Chemically Tuning Room Temperature Pulsed Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2025-06-17 |
| Journal | Journal of the American Chemical Society |
| Authors | Sarah K. Mann, Angus Cowley-Semple, Emma Bryan, Zhongping Huang, Sandrine Heutz |
| Institutions | University of Glasgow, Imperial College London |
| Citations | 1 |
Abstract
Section titled āAbstractāOptical detection of magnetic resonance enables spin-based quantum sensing with high spatial resolution and sensitivityāeven at room temperatureāas exemplified by solid-state defects. Molecular systems provide a complementary, chemically tunable, platform for room-temperature optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR)-based quantum sensing. A critical parameter governing sensing sensitivity is the optical contrastāi.e., the difference in emission between two spin states. In state-of-the-art solid-state defects such as the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond, this contrast is approximately 30%. Here, capitalizing on chemical tunability, we show that room-temperature ODMR contrasts of 40% can be achieved in molecules. Using a nitrogen-substituted analogue of pentacene (6,13-diazapentacene), we enhance contrast compared to pentacene and, by determining the triplet kinetics through time-dependent pulsed ODMR, show how this arises from accelerated anisotropic intersystem crossing. Furthermore, we translate high-contrast room-temperature pulsed ODMR to self-assembled nanocrystals. Overall, our findings highlight the synthetic handles available to optically readable molecular spins and the opportunities to capitalize on chemical tunability for room-temperature quantum sensing.