Superresolution optical magnetic imaging and spectroscopy using individual electronic spins in diamond

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates superresolution optical magnetic imaging and spectroscopy using individual NV centers in diamond, achieving nanoscale resolution and enabling detection of external NMR signals without linewidth degradation.

Contribution

It introduces a spin-RESOLFT microscopy technique for selective imaging of multiple NV centers with ~20 nm resolution and external proton NMR detection at 50 nm resolution.

Findings

Achieved ~20 nm magnetic field mapping resolution.

Enabled external proton NMR detection with 50 nm lateral resolution.

Maintained NMR linewidth while performing high-resolution imaging.

Abstract

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 solve the remaining 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.