Determining Strain Components in a Diamond Waveguide from Zero-Field ODMR Spectra of NV^- Center Ensembles

The negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV^-) center in diamond has shown great potential in nanoscale sensing and quantum information processing due to its rich spin physics. An efficient coupling with light, providing strong luminescence, is crucial for realizing these applications. Laser-written waveguides in diamond promote NV^- creation and improve their coupling to light but, at the same time, induce strain in the crystal. The induced strain contributes to light guiding but also affects the energy levels of NV^- centers. We probe NV^- spin states experimentally with the commonly used continuous-wave zero-field optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). In our waveguides, the ODMR spectra are shifted, split, and consistently asymmetric, which we attribute to the impact of local strain. To understand these features, we model ensemble ODMR signals in the presence of strain. By fitting the model results to the experimentally collected ODMR data, we determine the strain tensor components at different positions, thus determining the strain profile across the waveguide. This shows that zero-field ODMR spectroscopy can be used as a strain imaging tool. The resulting strain within the waveguide is dominated by a compressive axial component transverse to the waveguide structure, with a smaller contribution from vertical and shear strain components.