Abstract
We present an experimental and theoretical study of electronic spin decoherence in ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers in bulk high-purity diamond at room temperature. Under appropriate conditions, we find ensemble NV spin coherence times comparable to that of single NV with for a sample with natural abundance of and paramagnetic impurity density . We also observe a sharp decrease in the coherence time with misalignment of the static magnetic field relative to the NV electronic spin axis, consistent with theoretical modeling of NV coupling to a nuclear-spin bath. The long coherence times and increased signal-to-noise provided by room-temperature NV ensembles will aid many applications of NV centers in precision magnetometry and quantum information.
- Received 13 October 2010
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.82.201201
©2010 American Physical Society