Nanoscale Sensing and Quantum Coherence

Abstract: Small solid state qubits, most prominently single spins in solids, can be remarkable sensors for various physical quantities ranging from magnetic fields to temperature. They package the performance of their bulk semiconductor counterparts into a nanoscale device, sometimes as small as a single atom. This review is a minimalist introduction into this concept. It gives a brief summary of quantum coherence, Ramsey spectroscopy and a derivation of the "standard quantum limit" of the sensitivity that a single-qubit sensor can reach. It goes on to discuss the surprising improvement that dynamical decoupling has brought about and concludes with an outlook to the major frontiers of the field.