Shields, Brendan JohnUnterreithmeier, Quirinde Leon, Nathalie PulmonesPark, HelenLukin, Mikhail2017-02-172015Shields, B. J., Q. P. Unterreithmeier, N. P. de Leon, H. Park, and M. D. Lukin. 2015. “Efficient Readout of a Single Spin State in Diamond via Spin-to-Charge Conversion.” Physical Review Letters 114 (13) (March). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.114.136402.0031-9007http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:30367422Efficient readout of individual electronic spins associated with atomlike impurities in the solid state is essential for applications in quantum information processing and quantum metrology. We demonstrate a new method for efficient spin readout of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. The method is based on conversion of the electronic spin state of the NV to a charge-state distribution, followed by single-shot readout of the charge state. Conversion is achieved through a spin-dependent photoionization process in diamond at room temperature. Using NVs in nanofabricated diamond beams, we demonstrate that the resulting spin readout noise is within a factor of 3 of the spin projection noise level. Applications of this technique for nanoscale magnetic sensing are discussed.en-USJournal Article2017-02-1710.1103/PhysRevLett.114.136402