Micron-Scale NV-NMR Spectroscopy with Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange
Nithya Arunkumar, Dominik Bucher, Matthew J. Turner +8 more
Optically probed nitrogen-vacancy (NV)) quantum defects in diamond can detect nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals with high-spectral resolution from micron-scale sample volumes of about 10 pl.However, a key challenge for NV-NMR spectroscopy is detecting samples at millimolar concentrations.Here we demonstrate an increase in NV-NMR proton concentration sensitivity by hyperpolarizing sample proton spins to about 0.5% through signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE), enabling micron-scale NMR spectroscopy of small-molecule sample concentrations as low as 1 mM in picoliter volumes.The SABRE-enhanced NV-NMR technique may enable detection and chemical analysis of low-concentration molecules and their dynamics in complex micron-scale systems such as single cells.
arXiv:2006.03910•PRX Quantum•Jan 11, 2021•50 citations