PT Journal
AU Arcizet, O
   Jacques, V
   Siria, A
   Poncharal, P
   Vincent, P
   Seidelin, S
TI A single nitrogen-vacancy defect coupled to a nanomechanical oscillator
SO Nature Physics
JI Nat. Phys.
PY 2011
BP 879
EP 883
VL 7
IS 11
DE fromIPMRAS
AB We position a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre hosted in a diamond nanocrystal at the extremity of a SiC nanowire. This novel hybrid system couples the degrees of freedom of two radically different systems: a nanomechanical oscillator and a single quantum object. We probe the dynamics of the nano-resonator through time-resolved nanocrystal fluorescence and photon-correlation measurements, conveying the influence of a mechanical degree of freedom on a non-classical photon emitter. Moreover, by immersing the system in a strong magnetic field gradient, we induce a magnetic coupling between the nanomechanical oscillator and the NV electronic spin, providing nanomotion readout through a single electronic spin. Spin-dependent forces inherent to this coupling scheme are essential in a variety of active cooling and entanglement protocols used in atomic physics, and should now be within the reach of nanomechanical hybrid systems.
ER