Nanodiamonds based optical-fiber quantum probe for magnetic field and biological sensing

TL;DR

This paper presents a miniature optical-fiber quantum probe using nanodiamonds with NV centers for highly sensitive magnetic field and biological sensing, achieving record sensitivity and demonstrating paramagnetic species detection.

Contribution

Development of a chemically-modified nanodiamond-based optical fiber quantum probe with enhanced sensitivity and multifunctionality for physical and biological sensing.

Findings

Magnetic field detection sensitivity of 0.57 nT/Hz^{1/2} at 1Hz.

Enhanced sensing performance via nanodiamond dispersion control and magnetic flux concentrators.

Successful detection of paramagnetic Gd^{3+} ions.

Abstract

Owing to the unique electronic spin properties, the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers hosted in diamond have emerged as a powerful quantum sensor for various physical parameters and biological species. In this work, a miniature optical-fiber quantum probe, configured by chemically-modifying nanodiamonds NV centers on the surface of a cone fiber tip, is developed. Based on continue-wave optically detected magnetic resonance method and lock-in amplifying technique, it is found that the sensing performance of the probe can be engineered by varying the nanodiamonds dispersion concentration and modification duration in the chemical modification process. Combined with a pair of magnetic flux concentrators, the magnetic field detection sensitivity of the probe is significantly enhanced to 0.57 nT/Hz1/2 @ 1Hz, a new record among the fiber magnetometers based on nanodiamonds NV. Taking Gd3+ as the demo, the capability of the probe in paramagnetic species detection is also demonstrated experimentally. Our work provides a new approach to develop NV center as quantum probe featuring high integration, miniature size, multifunction, and high sensitivity, etc.