Hyperpolarized relaxometry based nuclear T 1 noise spectroscopy in diamond

The origins of spin lifetimes in quantum systems is a matter of importance in several areas of quantum information. Spectrally mapping spin relaxation processes provides insight into their origin and motivates methods to mitigate them. In this paper, we map nuclear relaxation in a prototypical system of $${}^{13}{\rm{C}}$$ nuclei in diamond coupled to Nitrogen Vacancy (NV) centers over a wide field range (1 mT-7 T). Nuclear hyperpolarization through optically pumped NV electrons allows signal measurement savings exceeding million-fold over conventional methods. Through a systematic study with varying substitutional electron (P1 center) and $${}^{13}{\rm{C}}$$ concentrations, we identify the operational relaxation channels for the nuclei at different fields as well as the dominant role played by $${}^{13}{\rm{C}}$$ coupling to the interacting P1 electronic spin bath. These results motivate quantum control techniques for dissipation engineering to boost spin lifetimes in diamond, with applications including engineered quantum memories and hyperpolarized $${}^{13}{\rm{C}}$$ imaging. Nuclear spins in diamond have applications in quantum technologies and NMR methods but their performance can be limited by relaxation processes that are difficult to characterise. Ajoy et al. develop a T1 noise spectroscopy method to identify the dominant relaxation channel and propose a mitigation strategy.