A robust, scanning quantum system for nanoscale sensing and imaging

TL;DR

This paper presents a room-temperature, robust atomic-scale quantum sensor using a diamond nanopillar with a nitrogen-vacancy center, enabling high-resolution nanoscale magnetic imaging and fluorescence microscopy.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, stable, and isolated quantum sensor suitable for scanning probe microscopy, overcoming previous grafting challenges and achieving unprecedented sensitivity.

Findings

20 nm imaging resolution achieved

Unprecedented sensitivity in scanning quantum microscopy

Successful magnetic and fluorescence imaging demonstrations

Abstract

Controllable atomic-scale quantum systems hold great potential as sensitive tools for nanoscale imaging and metrology. Possible applications range from nanoscale electric and magnetic field sensing to single photon microscopy, quantum information processing, and bioimaging. At the heart of such schemes is the ability to scan and accurately position a robust sensor within a few nanometers of a sample of interest, while preserving the sensor's quantum coherence and readout fidelity. These combined requirements remain a challenge for all existing approaches that rely on direct grafting of individual solid state quantum systems or single molecules onto scanning-probe tips. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication and room temperature operation of a robust and isolated atomic-scale quantum sensor for scanning probe microscopy. Specifically, we employ a high-purity, single-crystalline diamond nanopillar probe containing a single Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) color center. We illustrate the versatility and performance of our scanning NV sensor by conducting quantitative nanoscale magnetic field imaging and near-field single-photon fluorescence quenching microscopy. In both cases, we obtain imaging resolution in the range of 20 nm and sensitivity unprecedented in scanning quantum probe microscopy.