About the project
The objective of this project is to develop a gyroscope using a micron-sized levitated nanodiamond containing nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defects. We will leverage the properties of the NVs to accurately measure particle rotation, overcoming limitations found in other levitated optomechanics platforms with the goal of delivering a competitive levitated micro-inertial sensor.
Levitated nanomechanical systems have the potential to deliver the next generation of highly sensitive portable gyroscopes, providing a more economical alternative to advanced cold-atom-based quantum inertial sensors. However, achieving their full potential depends on further progress in nanomanipulation. Currently a main challenge is to accurately detect the orientation of all three particle axes. At present, only one of the three rotational degrees of freedom of an optically levitated particle can be efficiently read out. Additionally, in the scenario of fast-rotating particles, due to gyroscopic stabilization of their orientation, almost no information is available.
In this project, we propose to investigate a novel hybrid nanomechanical system comprising the internal spin degree of freedom of a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre embedded in a levitated nanodiamond. In the presence of magnetic field, the transition frequencies of the NV centres become orientation-dependent, meaning that they can be used to measure slowly varying particle orientations, for example, through techniques like Ramsey interferometry. Additionally, the geometric phase associated with the NV centres enables the measurement of rapid rotational movements, making them versatile tools for detecting both slow and fast changes in orientation, which is especially relevant in gyroscope applications.
In addition to the University of Southampton's supervisor, this project has Dr Joanna A. Zielinska as an external supervisor.
