Widefield quantum microscopy with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond -n strengths, limitations, and prospects
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2021-08-13 |
| Journal | arXiv (Cornell University) |
| Authors | Sam C. Scholten, Alexander J. Healey, Islay O. Robertson, Gabriel Abrahams, David A. Broadway |
| Institutions | University of Basel, The University of Melbourne |
| Citations | 99 |
| Analysis | Full AI Review Included |
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View Original Abstract
A dense layer of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers near the surface of a diamond\ncan be interrogated in a widefield optical microscope to produce spatially\nresolved maps of local quantities such as magnetic field, electric field and\nlattice strain, providing potentially valuable information about a sample or\ndevice placed in proximity. Since the first experimental realization of such a\nwidefield NV microscope in 2010, the technology has seen rapid development and\ndemonstration of applications in various areas across condensed matter physics,\ngeoscience and biology. This Perspective analyzes the strengths and\nshortcomings of widefield NV microscopy in order to identify the most promising\napplications and guide future development. We begin with a brief review of\nquantum sensing with ensembles of NV centers, and the experimental\nimplementation of widefield NV microscopy. We then compare this technology to\nalternative microscopy techniques commonly employed to probe magnetic materials\nand charge flow distributions. Current limitations in spatial resolution,\nmeasurement accuracy, magnetic sensitivity, operating conditions and ease of\nuse, are discussed. Finally, we identify the technological advances that solve\nthe aforementioned limitations, and argue that their implementation would\nresult in a practical, accessible, high-throughput widefield NV microscope.\n