Quantum Memory Enhanced Multipoint Correlation Spectroscopy for Statistically Polarized NMR

Abstract: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with solid-state spin sensors is a promising pathway for the detection of nuclear spins at the micro- and nanoscale. Although many nanoscale experiments rely on a single sensor spin for the detection of the signal, leveraging spin ensembles can enhance sensitivity, particularly in cases in which the signal merely originates from statistically polarized nuclear spins. In this work, we introduce multipoint correlation spectroscopy, that combines the advantages of two well-established methods -- correlation spectroscopy and quantum heterodyne detection -- to enable temporally efficient measurements of statistically polarized samples at the nanoscale with spin ensembles. We present a theoretical framework for this approach and demonstrate an experimental proof of concept with a nitrogen vacancy center in diamond. We achieve single hertz uncertainty in the estimated signal frequency, highlighting the potential applications of the technique for nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance.