Dynamical decoupling of P1 centers in diamond*

The coherence times (T2) of nitrogenic color centers in diamond are often limited by the T2 of substitutional nitrogen defects (P1 centers) present in the lattice. In ensemble quantum sensing experiments, the strength of the signal increases with nitrogen concentration, however T2 begins to decrease for nitrogen concentrations above about 1 ppm. Increasing the coherence times of dense P1 centers could lead to improved sensitivity for quantum sensing of ac signals. We explore the use of pulsed dynamical decoupling sequences to control the coherence times of P1 centers in diamond as a function of the P1 concentration. The control of P1 centers is also key to improving the fidelity of Hamiltonian engineering schemes for quantum simulation in diamond.