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arXiv:2207.12675 · AVS Quantum Science

Aberration control in quantitative widefield quantum microscopy

Sam C. Scholten, Islay O. Robertson, Gabriel Abrahams, Priya Singh, Alexander J. Healey, Jean‐Philippe Tetienne

Published Sep 1, 2022• 9 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Widefield quantum microscopy based on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond has emerged as a powerful technique for quantitative mapping of magnetic fields with a sub-micrometer resolution. However, the accuracy of the technique has not been characterized in detail so far. Here, we show that optical aberrations in the imaging system may cause large systematic errors in the measured quantity beyond trivial blurring. We introduce a simple theoretical framework to model these effects, which extends the concept of a point spread function to the domain of spectral imaging. Using this model, the magnetic field imaging of test magnetic samples is simulated under various scenarios, and the resulting errors are quantified. We then apply the model to previously published data, show that apparent magnetic anomalies can be explained by the presence of optical aberrations, and demonstrate a post-processing technique to retrieve the source quantity with improved accuracy. This work presents a guide to predict and mitigate aberration induced artifacts in quantitative NV-based widefield imaging and in spectral imaging more generally.

DOI
10.1116/5.0114436

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Widefield quantum microscopy based on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond has emerged as a powerful technique for quantitative mapping of magnetic fields with a sub-micrometer resolution. However, the accuracy of the technique has not been characterized in detail so far. Here, we show that optical aberrations in the imaging system may cause large systematic errors in the measured quantity beyond trivial blurring. We introduce a simple theoretical framework to model these effects, which extends the concept of a point spread function to the domain of spectral imaging. Using this model, the magnetic field imaging of test magnetic samples is simulated under various scenarios, and the resulting errors are quantified. We then apply the model to previously published data, show that apparent magnetic anomalies can be explained by the presence of optical aberrations, and demonstrate a post-processing technique to retrieve the source quantity with improved accuracy. This work presents a guide to predict and mitigate aberration induced artifacts in quantitative NV-based widefield imaging and in spectral imaging more generally.
Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond enable quantitative magnetic imaging, yet practical implementations must balance spatial resolution against acquisition time (and thus per-pixel sensitivity). Single-NV scanning magnetometry achieves genuine nanoscale resolution, nonetheless requires typically a slow pixel-by-pixel acquisition. Meanwhile, wide-field NV-ensemble microscopy provides parallel readout over a large field of view, however is jointly limited by the optical diffraction limit and the sensor-sample standoff. Here, we present a sparse-sampling strategy for reconstructing high-resolution wide-field images from only a small number of measurements. Using simulated NV-ensemble detection of ac magnetic fields, we show that a mean-adjusted Bayesian estimation (MABE) framework can reconstruct 10000-pixel images from only 25 sampling points, achieving SSIM values exceeding 0.999 for representative smooth field distributions, while optimized dynamical-decoupling pulse sequences yield an approximately twofold improvement in magnetic-field sensitivity. The method further clarifies how sampling patterns and sampling density affect reconstruction accuracy and suggests a route toward faster and more scalable magnetic-imaging architectures that may extend to point-scanning NV sensors and other magnetometry platforms, such as SQUIDs, Hall probes, and magnetic tunnel junctions.
Widefield quantum diamond microscopy is a powerful technique for imaging magnetic fields with high sensitivity and spatial resolution. However, current methods to approach the ultimate spatial resolution (<500 nm) are impractical for routine use as they require time-consuming fabrication or transfer techniques to precisely interface the diamond sensor with the sample to be imaged. To address this challenge, we have designed a co-axial sensor holder that enables simple, repeatable sensor–sample interfacing while being compatible with high numerical aperture (NA) optics. With our new design we demonstrate low standoffs <500 nm with a millimeter sized sensor. We also explore the relationship between spatial resolution and NA spanning from 0.13 to 1.3. The spatial resolution shows good agreement with the optical diffraction limit at low NA but deviates at high NA, which is shown to be due to optical aberrations. Future improvements to our design are discussed, which should enable magnetic imaging with <500 nm resolution in an accessible, easy-to-use instrument.
Many spintronic, magnetic-memory, and neuromorphic devices rely on spatially varying magnetic fields. Quantitatively imaging these fields with full vector information over extended areas remains a major challenge. Existing probes either offer nanoscale resolution at the cost of slow scanning, or widefield imaging with limited vector sensitivity or material constraints. Quantum sensing with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond promises to bridge this gap, but a practical camera-based vector magnetometry implementation on relevant microstructures has not been demonstrated. Here we adapt a commercial widefield microscope to implement a camera-compatible pulsed optically detected magnetic resonance protocol to reconstruct stray-field vectors from microscale devices. By resolving the Zeeman shifts of the four NV orientations, we reconstruct the stray-field vector generated by microfabricated permalloy structures that host multiple stable remanent states. Our implementation achieves a spatial resolution of ≈0.52 μm\approx 0.52 ~μ\mathrm{m}≈0.52 μm across an 83 μm×83 μm83~μ\mathrm{m} \times 83~μ\mathrm{m}83 μm×83 μm field of view and a peak sensitivity of $ (828 \pm 142)~\mathrm{nT\,Hz^{-1}}$, with acquisition times of only a few minutes. These results establish pulsed widefield NV magnetometry on standard microscopes as a practical and scalable tool for routine vector-resolved imaging of complex magnetic devices.
Wide-Field Quantum Microscopy This cover image illustrates magnetic steganography using Nitrogen vacancy defects inside diamonds. Magnetic graphics, including pixel art and QR codes, are produced using magnetic materials and obscured behind patterns manufactured using non-magnetic materials, which were unveiled through widefield quantum microscopy. Furthermore, manipulating the electron spin of NV with dual microwave fields enhanced imaging speed by a factor of three. More details can be found in article 2501161 by Jungbae Yoon, Donghun Lee, and co-workers.
We demonstrate widefield magnetic imaging of current flow in hydrogen terminated diamond field effect transistors (FETs) through in-substrate nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers. Hydrogen termination of the diamond surface induces a two dimensional hole gas (2DHG), while an ensemble of near surface NV centers located $ \sim 1~μm$ below the surface enables noninvasive magnetic imaging of current flow with micrometer scale spatial resolution. The FETs were electrically characterized over a range of drain source biases Vds=0V_{ds}= 0Vds​=0 to −15V-15V−15V and gate voltages,Vgs=+3V_{gs}= +3Vgs​=+3 to −9V-9V−9V followed by in situ widefield NV magnetometry during device operation. Magnetic field maps and reconstructed current density distributions directly visualize current injection at the source drain contacts and transport beneath the hBN gated channel. Magnetic field maps reveal current density variations in the channel region owing to non-uniformities or defects in the gate dielectric. In addition, we observe a pronounced enhancement of the drain current (∼600−900μA\sim 600-900 μA∼600−900μA) and a shift in the apparent threshold voltage during laser illumination, reflecting photo induced changes in channel electrostatics. By correlating gate dependent magnetic images with simultaneous electrical measurements, we directly link spatial current distributions to FET transfer characteristics, providing new insight into buried interface transport and non-uniform gating effects in the transistor channel. As the methodology is compatible with top gated FETs, it can be used to map channel current distributions with micrometer resolution in emerging channel materials, such as 2D materials and wide bandgap channels, and establish widefield NV magnetometry as a powerful platform for probing charge transport in transistors and Van der Waals dielectric heterostructures.
Fluorescent nitrogen vacancies (NV) in diamond have drawn much interest because of their potential for computation and quantum cryptography, as well as for nanoscale magnetic imaging and biolabeling due to their special spin and fluorescence properties. However, their optical detection and control is compromised by the diffraction resolution barrier of far-field optics. We showed that stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy is capable of imaging NV centres with nanoscale resolution and Ångström precision using focused visible light [1].