Quantum Logic Enhanced Sensing in Solid-State Spin Ensembles.

We demonstrate quantum logic enhanced sensitivity for a macroscopic ensemble of solid-state, hybrid two-qubit sensors. We achieve over a factor of 30 improvement in the single-shot signal-to-noise ratio, translating to an ac magnetic field sensitivity enhancement exceeding an order of magnitude for time-averaged measurements. Using the electronic spins of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond as sensors, we leverage the on-site nitrogen nuclear spins of the NV centers as memory qubits, in combination with homogeneous and stable bias and control fields, ensuring that all of the ∼10^{9} two-qubit sensors are sufficiently identical to permit global control of the NV ensemble spin states.

Magnons and Phonons Optically Driven out of Local Equilibrium in a Magnetic Insulator.

The coupling and possible nonequilibrium between magnons and other energy carriers have been used to explain several recently discovered thermally driven spin transport and energy conversion phenomena. Here, we report experiments in which local nonequilibrium between magnons and phonons in a single crystalline bulk magnetic insulator, Y_{3}Fe_{5}O_{12}, has been created optically within a focused laser spot and probed directly via micro-Brillouin light scattering. Through analyzing the deviation in the magnon number density from the local equilibrium value, we obtain the diffusion length of thermal magnons.

Magic Numbers in DNA-Stabilized Fluorescent Silver Clusters Lead to Magic Colors.

DNA-stabilized silver clusters are remarkable for the selection of fluorescence color by the sequence of the stabilizing DNA oligomer. Yet despite a growing number of applications that exploit this property, no large-scale studies have probed origins of cluster color or whether certain colors occur more frequently than others. Here we employ a set of 684 randomly chosen 10-base oligomers to address these questions.

Evidence for rod-shaped DNA-stabilized silver nanocluster emitters.

Fluorescent DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters contain both cationic and neutral silver atoms. The absorbance spectra of compositionally pure solutions follow the trend expected for rod-shaped silver clusters, consistent with the polarized emission measured from individual nanoclusters. The data suggest a rod-like assembly of silver atoms, with silver cations mediating attachment to the bases.