Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Sensing Within Functionalized Additively Manufactured Microporous Structures

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel method for creating 3D quantum sensors by functionalizing 3D-printed microporous structures with nanodiamonds containing NV centers, enabling advanced volumetric sensing in complex environments.

Contribution

It introduces a versatile surface-functionalization technique for 3D microstructures with NV-containing nanodiamonds, expanding quantum sensing capabilities beyond bulk crystals.

Findings

Successfully fabricated a 150 μm gyroid structure with millions of nanodiamonds.

Achieved volumetric ODMR imaging across the microstructure.

Demonstrated ensemble temperature sensing with 0.548 K/√Hz sensitivity.

Abstract

Quantum sensing with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond has emerged as a powerful tool for measuring diverse physical parameters, yet the versatility of these measurement approaches is often limited by the achievable layout and dimensionality of bulk-crystal platforms. Here, we demonstrate a versatile approach to creating designer quantum sensors by surface-functionalizing multiphoton lithography microstructures with NV-containing nanodiamonds. We showcase this capability by fabricating a 150 $\mu$m x 150 $\mu$m x 150 $\mu$m triply periodic minimal surface gyroid structure with millions of attached nanodiamonds. We demonstrate a means to volumetrically image these structures using a refractive index matching confocal imaging technique, and extract ODMR spectra from 1.86 $\mu$m x 1.86 $\mu$m areas of highly concentrated nanodiamonds across a cross section of the gyroid. Furthermore, the high density of sensing elements enables ensemble temperature measurements with sensitivity of 0.548 {\deg}K/$\sqrt{Hz}$ at 5 mW excitation power. This approach to creating quantum-enabled microarchitectures opens new possibilities for multimodal sensing in complex three-dimensional environments.