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Physical Review Applied

Superresolution Multifunctional Sensing with the Nitrogen-Vacancy Center in Diamond

Xiang-Dong Chen, Dengfeng Li, Y. H. Zheng, Shen Li, Bo Du, Yang Dong, Chun‐Hua Dong, Guang‐Can Guo, Fang‐Wen Sun

Published Oct 17, 2019• 27 citations
Publisher

Abstract

High spatial resolution and low perturbation are required for mapping the electromagnetic field at the nanoscale, to provide crucial information about local light-matter interaction. Using optical superresolution microscopy for detection via a nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond, this work demonstrates far-field noninvasive sensing of the local electromagnetic field with high accuracy and a spatial resolution of approximately 50 nm. As the nitrogen-vacancy center is sensitive to various physical quantities, a multifunctional far-field quantum nanoscope is anticipated.

DOI
10.1103/physrevapplied.12.044039

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High spatial resolution and low perturbation are required for mapping the electromagnetic field at the nanoscale, to provide crucial information about local light-matter interaction. Using optical superresolution microscopy for detection via a nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond, this work demonstrates far-field noninvasive sensing of the local electromagnetic field with high accuracy and a spatial resolution of approximately 50 nm. As the nitrogen-vacancy center is sensitive to various physical quantities, a multifunctional far-field quantum nanoscope is anticipated.
Wide-field quantum sensing and imaging with solid-state spins has attracted wide interest for its ability to detect relative physical quantities with high sensitivity at nanoscale. However, the optical diffraction limit hinders the improvement in spatial resolution. In this work, we utilize blind structured illumination microscopy to perform wide-field quantum sensing with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond. Without the requirement of prior knowledge of excitation light field, the spatial resolution of NV centers imaging is enhanced by 1.8-fold in comparison with conventional microscopy. Combined with spin manipulation and detection, super-resolution NV center sensing is subsequently performed to reveal the optical and electrical properties of nanodevice. The high spatial resolution and feasibility of this work will promote the applications of quantum sensing in nanoscience.
Nitrogen vacancy (NV) color centers in diamond are a leading modality for both superresolution optical imaging and nanoscale magnetic field sensing. In this work, we address the key challenge of performing optical magnetic imaging and spectroscopy selectively on multiple NV centers that are located within a diffraction-limited field-of-view. We use spin-RESOLFT microscopy to enable precision nanoscale mapping of magnetic field patterns with resolution down to ~20 nm, while employing a low power optical depletion beam. Moreover, we use a shallow NV to demonstrate the detection of proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals exterior to the diamond, with 50 nm lateral imaging resolution and without degrading the proton NMR linewidth.
The NV defect center in diamond forms a pseudo-atomic quantum system with discreet optically excitable transitions between ground and excited states in the gap between valence and conduction bands, making the NV center a deep-level defect center in diamond. For the negatively charged NV center (NV-), both the ground and excited states are spin triplets (S=1) and coupling between optical and spin states provides unique opportunities for optical detection of magnetic resonance (ODMR) and quantum metrology under ambient conditions. As an atomically sized point defect that is stable in single nanodiamonds as small as a few nanometers, the NV center enables spin based imaging of temperature, electric fields, magnetic fields and mechanical strain with nanoscale spatial resolution. Made of carbon, nanodiamonds are also ideal nanoparticles for use in biological systems, exhibiting extremely low cytotoxicity, no photo bleaching and exceptional contrast in transmission electron and light microscopy. With the ability to act as both a passive, non perturbing sensor (e.g. a diamagnetic material used for sensing magnetic fields) and a connection point for two way, direct coupling of far field optics to NV−^-− spins and indirectly to the highly localized neighborhood of atoms, electronic states and phonon modes in the local vicinity, NV diamond provides a route to nanoscale field sensing and spin based optical microscopy. These sensors are also stable in nanodiamonds. For nanoparticles, the reduction in particle diameter dramatically enhances the proportion of the material that is surface exposed, enhancing any surface related properties. Nitrogen Vacancy centers in nanodiamonds provide another example of material properties that vary with particle size. In chapter 5, evidence that modulation of nanodiamonds fluorescent emissions by electrical perturbations in their surrouding environment allows transduction of local electrodynamics into a far field optical signal capable of mapping action potentials in cardiomyocytes in presented. The unifying theme for all of the work presented in this dissertation is to enable the use of magnetic resonance signals and interactions for imaging and sensing in previously inaccessible regimes. The specific focus is on methods and techniques to enable nanoscale physical sensing and functional imaging in live tissues, with the ultimate aim to lay the predicate for the combination of both without compromise.
Individual, luminescent point defects in solids, so-called color centers, are atomic-sized quantum systems enabling sensing and imaging with nanoscale spatial resolution. In this overview, we introduce nanoscale sensing based on individual nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. We discuss two central challenges of the field: first, the creation of highly-coherent, shallow NV centers less than 10 nm below the surface of a single-crystal diamond; second, the fabrication of tip-like photonic nanostructures that enable efficient fluorescence collection and can be used for scanning probe imaging based on color centers with nanoscale resolution.
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].
Precise positioning of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers is crucial for their application in sensing and quantum information. Here we present a new purely optical technique enabling determination of the NV position with nanometer resolution. We use a confocal microscope to determine the position of individual emitters along the optical axis. Using two separate detection channels, it is possible to simultaneously measure reflected light from the diamond surface and fluorescent light from the NV center and statistically evaluate both signals. An accuracy of 2.6 nm for shallow NV centers was achieved and is consistent with other techniques for depth determination.