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Kazuo Nakamura

Publications and source records attributed to Kazuo Nakamura.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

Blueprint for Diamond Magnetometry: Unraveling Quantum Dephasing of Nitrogen-Vacancy Center Ensembles in Diamond

Diamonds with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center ensembles are one of the most promising solid-state quantum platforms for various sensing applications. The combination of a long spin dephasing time ($T_2^*$) and a high NV center concentration is crucial for pushing the sensitivity limits. In this work, we propose a systematic measurement approach to quantify the electron spin dephasing in NV center ensembles and analyze the contributions of various sources to the dephasing time, including NV-NV interactions, strain and electric field distributions, $^{13}$C nuclear spins, and P1 electron spins. Our method is validated using a series of high-performance diamond samples, providing a comprehensive understanding of dephasing mechanisms and revealing correlations between NV concentration and different dephasing sources. Based on these insights, we further evaluate and propose strategies to improve the achievable sensitivity limits for DC magnetic field measurements.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2021

Quantum-assisted Distortion-free audio signal sensing

Quantum sensors are keeping the cutting-edge sensitivities in metrology. However, for high-sensitive measurements of arbitrary signals, limitations in linear dynamic range could introduce distortions when sensing the frequency, magnitude and phase of unknown signals. Here, we overcome these limitations with advanced sensing protocol that combines quantum phase-sensitive detection with heterodyne readout. We present theoretical and experimental investigations using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, showing the ability to sense radio signals with a 98 dB linear dynamic range, a 31 pT/Hz$^{1/2}$ sensitivity, and arbitrary frequency resolution. Further, we perform the quantum-assisted distortion-free audio signal (melody, speech) sensing with high fidelity. The methods developed here could broaden the horizon for quantum sensors towards applications in telecommunication, where high-fidelity and low-distortion at multiple frequency bands within small sensing volumes are required.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2021

Diamond magnetometry and gradiometry towards subpicotesla DC field measurement

Nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have developed into a powerful solid-state platform for compact quantum sensors. However, high sensitivity measurements usually come with additional constraints on the pumping intensity of the laser and the pulse control applied. Here, we demonstrate high sensitivity NV ensemble based magnetic field measurements with low-intensity optical excitation. DC magnetometry methods like, e.g., continuous-wave optically detected magnetic resonance and continuously excited Ramsey measurements combined with lock-in detection, are compared to get an optimization. Gradiometry is also investigated as a step towards unshielded measurements of unknown gradients. The magnetometer demonstrates a minimum detectable field of 0.3-0.7 pT in a 73 s measurement by further applying a flux guide with a sensing dimension of 2 mm, corresponding to a magnetic field sensitivity of 2.6-6 pT/Hz^0.5. Combined with our previous efforts on the diamond AC magnetometry, the diamond magnetometer is promising to perform wide bandwidth magnetometry with picotesla sensitivity and a cubic-millimeter sensing volume under ambient conditions.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2020

Integrated and portable magnetometer based on nitrogen-vacancy ensembles in diamond

Magnetic field sensors that exploit quantum effects have shown that they can outperform classical sensors in terms of sensitivity enabling a range of novel applications in future, such as a brain machine interface. Negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have emerged as a promising high sensitivity platform for measuring magnetic fields at room temperature. Transferring this technology from laboratory setups into products and applications, the total size of the sensor, the overall power consumption, and the costs need to be reduced and optimized. Here, we demonstrate a fiber-based NV magnetometer featuring a complete integration of all functional components without using any bulky laboratory equipment. This integrated prototype allows portable measurement of magnetic fields with a sensitivity of 344 pT/ SqrtHz.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2020

Photoluminescence at the ground state level anticrossing of the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond

The nitrogen-vacancy center (NV center) in diamond at magnetic fields corresponding to the ground state level anticrossing (GSLAC) region gives rise to rich photoluminescence (PL) signals due to the vanishing energy gap between the electron spin states, which enables to have an effect on the NV center's luminescence for a broad variety of environmental couplings. In this article we report on the GSLAC photoluminescence signature of NV ensembles in different spin environments at various external fields. We investigate the effects of transverse electric and magnetic fields, P1 centers, NV centers, and the $^{13}$C nuclear spins, each of which gives rise to a unique PL signature at the GSLAC. The comprehensive analysis of the couplings and related optical signal at the GSLAC provides a solid ground for advancing various microwave-free applications at the GSLAC, including but not limited to magnetometry, spectroscopy, dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detection. We demonstrate that not only the most abundant $^{14}$NV center but the $^{15}$NV can also be utilized in such applications and that nuclear spins coupled to P1 centers can be polarized directly by the NV center at the GSLAC, through a giant effective nuclear $g$-factor arising from the NV center-P1 center-nuclear spin coupling. We report on new alternative for measuring defect concentration in the vicinity of NV centers and on the optical signatures of interacting, mutually aligned NV centers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2020

Microwave-free vector magnetometry with nitrogen-vacancy centers along a single axis in diamond

Sensing vector magnetic fields is critical to many applications in fundamental physics, bioimaging, and material science. Magnetic-field sensors exploiting nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers are particularly compelling as they offer high sensitivity and spatial resolution even at nanoscale. Achieving vector magnetometry has, however, often required applying microwaves sequentially or simultaneously, limiting the sensors' applications under cryogenic temperature. Here we propose and demonstrate a microwave-free vector magnetometer that simultaneously measures all Cartesian components of a magnetic field using NV ensembles in diamond. In particular, the present magnetometer leverages the level anticrossing in the triplet ground state at 102.4 mT, allowing the measurement of both longitudinal and transverse fields with a wide bandwidth from zero to megahertz range. Full vector sensing capability is proffered by modulating fields along the preferential NV axis and in the transverse plane and subsequent demodulation of the signal. This sensor exhibits a root mean square noise floor of about 300 pT/Hz^(1/2) in all directions. The present technique is broadly applicable to both ensemble sensors and potentially also single-NV sensors, extending the vector capability to nanoscale measurement under ambient temperatures.

physics.app-ph↗
arXiv2019

Zero-field magnetometry based on nitrogen-vacancy ensembles in diamond

Ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamonds are widely utilized for magnetometry, magnetic-field imaging and magnetic-resonance detection. They have not been used for magnetometry at zero ambient field because Zeeman sublevels lose first-order sensitivity to magnetic fields as they are mixed due to crystal strain or electric fields. In this work, we realize a zero-field (ZF) magnetometer using polarization-selective microwave excitation in a 12C-enriched HPHT crystal sample. We employ circularly polarized microwaves to address specific transitions in the optically detected magnetic resonance and perform magnetometry with a noise floor of 250 pT/Hz^(1/2). This technique opens the door to practical applications of NV sensors for ZF magnetic sensing, such as ZF nuclear magnetic resonance, and investigation of magnetic fields in biological systems.

physics.app-ph↗
arXiv2019

Robust and accurate electric field sensing with solid state spin ensembles

Electron spins in solids constitute remarkable quantum sensors. Individual defect centers in diamond were used to detect individual nuclear spins with nanometer scale resolution, and ensemble magnetometers rival SQUID and vapor cell magnetometers when taking into account room temperature operation and size. NV center spins can also detect electric field vectors, despite their weak coupling to electric fields. %even that of an isolated fundamental charge, despite their weak coupling to electric fields. Here, we employ ensembles of NV center spins to measure macroscopic AC electric vector fields with high precision. We utilize low strain, $^{12}$C enriched diamond to achieve maximum sensitivity and tailor the spin Hamiltonian via proper magnetic field adjustment to map out the AC electric field strength and polarization and arrive at refined electric field coupling constants. For high precision measurements we combine classical lock-in detection with aspects from quantum phase estimation for effective suppression of technical noise. Eventually, this enables $t^{-1/2}$ uncertainty scaling of the electric field strength over extended averaging periods, enabling us to reach a sensitivity down to $10^{-7}$ V/$μ$m.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2014

A subpicotesla diamond magnetometer

Diamond defect centers are promising solid state magnetometers. Single centers allow for high spatial resolution field imaging but are limited in their magnetic field sensitivity to around 10 nT/Hz^(1/2) at room-temperature. Using defect center ensembles sensitivity can be scaled as N^(1/2) when N is the number of defects. In the present work we use an ensemble of 1e11 defect centers for sensing. By carefully eliminating all noise sources like laser intensity fluctuations, microwave amplitude and phase noise we achieve a photon shot noise limited field sensitivity of 0.9 pT/Hz^(1/2) at room-temperature with an effective sensor volume of 8.5e-4 mm^3. The smallest field we measured with our device is 100 fT. While this denotes the best diamond magnetometer sensitivity so far, further improvements using decoupling sequences and material optimization could lead to fT/Hz^(1/2) sensitivity.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

On the Matrix Representation of Quantum Operations

This paper considers two frequently used matrix representations -- what we call the $χ$- and $\mathcal{S}$-matrices -- of a quantum operation and their applications. The matrices defined with respect to an arbitrary operator basis, that is, the orthonormal basis for the space of linear operators on the state space are considered for a general operation acting on a single or two \textit{d}-level quantum system (qudit). We show that the two matrices are given by the expansion coefficients of the Liouville superoperator as well as the associated bijective, positive operator on the doubled-space defined with respect to two types of induced operator basis having different tensor product structures, i.e., Kronecker products of the relevant operator basis and dyadic products of the associated bipartite state basis. The explicit conversion formulas between the two matrices are established as a computable matrix multiplication. Extention to more qudits case is trivial. Several applications of these matrices and the conversion formulas in quantum information science and technology are presented.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Experimental Investigation of Nonideal Two-qubit Quantum-state Filter by Quantum Process Tomography

We used quantum process tomography to investigate and identify the function of a nonideal two-qubit quantum-state filters subject to various degree of decoherence. We present a simple decoherence model that explains the experimental results and point out that a beamsplitter followed by a post-selection process is not, as commonly believed, a singlet-state filter. In the ideal case it is a triplet-state filter.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2004

Antinormally Ordered Photodetection of Continuous-mode Field

When the electromagnetic field is detected by stimulated emission, rather than by absorption, antinormally ordered photodetection can be realized. One of the distinct features of this photodetection scheme is its sensitivity to zero-point fluctuation due to the existence of the spontaneous emission. We have recently succeeded in experimentally demonstrating the antinormally ordered photodetection by exploiting nondegenerate stimulated parametric down-conversion process. To properly account for the experiment, the detection process needs to be treated with time-dependent and continuous-mode operators because of the broadband nature of the parametric down-conversion process and the wide spectrum of the pump that we used. Here, we theoretically analyze the antinormally ordered intensity correlation of the continuous-mode fields by pursuing the detection process in the Heisenberg picture. It is shown that the excess positive correlation due to zero-point fluctuation reduces because of the frequency-distinguishability of the two emitted photon pairs.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2004

Observation of Antinormally Ordered Hanbury-Brown--Twiss Correlations

We have measured antinormally ordered Hanbury-Brown--Twiss correlations for coherent states of electromagnetic field by using stimulated parametric down-conversion process. Photons were detected by stimulated emission, rather than by absorption, so that the detection responded not only to actual photons but also to zero-point fluctuations via spontaneous emission. The observed correlations were distinct from normally ordered ones as they showed excess positive correlations, i.e., photon bunching effects, which arose from the thermal nature of zero-point fluctuations.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2004

Measured Quantum Fourier Transform of 1024 Qubits on Fiber Optics

Quantum Fourier transform (QFT) is a key function to realize quantum computers. A QFT followed by measurement was demonstrated on a simple circuit based on fiber-optics. The QFT was shown to be robust against imperfections in the rotation gate. Error probability was estimated to be 0.01 per qubit, which corresponded to error-free operation on 100 qubits. The error probability can be further reduced by taking the majority of the accumulated results. The reduction of error probability resulted in a successful QFT demonstration on 1024 qubits.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2003

Planar lightwave circuits for quantum cryptographic systems

We propose a quantum cryptographic system based on a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) and report on optical interference experiments using PLC-based unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs). The interferometers exhibited high-visibility (>0.98) interference even when the polarisation in the optical fibre connecting the two MZIs was randomly modulated. The results demonstrate that a PLC-based setup is suitable for achieving a polarisation-insensitive phase-coding cryptographic system.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2003

Single-photon interference experiment over 100 km for quantum cryptography system using a balanced gated-mode photon detector

We demonstrate single-photon interference over 100 km using a balanced gated-mode photon detector and a plug & play system for quantum key distribution. The visibility with 0.1 photon/pulse was more than 80% after 100 km transmission. This corresponds to the fidelity of a quantum cryptography system of more than 90% and a QBER of less than 10%, satisfying the security criteria.

quant-ph↗