Observation of the quantum Zeno effect on the nitrogen vacancy center in nanodiamond

The inhibition of coherent quantum dynamics via projective measurements, i.e. the quantum Zeno effect is one of the most intriguing predictions of quantum mechanics. We experimentally demonstrate the quantum Zeno effect on a single solid state spin, namely the negatively charged nitrogen vacancy center in nanodiamond. These experiments are supported by an ample analysis of the population dynamics via a semi-classical model.