Diamond spin quantum sensing under extreme conditions
At a Glance
Section titled âAt a Glanceâ| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2022-01-01 |
| Journal | Acta Physica Sinica |
| Authors | GangâQin Liu |
| Citations | 3 |
| Analysis | Full AI Review Included |
Executive Summary
Section titled âExecutive SummaryâThis paper reviews the engineering and application of diamond Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers as robust quantum sensors capable of operating under extreme environmental conditions.
- Ultra-Wide Operating Range: NV centers maintain functionality across an unprecedented range of parameters, including ultra-low temperatures (3.7 K), high temperatures (up to 1000 K), strong magnetic fields (up to 8 T), and ultra-high pressures (up to 60 GPa).
- Enhanced Coherence at Low T: Spin relaxation time (T1) was extended dramatically to 1 hour at 3.7 K in high-purity diamond, enabling ultra-sensitive, low-noise quantum measurements.
- High-Resolution Magnetometry: The system achieves high magnetic sensitivity (”T/âHz) and nanoscale spatial resolution, successfully imaging magnetic phase transitions in 2D materials (CrI3) and magnetic vortices in high-Tc superconductors (YBCO).
- High-Pressure Sensing: NV centers integrated into Diamond Anvil Cells (DACs) allow in situ measurement of pressure gradients and pressure-induced magnetic phase transitions (e.g., in NdFeB and Fe) up to 60 GPa.
- Advanced Spectroscopy: NV-assisted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was demonstrated at 3 T, achieving chemical shift resolution (1 ppm), crucial for nanoscale chemical analysis in solid-state samples.
- Core Mechanism: The NV centerâs S=1 electronic spin state is highly sensitive to external perturbations (magnetic field, temperature, pressure, electric field), which are read out efficiently via Optical Detection of Magnetic Resonance (ODMR).
Technical Specifications
Section titled âTechnical SpecificationsâThe following table summarizes the key performance metrics and coupling coefficients of the diamond NV center sensor under various conditions, extracted from the research.
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-Field Splitting (D) | 2.87 | GHz | Room Temperature, Ambient Pressure |
| Magnetic Coupling Coefficient | 2.8 | MHz/G | Standard Zeeman effect (2.8 x 104 Hz/T) |
| Temperature Coupling Coefficient | 74 | kHz/K | NV center spin resonance shift |
| Pressure Coupling Coefficient (dD/dP) | 14.5 | MHz/GPa | Linear response of D to pressure |
| Axial Electric Field Coupling | 3.5 x 10-3 | Hz/(V·m-1) | Sensitivity to electric fields |
| Maximum Operating Temperature | 1000 | K | Demonstrated ODMR and Rabi oscillations |
| Maximum Operating Pressure | 60 | GPa | Demonstrated ODMR in Diamond Anvil Cell |
| Maximum Operating Magnetic Field | 8 | T | Demonstrated ODMR on NV ensembles |
| Spin Relaxation Time (T1) (Low T) | 1 | hour | Ultra-low temperature (3.7 K) |
| Spin Relaxation Time (T1) (High T) | 10 | ”s | High temperature (1000 K) |
| High-Field MW Frequency (3 T) | 85 | GHz | Required for Rabi oscillation control |
| Magnetic Sensitivity (High P) | ”T/âHz | ”T/âHz | In-situ measurement capability |
| NMR Resolution | 1 | ppm | NV-assisted NMR at 3 T |
Key Methodologies
Section titled âKey MethodologiesâThe following methodologies were employed to enable NV quantum sensing under extreme conditions:
- Optical Detection of Magnetic Resonance (ODMR): The fundamental technique involves initializing the NV spin to the ms=0 state using a 532 nm green laser and reading out the spin state by measuring the spin-dependent fluorescence intensity.
- Spin Coherent Control: Microwave (MW) pulses are applied to drive transitions between spin states (ms=0 and ms=±1). In strong magnetic fields (e.g., 3 T), this requires high-frequency MW sources (up to 85 GHz) coupled via specialized coplanar waveguides (CPW) or cavity resonators.
- High-Pressure Integration (DAC): NV centers are embedded in the diamond anvils of a Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC). MW transmission lines are patterned directly onto the anvil surface to deliver control pulses to the NV centers within the high-pressure chamber.
- Rapid Thermal Cycling (High T): To overcome the loss of optical contrast at high temperatures (>700 K), a pulsed laser heating technique is used. A high-power 808 nm laser rapidly heats the nanodiamond (”s scale), followed by rapid cooling before the low-temperature ODMR readout is performed, preserving spin polarization/readout fidelity.
- Zero-Field Degeneracy Mitigation: To control the degenerate ms=±1 states at zero magnetic field, techniques such as using circularly polarized MWs or leveraging the hyperfine interaction with the intrinsic 14N nuclear spin to create an effective internal bias field are utilized.
- Nanoscale Scanning: Single NV centers are integrated into scanning probes (e.g., AFM tips) to achieve nanoscale proximity to the sample, enabling high-resolution imaging of localized magnetic fields (stray fields) and temperature distributions.
Commercial Applications
Section titled âCommercial ApplicationsâThe robust performance of diamond NV quantum sensors under extreme conditions opens doors for applications across several high-tech and scientific fields:
- Condensed Matter Physics Research: In situ measurement and imaging of exotic states of matter, including high-Tc superconductivity (vortex imaging) and magnetic quantum critical points under high pressure and low temperature.
- Materials Science and Synthesis: Characterization of new materials under extreme conditions (high P/T), such as monitoring pressure gradients in DACs or observing magnetic phase transitions in novel 2D magnetic materials (e.g., CrI3).
- Quantum Technology Development: Utilizing the extremely long T1 coherence times at cryogenic temperatures for robust solid-state quantum memory and quantum network nodes.
- Nanoscale Metrology: High-resolution magnetic field sensing and imaging for microelectronics, including fault detection and current mapping in complex integrated circuits.
- Chemical and Biological Analysis: Nanoscale Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, enabling chemical shift analysis of extremely small sample volumes (nanoliters) or single molecules.
- Geophysics and Planetary Science: Laboratory simulation and measurement of material properties (magnetism, elasticity) relevant to planetary interiors, where pressures and temperatures are extreme.
View Original Abstract
Extreme conditions, such as ultra-low temperatures, high pressures, and strong magnetic fields, are critical to producing and studying exotic states of matter. To measure physical properties under extreme conditions, the advanced sensing schemes are required. As a promising quantum sensor, the diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center can detect magnetic field, electronic field, pressure, and temperature with high sensitivity. Considering its nanoscale spatial resolution and ultra-wide working range, the diamond quantum sensing can play an important role in frontier studies involving extreme conditions. This paper reviews the spin and optical properties of diamond NV center under extreme conditions, including low temperature, high temperature, zero field, strong magnetic fields, and high pressures. The opportunities and challenges of diamond quantum sensing under extreme conditions are discussed. The basic knowledge of spin-based quantum sensing and its applications under extreme conditions are also covered.