[Seminar] Classical Rotation of Quantum Spins and Quantum Rotations of Classical Particles

Dr Alexander Wood, The University of Melbourne

Abstract:

Our work is based around a bulk diamond sample mounted to an extremely fast electric motor, where we perform the standard suite of state preparation, control and measurement while rotating at 200,000rpm. With this experimental setup, we have been able to explore fictitious magnetic fields generated by rotation that can tune the coherence of NV electron spins, better magnetometry via up-conversion of DC magnetic fields to AC magnetic fields, nonlinear quantum phase shifts accompanying physical rotation, quantum control of nuclear spins  and schemes for magic-angle spinning. Exploring how classical rotation affects a quantum spin is comparatively easy compared to the converse: how does a quantum spin affect classical rotation? We are currently in the process of developing an experiment to pursue exactly this. Our experimental setup features nanodiamonds levitated in a Paul trap and we are actively pursuing novel schemes to circumvent laser-induced heating of the nanodiamonds in vacuum and processes to generate reproducible, well-defined nanodiamond geometries. In this talk, I will review our current progress and plans for the future as well discuss opportunities to map key findings from our previous work to levitated quantum systems.

Biography:

Dr Alexander Wood received his PhD on ultracold atoms and Bose-Einstein condensates in 2016 from Monash University, and since 2015 have been at the University of Melbourne. His research at UoM has focused on the NV centre in diamond, and in particular how it can be used to study the effects of physical rotation on quantum mechanical systems. He was awarded the 2021 Woodward Medal in Science and Technology from The University of Melbourne in recognition of his rotating diamond work, and was awarded an ARC DECRA Fellowship in 2021 to develop high-sensitivity diamond magnetometers based on rotation. Since 2022, his work has broadened to include the study of charge dynamics in diamond and other materials, and in 2024 I received an ARC Discovery Grant in collaboration with Prof Andy Martin to demonstrate single spin-mechanical coupling with levitated diamonds.