The study of open quantum systems, quantum thermodynamics and quantum many-body spin physics in realistic solid-state platforms, has been a long-standing goal in quantum and condensed-matter physics. In this talk I will address these topics through the platform of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) spins in diamond, in the context of bath characterization, purification (or cooling) of a spin bath as a quantum resource and for enhanced metrology and sensing. I will first describe our work on characterizing noise using robust techniques for quantum control ([1], in collaboration with Ra’am Uzdin). This approach suppresses sensitivity to coherent errors while enabling noise characterization, providing a useful tool for the study of complicated open quantum systems, with the potential for contributions to enhanced sensing. I will then present a general theoretical framework we developed for Hamiltonian engineering in an interacting spin system [2]. This framework is applied to the coupling of the spin ensemble to a spin bath, including both coherent and dissipative dynamics [3]. Using these tools I will present a scheme for efficient purification of the spin bath, surpassing the current state-of-the-art and providing a path toward applications in quantum technologies, such as enhanced MRI sensing. Finally, if time permits, I will describe our work in using NV-based magnetic microscopy to implement quantum sensing in various modalities. I will present advanced techniques for improving sensing bandwidth using compressed sensing and machine learning. Demonstrations of NV sensing capabilities will include measurements of 2D vdW magnetic materials, and specifically the phase transition of FGT through local imaging of magnetic domains in flakes of varying thicknesses [4], as well as a technique for sensing radical concentrations through the change in the charge state of shallow NVs ([5], in collaboration with Uri Banin). 1. P. PENSHIN ET. AL., SUBMITTED. 2. K. I. O. BEN’ATTAR, D. FARFURNIK AND N. BAR-GILL, PHYS. REV. RESEARCH 2, 013061 (2020). 3. K. I. O. BEN’ATTAR ET. AL., IN PREPARATION. 4. G. HAIM ET. AL., IN PREPARATION. 5. Y. NINIO ET. AL., ACS PHOTONICS 8, 7, 1917-1921 (2021).

Energy-efficient spintronic devices require a large spin-orbit torque (SOT) and low damping to excite magnetic precession. In conventional devices based on heavy-metal/ferromagnet bilayers, reducing the ferromagnet thickness to ~1 nm enhances the torque – but dramatically increases the damping. I will present my team’s new approach toward attaining low damping and a sizable SOT in single-layer, 10-nm-thick FeNi alloys. A vertical Fe:Ni compositional gradient is designed to provide the necessary asymmetry for SOT generation. We confirm low effective damping in FeNi even with a steep compositional gradient. More remarkably, we reveal a sizable anti-damping SOT even without any intentional compositional gradient. Through noninvasive depth-profile measurements, we identify a lattice strain gradient as the key asymmetry giving rise to the SOT. Our findings provide fresh insights into damping and SOTs in single-layer ferromagnets for power-efficient spintronic devices.