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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.02507 |
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| _version_ | 1866915830663479296 |
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| author | Wood, A. A. Rice, D. S. Xie, T. Cassells, F. H. Goldblatt, R. M. Delord, T. Hétet, G. Martin, A. M. |
| author_facet | Wood, A. A. Rice, D. S. Xie, T. Cassells, F. H. Goldblatt, R. M. Delord, T. Hétet, G. Martin, A. M. |
| contents | Levitated macroscopic particles exhibiting quantum mechanical effects are garnering increased attention as a means for precision sensing and testing quantum mechanics. Defects in diamond, such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre possess optically-addressable spins with long coherence times at room temperature and offer an intriguing system to examine quantum spin dynamics coupled to a macroscopic classical particle. In this work, we convert the outcome of a quantum measurement on an ensemble of spins into a macroscopic rotation of the host particle via spin-mechanical coupling. Following a sequence of green laser and microwave control pulses, spin-mechanical coupling between the final qubit spin state and the host particle -- an electrically-levitated diamond -- exerts a torque on the particle that deflects a weak near-infra-red laser beam. We measure spin readout contrast in excess of 70\%, and demonstrate pulsed mechanical detection of coherent Rabi oscillations, spin-echo interferometry and $T_1$-induced relaxation. We directly measure with temporal resolution the particle reorientation from a 60\,attonewton-metre spin torque induced by flipping the spins. Our results open up interesting new opportunities for levitated spin-mechanical systems using pulsed control, from improved sensing to the prospect of realising macroscopic quantum superposition states. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_02507 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Measurement of a quantum system using spin-mechanical conversion Wood, A. A. Rice, D. S. Xie, T. Cassells, F. H. Goldblatt, R. M. Delord, T. Hétet, G. Martin, A. M. Quantum Physics Levitated macroscopic particles exhibiting quantum mechanical effects are garnering increased attention as a means for precision sensing and testing quantum mechanics. Defects in diamond, such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre possess optically-addressable spins with long coherence times at room temperature and offer an intriguing system to examine quantum spin dynamics coupled to a macroscopic classical particle. In this work, we convert the outcome of a quantum measurement on an ensemble of spins into a macroscopic rotation of the host particle via spin-mechanical coupling. Following a sequence of green laser and microwave control pulses, spin-mechanical coupling between the final qubit spin state and the host particle -- an electrically-levitated diamond -- exerts a torque on the particle that deflects a weak near-infra-red laser beam. We measure spin readout contrast in excess of 70\%, and demonstrate pulsed mechanical detection of coherent Rabi oscillations, spin-echo interferometry and $T_1$-induced relaxation. We directly measure with temporal resolution the particle reorientation from a 60\,attonewton-metre spin torque induced by flipping the spins. Our results open up interesting new opportunities for levitated spin-mechanical systems using pulsed control, from improved sensing to the prospect of realising macroscopic quantum superposition states. |
| title | Measurement of a quantum system using spin-mechanical conversion |
| topic | Quantum Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.02507 |