A naturally occurring impurity in diamond crystals, the nitrogen-vacancy centre, has been found to have a unique, long-lived single electron spin state that can be controlled and detected optically. An approach to magnetic sensing by coherent control of such diamond spins is demonstrated, and it is shown that precision measurements of nanoTesla magnetic fields are in principle possible.
- J. R. Maze
- P. L. Stanwix
- M. D. Lukin
