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arXiv:2503.00252 · Academia quantum.

Design of a quantum diamond microscope with efficient scanning confocal readout

Daniel Ang, Jiashen Tang, Ronald Lee Walsworth

Published Apr 30, 2025• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

In this paper we introduce the light-sheet confocal quantum diamond microscope (LC-QDM) for widefield 3D quantum sensing with efficient confocal readout. The LC-QDM leverages light-sheet illumination and laser scanning confocal methods to enable high-resolution, high-speed 3D measurements with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defects in diamond, combining the best of widefield and confocal modalities in a single device and eliminating the need for thin-NV-layer diamond chips. We perform simulations and measurements of NV initialization and readout times to model the anticipated performance of the LC-QDM compared to existing QDM designs. Our findings show that the LC-QDM will provide significant advantages for applications requiring limited laser power.

DOI
10.20935/acadquant7690

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Abstract Recent advancements in quantum technology have highlighted the potential of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. However, realizing this potential requires overcoming challenges associated with the size, complexity, and cost of current optical systems. In this Perspective, we present a compact and portable confocal setup designed for efficient detection, initialization, and readout of single NV center photoluminescence signals, enabling coherent spin control and nanoscale-resolution magnetic field sensing.
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Abstract Recent advancements in quantum technology have highlighted the potential of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. However, fully realizing this potential requires addressing challenges related to the size, complexity, and cost of current optical systems used for NV center manipulation. In this work, we present a compact and portable confocal setup specifically designed for the efficient detection and control of single NV centers. Our system facilitates optical initialization and readout of individual NV center photoluminescence signals, enabling coherent spin control and nanoscale-resolution magnetic field sensing.
Single nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond serve as a photonic platform for quantum sensing and computing applications. They can be created deterministically using femtosecond laser pulses. Such writing process requires high-resolution fluorescence detection with a high signal-to-noise ratio, which is accomplished by setting up a homebuilt confocal fluorescence microscope. The microscope shall monitor the fluorescence of newly formed NV centers during the writing process. In addition, it will be used to characterize the NV centers’ spin coherence times, orientation in the diamond lattice and single-emitter characteristics via the intensity correlation function g(2)(tau). In the future, this setup is also planned to be employed for STED-microscopy of twin NV centers.
Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are a leading modality for magnetic sensing and imaging under ambient conditions. However, these sensors suffer from degraded performance due to paramagnetic impurities and regions of stress in the diamond crystal lattice. This work demonstrates a quantum diamond microscope (QDM) for simultaneous mapping and spatial correlation of key properties of a millimeter-scale NV-diamond sensor chip, including: NV ensemble photoluminescence (PL) amplitude, spin-lattice relaxation time (T1_11​), and homogeneous and inhomogeneous spin coherence lifetimes (T2_22​ and T2∗_2^*2∗​), as well as lattice stress/strain, birefringence magnitude, and birefringence angle of the diamond crystal.
We investigated the spatial resolution of scanning photocurrent microscopy (SPhM) for imaging single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond in detail and compared it with that of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). While CLSM suffers from degraded spatial resolution due to fluorescence saturation, SPhM maintains a high spatial resolution despite the high-power laser excitation required. Numerical simulations of SPhM and CLSM images showed good agreement with experimental data and further indicated that SPhM achieves superior spatial resolution. Additionally, the signal-to-noise ratio of the photoelectrically detected magnetic resonance spectrum is comparable to that of the optically detected magnetic resonance spectrum in our home-made spectrometers. These findings suggest that SPhM can enhance the performance of NV-based quantum sensors.