Coupling a single spin to the motion of a carbon nanotube

Abstract

The ability to couple a solitary spin to high-frequency motion is a crucial advancement for a range of applications, including quantum sensing, intermediate and long-distance spin-spin coupling, and quantum information processing. Although proposed theoretically over a decade ago, experimental demonstrations have remained elusive. Here we report the observation of spin-mechanical coupling in a carbon nanotube device. We demonstrate this coupling in two configurations: off-resonant, with spin and mechanics excited by separate tones, and resonant, driven by a single tone. The coupling manifests as a shift and broadening of the electric dipole spin resonance (EDSR), respectively. Our theoretical model, which accounts for the tensor character of the coupling and mechanical non-linearity, reproduces the data with very good agreement. Our results demonstrate a previously unobserved spin-mechanical coupling, offering versatile tools for exploring macroscopic quantum phenomena, quantum thermodynamics, and quantum simulation.