Time-sequenced optical nuclear magnetic resonance of gallium arsenide

A method of optical detection of nuclear magnetic resonance is demonstrated in which optical nuclear polarization, spin resonance, and optical detection are separated into distinct sequential periods and separately optimized by varying the optical, rf, and static fields. Experiments on the bulk ⁶⁹Ga resonance of GaAs show that sites imperceptibly perturbed by the optically relevant defect are optically observable with the rf applied in the dark. A signal-to-noise analysis is given that relates the sensitivity to readily measured material properties and indicates applicability to dilute defects.