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Advanced Optical Materials

FRET Between NV Centers In Diamond And Chlorophyll Molecules: A Novel Resource For Multimodal Sensing And Imaging In Plant Cells

Sebastian Westrich, Nimba Oshnik, Nina D. Thiele, Nina Burmeister, Yanis Abdedou, Nikhita Khera, Stefanie J. Müller‐Schüssele, Elke Neu

Published Apr 1, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

ABSTRACT This work demonstrates efficient Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between ensembles of shallow nitrogen‐vacancy (NV) centers located and below a single‐crystal diamond surface and a naturally occurring fluorophore, here a mixture of chlorophyll a and b molecules extracted from Arabidopsis thaliana . The broad fluorescence band of NV centers spectrally overlaps with the chlorophyll molecule's absorption, enabling FRET. Consequently, depositing a chlorophyll layer on the diamond surface reduces the NV fluorescence lifetime from approximately to below , indicating efficient FRET. Laser‐induced photobleaching of chlorophyll restores the unquenched NV lifetime. NV centers located deeper within the diamond ( and ) remain unaffected, confirming that the observed quenching originates from a short range FRET mechanism. The NV ensembles retain their optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) contrast while observing FRET, demonstrating preservation of their spin properties. Consequently, these proof‐of‐principle experiments demonstrate the feasibility of combining FRET‐based distance measurements with magnetic sensing using optically readable spins.

DOI
10.1002/adom.202600003

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We demonstrate the use of two-photon excitation for observing the ground state optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds at room temperature. An ultrafast femtosecond laser at 1040 nm was used for excitation, while fluorescence signal read out was achieved through a combination of a PMT and a lock-in amplifier. The imaging capability of two-photon excitation fluorescence (2PEF) was utilized to map the distribution of NV centers in a bulk diamond and micro-sized diamonds. For the first time, ODMR traces of the nitrogen-vacancy center are observed with two-photon excitation, providing a promising tool for fast 3D quantum sensing and imaging.

quant-pharXiv:2604.15755•Apr 20, 2026•0 citations
ABSTRACT This work demonstrates efficient Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between ensembles of shallow nitrogen‐vacancy (NV) centers located and below a single‐crystal diamond surface and a naturally occurring fluorophore, here a mixture of chlorophyll a and b molecules extracted from Arabidopsis thaliana . The broad fluorescence band of NV centers spectrally overlaps with the chlorophyll molecule's absorption, enabling FRET. Consequently, depositing a chlorophyll layer on the diamond surface reduces the NV fluorescence lifetime from approximately to below , indicating efficient FRET. Laser‐induced photobleaching of chlorophyll restores the unquenched NV lifetime. NV centers located deeper within the diamond ( and ) remain unaffected, confirming that the observed quenching originates from a short range FRET mechanism. The NV ensembles retain their optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) contrast while observing FRET, demonstrating preservation of their spin properties. Consequently, these proof‐of‐principle experiments demonstrate the feasibility of combining FRET‐based distance measurements with magnetic sensing using optically readable spins.
This work demonstrates efficient Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between ensembles of shallow nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers located 7 nm and 9 nm below a single-crystal diamond surface and a naturally occurring fluorophore, namely a mixture of chlorophyll a and b molecules extracted from Arabidopsis thaliana. The broad fluorescence band of NV centers spectrally overlaps with the absorption of chlorophyll molecules, enabling FRET. As a result, depositing a chlorophyll layer on the diamond surface reduces the NV fluorescence lifetime from approximately 14 ns to below 4 ns, indicating efficient energy transfer. Laser-induced photobleaching of chlorophyll restores the unquenched NV lifetime. In contrast, NV centers located deeper within the diamond at depths of 40 nm and 72 nm remain unaffected, confirming that the observed quenching originates from a short-range FRET mechanism. The NV ensembles retain their optically detected magnetic resonance contrast while FRET is observed, demonstrating preservation of their spin properties. These proof-of-principle experiments establish the feasibility of combining FRET-based distance measurements with magnetic sensing using optically readable spins.
Sensing nano-scale magnetic field sources is at the heart of many applications in nano-science and biology. Given its very small size and high magnetic sensitivity, the nitrogen vacancy (NV) colour centre in diamond is one of the leading candidates for such applications. However, issues regarding the stability and performance of the NV centre near the diamond's surface are the major obstacle in the practical realization of theses sensors. So far, conventional implantation and growth techniques did not produce practical and/or repeatable solutions to this problem. In this report, we show first results of shallow layers of NVs created using plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII). We show, using Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), that most NVs are within 3.6 nm from the diamond's surface. Despite the relatively low quality of the diamond substrates used and the simplicity of our PIII system, we have an estimated magnetic sensitivity of around 2.29 μT/[Formula: see text].
Nitrogen Vacancy (NV) centers are point defects in diamond that allow magnetic field sensing based on Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance (ODMR). They are processed in ultrapure single-domain CVD grown diamond crystals and can be operated at room temperature. This results in solid-state sensors with a wide variety of applications. Ensemble of NV centers can be used to perform wide-field magnetic imaging with sensitivity in the nT range. Single NV centers can also be processed, which allows sensing at the atomic scale. This possibility, combined with its unique coherence properties, make NV center an ideal candidate for quantum sensing.
Shallow, negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV -) in diamond have been proposed for high-sensitivity magnetometry and spin-polarization transfer applications.However, surface effects tend to favor and stabilize the less useful neutral form, the NV 0 centers.Here, we report the effects of green laser irradiation on ensembles of nanometer-shallow NV centers in flat and nanostructured diamond surfaces as a function of laser power in a range not previously explored (up to 150 mW/μm 2 ).Fluorescence spectroscopy, optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), and charge-photoconversion detection are applied to characterize the properties and dynamics of NV -and NV 0 centers.We demonstrate that high laser power strongly promotes photoconversion of NV 0 to NV -centers.Surprisingly, the excess NV -population is stable over a timescale of 100 ms after switching off the laser, resulting in long-lived enrichment of shallow NV -.The beneficial effect of photoconversion is less marked in nanostructured samples.Our results are important to inform the design of samples and experimental procedures for applications relying on ensembles of shallow NV -centers in diamond.
Shallow, negatively-charged Nitrogen-Vacancy centers (NV-) in diamond have been proposed for high-sensitivity magnetometry and spin-polarization transfer applications. However, surface effects tend to favor and stabilize the less useful neutral form, the NV0 centers. Here, we report the effects of green laser irradiation on ensembles of nanometer-shallow NV centers in flat and nanostructured diamond surfaces as a function of laser power in a range not previously explored (up to 150 mW/μm2). Raman spectroscopy, optically-detected-magnetic-resonance (ODMR) and charge-photoconversion fluorescence detection are applied to characterize the properties and dynamics of NV- and NV0 centers. We demonstrate that high laser power strongly promotes photoconversion of NV0 to NV- centers. Surprisingly, the excess NV- population is stable over a time scale of one hundred milliseconds after switching off the laser, resulting in long-lived enrichment of shallow NV-. The beneficial effect of photoconversion is less marked in nanostructured samples. Our results are important to inform the design of samples and experimental procedures for applications relying on ensembles of shallow NV- centers in diamond.
We demonstrate the use of two-photon excitation for observing the ground state optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds at room temperature. An ultrafast femtosecond laser at 1040 nm was used for excitation, while fluorescence signal read out was achieved through a combination of a PMT and a lock-in amplifier. The imaging capability of two-photon excitation fluorescence (2PEF) was utilized to map the distribution of NV centers in a bulk diamond and micro-sized diamonds. For the first time, ODMR traces of the nitrogen-vacancy center are observed with two-photon excitation, providing a promising tool for fast 3D quantum sensing and imaging.