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Chinese Physics Letters

High Resolution Microwave B-Field Imaging Using a Micrometer-Sized Diamond Sensor*

Wenhao He, Ming-Ming Dong, Zhenzhong Hu, Qihan Zhang, Bo Yang, Ying Liu, Xiaolong Fan, Guanxiang Du

Published Dec 1, 2019• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose a diamond-based micron-scale sensor and perform high-resolution B-field imaging of the near-field distribution of coplanar waveguides. The sensor consists of diamond crystals attached to the tip of a tapered fiber with a physical size on the order of submicron. The amplitude of the B-field component B is obtained by measuring the Rabi oscillation frequency. The result of Rabi sequence is fitted with a decayed sinusoidal. We apply the modulation-locking technique that demonstrates the vector-resolved field mapping of the micromachine coplanar waveguide structure (CPW). B-field line scan was performed on the CPW with a scan step size of 1.25 μm. To demonstrate vector resolved rf field sensing, a full field line scan acts (was performed) along four NV axes at a height of 50 μm above the device surface. The simulations are compared with the experimental results by vector-resolved measurement. This technique allows the measurement of weak microwave signals with a minimum resolvable modulation depth of 20 ppm. The sensor will have great interest in micron-scale resolved microwave B-field measurements, such as electromagnetic compatibility testing of microwave integrated circuits and characterization of integrated microwave components.

DOI
10.1088/0256-307x/36/12/127601

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We propose a diamond-based micron-scale sensor and perform high-resolution B-field imaging of the near-field distribution of coplanar waveguides. The sensor consists of diamond crystals attached to the tip of a tapered fiber with a physical size on the order of submicron. The amplitude of the B-field component B is obtained by measuring the Rabi oscillation frequency. The result of Rabi sequence is fitted with a decayed sinusoidal. We apply the modulation-locking technique that demonstrates the vector-resolved field mapping of the micromachine coplanar waveguide structure (CPW). B-field line scan was performed on the CPW with a scan step size of 1.25 μm. To demonstrate vector resolved rf field sensing, a full field line scan acts (was performed) along four NV axes at a height of 50 μm above the device surface. The simulations are compared with the experimental results by vector-resolved measurement. This technique allows the measurement of weak microwave signals with a minimum resolvable modulation depth of 20 ppm. The sensor will have great interest in micron-scale resolved microwave B-field measurements, such as electromagnetic compatibility testing of microwave integrated circuits and characterization of integrated microwave components.
Abstract We present a quantitative measurement of the horizontal component of the microwave magnetic field of a coplanar waveguide using a quantum diamond probe in fiber format. The measurement results are compared in detail with simulation, showing a good consistence. Further simulation shows fiber diamond probe brings negligible disturbance to the field under measurement compared to bulk diamond. This method will find important applications ranging from electromagnetic compatibility test and failure analysis of high frequency and high complexity integrated circuits.
Nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have precipitated profound advances in microwave detection, manifesting themselves both in spatial resolution and sensitivity. However, typical methods based on Rabi oscillations are subject to detunings due to thermal and magnetic fluctuations and/or gradients, which introduce systematic errors and render the measurements susceptible to environmental perturbations. Here, we propose and demonstrate a novel approach for determining both the magnitude and direction of microwaves, by exploiting the spectral line broadening effect in the optically detected magnetic resonance of NV centers. This method eliminates the requirement of aligning the MW frequency to the spin transitions and is therefore immune to variations and inhomogeneities of the magnetic field and temperature, providing an optimal tool for fast imaging applications. With this method, we achieved wide-field imaging of near field microwaves generated with a microscale Ω\rmΩΩ-pattern antenna with a resolution of 800\,nm. Combining with the vector detection using multi-axis NVs, a full reconstruction of the vector microwave fields is obtained. Besides, our scheme also exhibits excellent linearity over a broad range of MW amplitudes, and the scale is theoretically calculated to be more than four orders. Our results augment the applicability of diamond-based microwave devices in applications under complex scenarios, especially where large dynamic range, fast test speed, and high spatial resolution are demanded.
In quantum sensing of magnetic fields, ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond offer high sensitivity, high bandwidth and outstanding spatial resolution while operating in harsh environments. Moreover, the orientation of defect centers along four crystal axes forms an intrinsic coordinate system, enabling vector magnetometry within a single diamond crystal. While most vector magnetometers rely on a known bias magnetic field for full recovery of three-dimensional (3D) field information, employing external 3D Helmholtz coils or permanent magnets results in bulky, laboratory-bound setups, impeding miniaturization of the device. Here, a novel approach is presented that utilizes a fiber-integrated microscale coil at the fiber tip to generate a localized uniaxial magnetic field. The same fiber-tip coil is used in parallel for spin control by combining dc and microwave signals in a bias tee. To implement vector magnetometry using a uniaxial bias field, the orientation of the diamond crystal is preselected and then fully characterized by rotating a static magnetic field in three planes of rotation. The measurement of vector magnetic fields in the full solid angle is demonstrated with a shot-noise-limited sensitivity of 19.4 nT/Hz 1/2 and microscale spatial resolution while achieving a fiber sensor head cross section of less than 1 mm2
In quantum sensing of magnetic fields, ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond offer high sensitivity, high bandwidth and outstanding spatial resolution while operating in harsh environments. Moreover, the orientation of defect centers along four crystal axes forms an intrinsic coordinate system, enabling vector magnetometry within a single diamond crystal. While most vector magnetometers rely on a known bias magnetic field for full recovery of three-dimensional (3D) field information, employing external 3D Helmholtz coils or permanent magnets results in bulky, laboratory-bound setups, impeding miniaturization of the device. Here, a novel approach is presented that utilizes a fiber-integrated microscale coil at the fiber tip to generate a localized uniaxial magnetic field. The same fiber-tip coil is used in parallel for spin control by combining dc and microwave signals in a bias tee. To implement vector magnetometry using a uniaxial bias field, the orientation of the diamond crystal is preselected and then fully characterized by rotating a static magnetic field in three planes of rotation. The measurement of vector magnetic fields in the full solid angle is demonstrated with a shot-noise-limited sensitivity of 19.4 nT/Hz 1 / 2 and microscale spatial resolution while achieving a fiber sensor head cross section of less than 1 mm 2 . Published by the American Physical Society 2024
High-resolution, high-sensitivity microwave (MW) magnetic field imaging is indispensable for non-destructive integrated circuit (IC) testing, radio-frequency device characterization, and spintronic research. Yet, the practical utility of these techniques is severely constrained by the pervasive challenge of isolating weak magnetic signatures from intense optical and electronic noise, which fundamentally limits both acquisition speed and detection sensitivity. Here, we overcome this barrier by introducing a wide-field imaging scheme based on an ensemble of diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, synergistically combined with digital lock-in amplification (DLA). By exploiting digital demodulation, the DLA precisely extracts the MW-field response at a specific modulation frequency from background noise (e.g., laser intensity fluctuations), dramatically improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Consequently, our system attains a magnetic field sensitivity of 126 nT/(Hz)\sqrt(Hz)(​Hz). Critically, the unprecedented SNR permits a pixel dwell time of under one millisecond, allowing full-field images to be acquired within seconds-more than an order of magnitude faster than state-of-the-art NV-based wide-field techniques. This combination of speed, sensitivity, and micron-scale spatial resolution (1.6 μμμm) paves the way for quasi-real-time, non-invasive diagnostics of dynamic MW devices and integrated circuits.