Zero-field dipolar decoupling of color center ensembles via universal qutrit control

Dipolar interactions are a major source of decoherence in dense ensembles of color centers in diamond. Current protocols demand using bias magnetic fields detrimental in many scenarios. We present ZENITH (Zero-field Ensemble Neutralization via Interleaved Trilevel Handling), a pulsed sequence to cancel dipolar interactions among V-degenerate spin-1 systems. We reveal excellent coherence survival, compatibility with existing sensing sequences, and improved DC detection, advancing a general framework to control interacting degenerate multilevel systems, of broad interest in quantum technologies.