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Acoustic field induced nonlinear magneto-optical rotation in a diamond mechanical resonator

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2020-05-18
JournalScientific Reports
AuthorsMohsen Ghaderi Goran Abad, Fatemeh Ashrafizadeh Khalifani, Mohammad Mahmoudi
InstitutionsUniversity of Zanjan
Citations2
AnalysisFull AI Review Included

Technical Documentation & Analysis: Acoustic Field Induced Nonlinear Magneto-Optical Rotation in Diamond

Section titled “Technical Documentation & Analysis: Acoustic Field Induced Nonlinear Magneto-Optical Rotation in Diamond”

This document analyzes the requirements and findings of the research paper “Acoustic field induced nonlinear magneto-optical rotation in a diamond mechanical resonator” and maps them directly to the advanced material solutions offered by 6CCVD.


This research demonstrates a novel method for achieving enhanced nonlinear Magneto-Optical Rotation (MOR) using Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers embedded within a high-Q Single Crystal Diamond Mechanical Resonator (DMR).

  • Core Achievement: Complete 90° polarization rotation of a microwave probe field was achieved, significantly enhancing the MOR angle.
  • Mechanism: The enhancement is driven by the nonlinear cross-Kerr effect, induced by an applied acoustic strain field coupled to the NV center’s ground state spin triplet.
  • Material Requirement: The experiment relies critically on high-quality, low-defect Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) to maintain long NV center coherence times and high mechanical Q-factors.
  • System Configuration: A three-level closed-loop quantum system is established in the NV ground states, driven by a static magnetic field and the acoustic strain field.
  • Control Parameters: The MOR angle is highly sensitive and controllable via the intensity of the acoustic field (Ωs) and the relative phase (Ί) of the applied fields.
  • Applications: The scheme is proposed for efficient TE/TM polarization mode switching in optical communication, polarization spectroscopy, and precision quantum measurements.

The following hard data points were extracted from the numerical simulations and experimental context described in the paper:

ParameterValueUnitContext
Host MaterialSingle Crystal Diamond (SCD)N/AHigh-Q Mechanical Resonator (DMR)
NV Center Ground State Splitting2.87GHzZero-field splitting (D)
Static Magnetic Field (B)2GaussCorresponds to Zeeman splitting ΔB = 17Γ
Acoustic Field Rabi Frequency (Ωs)17ΓRequired intensity for maximum MOR enhancement
Probe Field Rabi Frequency (Ωp)0.01ΓWeak probe field approximation
Maximum Polarization Rotation (MOR)90DegreesAchieved via nonlinear cross-Kerr effect
Reference Rate (Γ)2.2MHzScaling factor (Γ = Γ31 = Γ32 = γ3d)
Normalized Absorption Coefficient (αl)107ΓUsed for transmission calculations
Required Surface Quality (SCD)Ra < 1nmImplied for high-Q resonator fabrication

The experiment relies on precise material engineering and the coherent control of spin states using microwave and acoustic fields:

  1. Material Preparation: A high-Q single-crystal diamond mechanical resonator (DMR) is fabricated, containing an ensemble of embedded Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers.
  2. Quantum System Establishment: A three-level closed-loop system is formed using the ground spin triplet state of the NV center (ms = 0, ±1).
  3. Static Field Application: A static magnetic field is applied (Faraday geometry) to induce Zeeman splitting (ΔB), lifting the degeneracy of the ms = ±1 states.
  4. Acoustic Strain Coupling: A piezoelement attached to the diamond surface generates a lattice strain field (acoustic field, Ωs), which coherently couples the electric dipole forbidden transition (ms = -1 ↔ ms = +1).
  5. Probe Field Introduction: A linearly polarized microwave weak probe field (Ωp) is introduced to excite the allowed transitions.
  6. Nonlinear Enhancement: The acoustic field enhances the MOR angle to 90° via the nonlinear cross-Kerr effect, which is highly sensitive to the relative phase (Ί) between the applied fields.
  7. Measurement: The intensity of the transmitted probe field in the orthogonal (Ć·) direction (Ty) is measured to calculate the polarization rotation angle (φ).

The successful replication and extension of this research—particularly the fabrication of high-Q DMRs and the integration of strain coupling mechanisms—requires specialized diamond materials and processing capabilities that 6CCVD provides.

Research Requirement6CCVD Solution & CapabilityTechnical Advantage for Replication
High-Purity Host MaterialOptical Grade Single Crystal Diamond (SCD): SCD plates available up to 500 ”m thickness and substrates up to 10 mm.Essential for achieving the long spin coherence times (T2) and high mechanical Q-factors necessary for strain-mediated coupling experiments.
Custom Resonator GeometryCustom Dimensions & Laser Cutting: We supply plates/wafers up to 125 mm (PCD equivalent) and offer precision laser cutting for custom micron-scale DMR geometries (cantilevers, bridges).Enables the precise fabrication of mechanical resonators required to match the acoustic field resonance frequency.
Strain Transducer IntegrationAdvanced Metalization Services: Internal capability for depositing thin films (Au, Pt, Ti, W, Cu) directly onto the diamond surface.Critical for creating reliable electrical contacts for the piezoelement, ensuring efficient generation and transfer of the acoustic strain field (Ωs).
Surface Quality for LithographyUltra-Smooth Polishing: SCD wafers polished to a surface roughness of Ra < 1 nm.Minimizes surface defects and scattering losses, providing an ideal platform for subsequent nanofabrication and lithography steps required for DMR patterning.
NV Center Density ControlMaterial Engineering Consultation: Our in-house PhD team assists researchers in optimizing MPCVD growth parameters to control nitrogen incorporation, achieving the desired ensemble density of NV centers.Ensures the “many embedded NV centers” required for strong collective magneto-optical effects are present in the active volume.

The paper highlights the complexity of achieving efficient strain-mediated coupling and controlling the nonlinear cross-Kerr effect in the NV ground state. 6CCVD’s in-house PhD team specializes in material selection and optimization for similar Quantum Sensing and Polarization Control projects. We ensure that the diamond substrate meets stringent requirements for high-Q mechanics, spin coherence, and surface preparation, accelerating your research timeline.

For custom specifications or material consultation, visit 6ccvd.com or contact our engineering team directly.

View Original Abstract

Abstract We study the nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (MOR) of a linearly polarized microwave probe field passing through many nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers embedded in a high-Q single-crystal diamond mechanical resonator. On the basis of the strain-mediated coupling mechanism, we establish a three-level closed-loop system in the ground states of the NV center in the presence of a static magnetic field. It is shown that by applying an acoustic field, the birefringence is induced in the system through the cross-Kerr effect, so that the probe field is transmitted with a high intensity and rotated polarization plane by 90 degrees. In addition, we demonstrate that the acoustic field has a major role in enhancing the MOR angle to 90 degrees. Moreover, it is shown that the MOR angle of the polarization plane after passing through the presented system is sensitive to the relative phase of the applied fields. The physical mechanism of the MOR enhancement is explained using the analytical expressions which are in good agreement with the numerical results. The presented scheme can be used as a polarization converter for efficient switching TE/TM modes in optical communication, the depolarization backscattering lidar, polarization spectroscopy and precision measurements.