We engineer an artificial optical clock transition in ⁴⁰Ca⁺ with a continuous dynamical decoupling scheme. It suppresses inhomogeneous tensor shifts as well as the linear Zeeman shift, making it suitable for multi-ion operation. Coherence times approaching the natural lifetime limit ensure low statistical uncertainties on the optical transition. We continuously apply the dressing fields, making the tailored transition robust against magnetic field fluctuations during the entire clock probe time.

Precise frequency measurements are important in applications ranging from navigation and imaging to computation and communication. Here we outline the optimal quantum strategies for frequency discrimination and estimation in the context of quantum spectroscopy, and we compare the effectiveness of different readout strategies. Using a single NV center in diamond, we implement the optimal frequency discrimination protocol to discriminate two frequencies separated by 2 kHz with a single 44 μs measurement, a factor of ten below the Fourier limit. For frequency estimation, we achieve a frequency sensitivity of 1.6 µHz/Hz² for a 1.7 µT amplitude signal, which is within a factor of 2 from the quantum limit. Our results are foundational for discrimination and estimation problems in nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Conventional control strategies for nitrogen-vacancy centers in quantum sensing are based on a two-level model of their triplet ground state. However, this approach fails in regimes of weak bias magnetic fields or strong microwave pulses, as we demonstrate. To overcome this limitation, we propose a novel control sequence that exploits all three levels by addressing a hidden Raman configuration with microwave pulses tuned to the zero-field transition. We report excellent performance in typical dynamical decoupling sequences, opening up the possibility for nano-NMR operation in low field environments.

Precise spectroscopy of oscillating fields plays a significant role in many fields. Here, we propose an experimentally feasible scheme to measure the frequency of a fast-oscillating field using a single-qubit sensor. By invoking a stable classical clock, the signal phase correlations between successive measurements enable us to extract the target frequency with extremely high precision. In addition, we integrate dynamical decoupling technique into the framework to suppress the influence of slow environmental noise. Our framework is feasible with a variety of atomic and single solid-state spin systems within the state-of-the-art experimental capabilities as a versatile tool for quantum spectroscopy.

Precise frequency measurements are important in applications ranging from navigation and imaging to computation and communication. Here we outline the optimal quantum strategies for frequency discrimination and estimation in the context of quantum spectroscopy, and we compare the effectiveness of different readout strategies. Using a single NV center in diamond, we implement the optimal frequency discrimination protocol to discriminate two frequencies separated by 2 kHz with a single 44 μs measurement, a factor of ten below the Fourier limit. For frequency estimation, we achieve a frequency sensitivity of 1.6 µHz/Hz² for a 1.7 µT amplitude signal, which is within a factor of 2 from the quantum limit. Our results are foundational for discrimination and estimation problems in nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.