Strain-Induced Detuning of a Dressed Nitrogen-Vacancy Qubit: Effective Two-Level Theory and Its Validity

Nv-Center Qubit is a spin-photon qubit approach for quantum computing hardware. Source: latex text.

Abstract

The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond can be operated as a microwave-dressed qubit. In the ideal two-level limit, its transition frequency is first-order insensitive to static magnetic fields, providing robustness against magnetic detuning noise. In practical diamond devices, however, residual transverse crystal strain mixes the $|m_s=\pm 1⟩$ spin sublevels and modifies the dressed qubit. In this study, we derive an analytical effective two-level model of a strained dressed NV qubit by perturbatively eliminating the far-detuned spectator state from the full three-level dressed Hamiltonian. We obtain closed-form expressions for the dressed-state splitting, the spin-locking mixing angle, and the longitudinal magnetic-field coupling. We show that transverse strain shifts the dressed-state resonance and tilts the spin-locking axis. These two effects restore a finite DC-field response and thereby quantify the loss of magnetic robustness. We demonstrate these features in simulated pulsed electron spin resonance spectra that incorporate rate-equation-based optical readout. We further derive exact validity criteria from the eigenvalues and spectator weights of the full three-level Hamiltonian. For practical use, we reduce these criteria to two controlled guidelines: the spectator-like branch must remain above the nominal upper dressed state, and its branch-specific admixture must remain small. A validity diagram over the axial-field—transverse-strain plane summarizes these approximate conditions and provides practical guidelines for designing dressed-NV sensing experiments.

Key Findings

Links

• arXiv: 2607.12453

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