctuation contributes to a random magnetic field characterized by the noise spectra, which can be changed dramatically near the critical temperature $T_c$. A theoretical model to describe this phenomenon is developed, showing that the spectral density is characterized by a $1/f$ noise near the $T_c$, while away from this point it behaves like a white noise. The crossover at a certain temperature between these two situations is determined by changing of the distance between the sample and the diamond. This work provides a new way to study critical fluctuation and to extract some of the critical exponents, which may greatly deepen our understanding of criticality in a wide range of physical systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Non-invasive magnetocardiography of living rat based on diamond quantum sensor

Magnetocardiography (MCG) has emerged as a sensitive and precise method to diagnose cardiovascular diseases, providing more diagnostic information than traditional technology. However, the sensor limitations of conventional MCG systems, such as large size and cryogenic requirement, have hindered the widespread application and in-depth understanding of this technology. In this study, we present a high-sensitivity, room-temperature MCG system based on the negatively charged Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. The magnetic cardiac signal of a living rat, characterized by an approximately 20 pT amplitude in the R-wave, is successfully captured through non-invasive measurement using this innovative solid-state spin sensor. To detect these extremely weak biomagnetic signals, we utilize sensitivity-enhancing techniques such as magnetic flux concentration. These approaches have enabled us to simultaneously achieve a magnetometry sensitivity of 9 $\text{pT}\cdot \text{Hz}^{-1/2}$ and a sensor scale of 5 $\text{mm}$. By extending the sensing scale of the NV centers from cellular and molecular level to macroscopic level of living creatures, we have opened the future of solid-state quantum sensing technologies in clinical environments.

physics.med-ph↗

Quantum Anomaly Detection with a Spin Processor in Diamond

In the processing of quantum computation, analyzing and learning the pattern of the quantum data are essential for many tasks. Quantum machine learning algorithms can not only deal with the quantum states generated in the preceding quantum procedures, but also the quantum registers encoding classical problems. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate the anomaly detection of quantum states encoding audio samples with a three-qubit quantum processor consisting of solid-state spins in diamond. By training the quantum machine with a few normal samples, the quantum machine can detect the anomaly samples with a minimum error rate of 15.4%. These results show the power of quantum anomaly detection in dealing with machine learning tasks and the potential to detect abnormal output of quantum devices.

quant-ph↗

Correlated sensing with a solid-state quantum multi-sensor system for atomic-scale structural analysis

Developing superior quantum sensing strategies ranging from ultra-high precision measurement to complex structural analysis is at the heart of quantum technologies. While strategies using quantum resources, such as entanglement among sensors, to enhance the sensing precision have been abundantly demonstrated, the signal correlation among quantum sensors is rarely exploited. Here we develop a novel sensing paradigm exploiting the signal correlation among multiple quantum sensors to resolve overlapping signals from multiple targets that individual sensors can't resolve and complex structural construction struggles with. With three nitrogen-vacancy centers as a quantum electrometer system, we demonstrate this multi-sensor paradigm by resolving individual defects' fluctuating electric fields from ensemble signals. We image the three-dimensional distribution of 16 dark electronic point-defects in diamond with accuracy approaching 1.7 nm via a GPS-like localization method. Furthermore, we obtain the real-time charge dynamics of individual point defects and visualize how the dynamics induce the well-known optical spectral diffusion. The multi-sensor paradigm extends the quantum sensing toolbox and offers new possibilities for structural analysis.

quant-ph↗

In situ electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy using single nanodiamond sensors

An ultimate goal of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is to analyze molecular dynamics in place where it occurs, such as in a living cell. The nanodiamond (ND) hosting nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers will be a promising EPR sensor to achieve this goal. However, ND-based EPR spectroscopy remains elusive, due to the challenge of controlling NV centers without well-defined orientations inside a flexible ND. Here, we show a generalized zero-field EPR technique with spectra robust to the sensor's orientation. The key is applying an amplitude modulation on the control field, which generates a series of equidistant Floquet states with energy splitting being the orientation-independent modulation frequency. We acquire the zero-field EPR spectrum of vanadyl ions in aqueous glycerol solution with embedded single NDs, paving the way towards \emph{in vivo} EPR.

quant-ph↗

Phased Geometric Controls of V-Shaped Three-Level System for Zero-field Quantum Sensing

Here we propose and demonstrate a phased geometric control protocol for zero-field double quantum gates in a V-shaped three-level spin system. This method utilizes linearly polarized microwave pulses and exploits the geometric qubit properties to prevent state leakage. By employing specific phased geometric controls, we realize a low-power multi-pulse zero-field sensing technique using single nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. Our method offers a novel approach to implement precise double quantum gate operations with an adaptable driving power, making it a valuable tool for zero-field spin-based quantum technology.

quant-ph↗

Sensing orbital hybridization of graphene-diamond interface with a single spin

Interfacial interactions are crucial in a variety of fields and can greatly affect the electric, magnetic, and chemical properties of materials. Among them, interface orbital hybridization plays a fundamental role in the properties of surface electrons such as dispersion, interaction, and ground states. Conventional measurements of electronic states at interfaces such as scanning tunneling microscopes are all based on electric interactions which, however, suffer from strong perturbation on these electrons. Here we unveil a new experimental detection of interface electrons based on the weak magnetic interactions between them and the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond. With negligible perturbation on the interface electrons, their physical properties can be revealed by the NV spin coherence time. In our system, the interface interaction leads to significant decreases in both the density and coherence time of the electron spins at the diamond-graphene interface. Furthermore, together with electron spin resonance spectra and first-principle calculations, we can retrieve the effect of interface electron orbital hybridization. Our study opens a new pathway toward the microscopic probing of interfacial electronic states with weak magnetic interactions and provides a new avenue for future research on material interfaces.

quant-ph↗

Sub-nanotesla Sensitivity at the Nanoscale with a Single Spin

High-sensitivity detection of microscopic magnetic field is essential in many fields. Good sensitivity and high spatial resolution are mutually contradictory in measurement, which is quantified by the energy resolution limit (ERL). Here we report that a sensitivity of 0.5 ${\bf{nT/\sqrt{Hz}}}$ at the nanoscale is achieved experimentally by using nitrogen-vacancy defects in diamond with depths of tens of nanometers. The achieved sensitivity is substantially enhanced by integrating with multiple quantum techniques, including real-time-feedback initialization, dynamical decoupling with shaped pulses, repetitive readout via quantum logic. Our magnetic sensors will shed new light on searching new physics beyond the standard model, investigating microscopic magnetic phenomena in condensed matters, and detection of life activities at the sub-cellular scale.

quant-ph↗

99.92%-Fidelity CNOT Gates in Solids by Filtering Time-dependent and Quantum Noises

Inevitable interactions with the reservoir largely degrade the performance of non-local gates, which hinders practical quantum computation from coming into existence. Here we experimentally demonstrate a 99.920(7)\%-fidelity controlled-NOT gate by suppressing the complicated noise in a solid-state spin system at room temperature. We found that the fidelity limited at 99\% in previous works results from only considering static noise, and thus, in this work, time-dependent noise and quantum noise are also included. All noises are dynamically corrected by an exquisitely designed shaped pulse, giving the resulting error below $10^{-4}$. The residual gate error is mainly originated from the longitudinal relaxation and the waveform distortion that can both be further reduced technically. Our noise-resistant method is universal, and will benefit other solid-state spin systems.

quant-ph↗

Temperature-dependent behaviors of single spin defects in solids determined with Hz-level precision

Revealing the properties of single spin defects in solids is essential for quantum applications based on solid-state systems. However, it is intractable to investigate the temperature-dependent properties of single defects, due to the low precision for single-defect measurements in contrast to defect ensembles. Here we report that the temperature dependence of the Hamiltonian parameters for single negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV$^{-}$) centers in diamond is precisely measured, and the results find a reasonable agreement with first-principles calculations. Particularly, the hyperfine interactions with randomly distributed $^{13}$C nuclear spins are clearly observed to vary with temperature, and the relevant coefficients are measured with Hz-level precision. The temperature-dependent behaviors are attributed to both thermal expansion and lattice vibrations by first-principles calculations. Our results pave the way for taking nuclear spins as more stable thermometers at nanoscale. The methods developed here for high-precision measurements and first-principles calculations can be further extended to other solid-state spin defects.

quant-ph↗

Observation of uniaxial strain tuned spin cycloid in a freestanding BiFeO3 film

Non-collinear spin order that breaks space inversion symmetry and allows efficient electric-field control of magnetism makes BiFeO$_3$ a promising candidate for applications in low-power spintronic devices. Epitaxial strain effects have been intensively studied and exhibit significant modulation of the magnetic order in BiFeO$_3$, but tuning its spin structure with continuously varied uniaxial strain is still lacking up to date. Here, we apply \emph{in situ} uniaxial strain to a freestanding BiFeO$_3$ film and use scanning NV microscope to image the nanoscale magnetic order in real-space. The strain is continuously increased from 0\% to 1.5\% and four images under different strains are acquired during this period. The images show that the spin cycloid tilts by $\sim 12.6^\circ$ when strain approaches 1.5\%. A first principle calculation has been processed to show that the tilting is energetically favorable under such strain. Our \emph{in situ} strain applying method in combination with scanning NV microscope real-space imaging ability paves a new way in studying the coupling between magnetic order and strain in BiFeO$_3$ films.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Observation of Floquet topological phases with large Chern numbers

One of the most intriguing advantage of Floquet engineering is to generate new phases with large topological invariants. In this work, we experimentally simulate a periodically quenched generalized Haldane model on an NV center in diamond, and observe its Floquet Chern insulator phases with Chern numbers $C=1,2,4$ by imaging the static and dynamic spin textures in momentum space. Our work reveals the power of Floquet driving in transforming system's topology and generating large Chern number phases. It further establishes a unique experimental scheme to detect Floquet topological phases in two and higher spatial dimensions.

quant-ph↗

Picotesla magnetometry of microwave fields with diamond sensors

Developing robust microwave-field sensors is both fundamentally and practically important with a wide range of applications from astronomy to communication engineering. The Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) center in diamond is an attractive candidate for such purpose because of its magnetometric sensitivity, stability and compatibility with ambient conditions. However, the existing NV center-based magnetometers have limited sensitivity in the microwave band. Here we present a continuous heterodyne detection method that can enhance the sensor's response to weak microwaves, even in the absence of spin controls. Experimentally, we achieve a sensitivity of 8.9 pT$\cdot$Hz$^{-1/2}$ for microwaves of 2.9 GHz by simultaneously using an ensemble of $n_{\text{NV}} \sim 2.8\times10^{13}$ NV centers within a sensor volume of $4\times10^{-2}$ mm$^3$. Besides, we also achieve $1/t$ scaling of frequency resolution up to measurement time $t$ of 10000 s. Our method removes the control pulses and thus will greatly benefit the practical application of diamond-based microwave sensors.

quant-ph↗

Self-aligned patterning technique for fabricating high-performance diamond sensor arrays with nanoscale precision

To efficiently align the creation of defect center with photonics structure in nanoscale precision is one of the outstanding challenges for realizing high-performance photonic devices and the application in quantum technology such as quantum sensing, scalable quantum systems, and quantum computing network. Here, we propose a facile self-aligned patterning technique wholly based on conventional engineering technology, with the doping precision can reach ~15nm. Specifically, we demonstrate this technique by fabricating diamond nanopillar sensor arrays, which show high consistency and near-optimal photon counts, high yield approaching the theoretical limit, and high filtering efficiency for different NV centers. Combined with appropriate crystal orientation, a saturated fluorescence rate of 4.65 Mcps and the best reported fluorescence-dependent detection sensitivity of 1900 cps^(-1/2) are achieved. This technique applicable to all similar solid-state systems should facilitate the development of parallel quantum sensing and scalable information processing.

physics.app-ph↗

Spin Quantum Heat Engine Quantified by Quantum Steering

Following the rising interest in quantum information science, the extension of a heat engine to the quantum regime by exploring microscopic quantum systems has seen a boom of interest in the last decade. Although quantum coherence in the quantum system of the working medium has been investigated to play a nontrivial role, a complete understanding of the intrinsic quantum advantage of quantum heat engines remains elusive. We experimentally demonstrate that the quantum correlation between the working medium and the thermal bath is critical for the quantum advantage of a quantum Szilard engine, where quantum coherence in the working medium is naturally excluded. By quantifying the non-classical correlation through quantum steering, we reveal that the heat engine is quantum when the demon can truly steer the working medium. The average work obtained by taking different ways of work extraction on the working medium can be used to verify the real quantum Szilard engine.

quant-ph↗

Resonant Quantum Principal Component Analysis

Principal component analysis has been widely adopted to reduce the dimension of data while preserving the information. The quantum version of PCA (qPCA) can be used to analyze an unknown low-rank density matrix by rapidly revealing the principal components of it, i.e. the eigenvectors of the density matrix with largest eigenvalues. However, due to the substantial resource requirement, its experimental implementation remains challenging. Here, we develop a resonant analysis algorithm with the minimal resource for ancillary qubits, in which only one frequency scanning probe qubit is required to extract the principal components. In the experiment, we demonstrate the distillation of the first principal component of a 4$\times$4 density matrix, with the efficiency of 86.0% and fidelity of 0.90. This work shows the speed-up ability of quantum algorithm in dimension reduction of data and thus could be used as part of quantum artificial intelligence algorithms in the future.

quant-ph↗

Three-dimensional structure and formation mechanism of biskyrmions in uniaxial ferromagnets

Magnetic biskyrmions are observed in experiments but their existences are still under debate. In this work, we present the existence of biskyrmions in a magnetic film with tilted uniaxial anisotropy via micromagnetic simulations. We find biskyrmions and bubbles share a unified three-dimensional structure, in which the relative position of two intrinsic Bloch points dominates the two-dimensional topological property in the film middle. The film edge can drive Bloch points and transform bubbles into biskyrmions via the demagnetizing field. This mechanism is found in the formation process of biskyrmions in confined geometry under zero field. Our work clarifies the structure and formation mechanism of biskyrmions, emphasizing the three-dimensional aspect of skyrmion-related nanostructures.

cond-mat.str-el↗