We have developed a prototype of the fiber array-based magnetometry with diamond NV for 2D measurements of the magnetic fields and observed the magnetic field distributions. Further work is under way to develop a compact magnetic probe system for the 2D imaging of the magnetic nanoparticles in biomedical tissues.
A magnetic field sensor based on a fiber-optic integrated probe at the center of a nitrogen vacancy (NV) is proposed and demonstrated. Fiber optics are utilized to replace all conventional spatial optics while efficiently enabling laser excitation and fluorescence collection from diamond. Optical models were developed to study the fluorescence collection efficiency of diamond. The fiber-coupled probe was simulated and its efficiency was improved to 3.062% compared to the 0.607% fluorescence coupling efficiency of the fiber. The optical probe magnetic resonance (ODMR) phenomenon was successfully observed and significantly improved the magnetic field sensitivity to 5.3 nT/Hz1/2, which proved the feasibility and performance compared with the conventional confocal NV-centered magnetometer.
Diamond NV centers have transformed quantum sensing by enabling precise measurement of magnetic and electric fields, temperature, pressure, and strain, all within a reliable solid-state platform, at room temperature, down to the nanoscale. These capabilities position NV-based sensors as alternatives to cryogenic SQUIDs or atomic gas systems, with transformative potential across biomedical imaging, autonomous navigation, and industrial non-destructive testing (NDT). Despite promising prototypes—such as fiber-integrated endoscopes, CMOS-compatible sensors, and microfluidic chips—the development of widescale applications is hampered due to challenges in diamond micro/nanofabrication and photonic integration. Our group addresses these limitations through diamond processing techniques and hybrid material platforms. We develop methods for fabricating quantum-grade diamond nanostructures, including nanopillars optimized for neuronal electric field sensing and other photonic cavity applications. Additionally, we explore the integration of NV-rich diamond membranes within photonic systems to improve the spin photon interaction and efficient conversion of the pump beam. Collaborating with industry partner Kwantek, we also work on a compact fiber-endoscope prototype enabling NDT in constrained environments. These innovations will improve the state-of-the-art NV magnetometry to reduce system footprint and cost, critical for future industrialisation.
Efficient collection of photoluminescence arising from spin dynamics of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond is important for practical applications involving precise magnetic field or temperature mapping. These goals may be realized by the integration of nanodiamond particles with optical fibers and volumetric doping of the particles alongside the fiber core. That approach combines the advantages of robust axial fixation of NV diamonds with a direct spatial overlap of their fluorescence with the guided mode of the fiber. We developed a suspended core silicate glass fiber with 750 nm-diameter nanodiamonds located centrally in the 1.5 µm-core cross-section along its axis. The developed fiber probe was tested for its magnetic sensing performance in optically detected magnetic resonance measurements using a 24 cm-long fiber sample, with the NV excitation and fluorescence collection from the far ends of the sample and yielding optical readout contrast of 7% resulting in 0.5 µT·Hz-1/2 magnetic field sensitivity, two orders of magnitude better than in earlier designs. Thanks to its improved fluorescence confinement, the developed probe could find application in magnetic sensing over extended fiber length, magnetic field mapping or gradiometry.
Integration of optically active diamond particles with glass fibers is a powerful method of scaling diamond's magnetic sensing functionality. We propose a novel approach for the integration of diamond particles containing nitrogen-vacancy centers directly into the fiber core. The core is fabricated by stacking the preform from 790 soft glass canes, drawn from a single rod dip-coated with submicron diamond particles suspended in isopropyl alcohol. This enables manual control over the distribution of nanoscale features, here – the diamond particles across the optical fiber core. We verify this by mapping the diamond distribution in the core using confocal microscopy. The particles are separated longitudinally by 12–29 μm, while in the transverse plane a separation of approximately 1.5–2.2 μm is observed, corresponding to the individual cane diameter in the final fiber, and without significant agglomeration. The fiber's magnetic sensitivity is confirmed in optically detected magnetic resonance recorded with a coiled, 60-cm-long fiber sample with readout contrast of 1.3% limited by microwave antenna coverage. Moreover, magnetic-field dependence of the NV─ fluorescence intensity is demonstrated in the absence of microwaves, allowing magnetometric applications with a large (from 0 to 35 mT) B-field dynamic range.
In modern-day quantum metrology, quantum sensors are widely employed to detect weak magnetic fields or nanoscale signals. Quantum devices, exploiting quantum coherence, are inevitably connected to physical constants and can achieve accuracy, repeatability, and precision approaching fundamental limits. As a result, these sensors have shown utility in a wide range of research domains spanning both science and technology. A rapidly emerging quantum sensing platform employs atomic-scale defects in crystals. In particular, magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers in diamond has garnered increasing interest. NV systems possess a combination of remarkable properties, optical addressability, long coherence times, and biocompatibility. Sensors based on NV centers excel in spatial resolution and magnetic sensitivity. These diamond-based sensors promise comparable combination of high spatial resolution and magnetic sensitivity without cryogenic operation. The above properties of NV magnetometers promise increasingly integrated quantum measurement technology, as a result, they have been extensively developed with various protocols and find use in numerous applications spanning materials characterization, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), condensed matter physics, paleomagnetism, neuroscience and living systems biology, and industrial vector magnetometry. In this chapter, NV centers are explored for magnetic sensing in a number of contexts. In general, we introduce novel regimes for magnetic-field probes with NV ensembles. Specifically, NV centers are developed for sensitive magnetometers for applications where microwaves (MWs) are prohibitively invasive and operations need to be carried out under zero ambient magnetic field. The primary goal of our discussion is to improve the utility of these NV center-based magnetometers.
We demonstrated a fiber-integrated diamond-based magnetometer in this paper. In the system, the fluorescence of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds deposited on a tapered fiber was coupled to the tapered fiber effectively and detected at the output end of the fiber. By using this scheme, optically detected electron spin resonance spectra were recorded for single NV centers. The results confirmed that such a tapered fiber-nanodiamond system can act as a magnetometer. Featured with excellent portability, convenient fabrication, and potential for further integration, the constructed system has been demonstrated to be a practical magnetometer prototype.