Nir Bar-Gill
About
Nir Bar-Gill’s research aims to create a new platform for both fundamental studies in quantum science and interdisciplinary applications.
Specifically, his current focus is on the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre – a unique, naturally occurring colour centre in diamond, which can serve as a building block for quantum information processing.
The NV centre has remarkable quantum properties, which are readily accessible even in ambient conditions. Therefore, diamond-based devices embedded with these NVs could lead to breakthrough applications in a wide range of fields. For example, NVs are currently leading candidates to serve as building blocks for quantum processors. This could have profound implications in all aspects of information technology, including computing, communications and cryptography. Bar-Gill’s recent work has contributed to this endeavour, extending the NV quantum coherence time to one second, a significant improvement over previous results.
In addition, the spin properties of NVs allow them to act as very sensitive magnetic sensors. So NV-carrying diamonds and nano-diamonds could be used for highly sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as exists today in hospitals – but in a small, portable package. Such sensitive diamond-based MRI devices could be used in medical applications, as well as in fundamental research.
Awards
- Minerva ARCHES Award for Research Co-operation and High Excellence in Science, 2014
- Harvard postdoctoral award for career development, 2012
- Feinberg Dean's Prize for Excellence, 2008
- Auto Schwartz Fellowship for Excellence in Research, 2007
Relevant Publications
Wolf, S. et al. “Purcell-enhanced optical spin readout of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond.” Phys. Rev. B 92 (2015).
Farfurnik, D. et al. “Optimizing a dynamical decoupling protocol for solid-state electronic spin ensembles in diamond.” Phys. Rev. B 92 (2015).
Romach, Y. et al. “Spectroscopy of Surface-Induced Noise Using Shallow Spins in Diamond.” Phys. Rev. Lett. 114 (2015).
Bar-Gill, N. et al. “Solid-state electronic spin coherence time approaching one second.” Nat. Commun. 4 (2013).
Bar-Gill, N. et al. “Suppression of spin bath dynamics for improved coherence of multi-spin-qubit systems.” Nat. Commun. 3 (2012).
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CIFAR is a registered charitable organization supported by the governments of Canada, Alberta and Quebec, as well as foundations, individuals, corporations and Canadian and international partner organizations.