Quantum technologies have seen a rapid developmental surge over the last couple of years. Though often overshadowed by quantum computation, quantum sensors show tremendous potential for widespread applications in chemistry...

No abstract

Quantum technologies have seen a rapid developmental surge over the last couple of years. Though often overshadowed by quantum computation, quantum sensors show tremendous potential for widespread applications in chemistry and biology. One system stands out in particular: the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond, an atomic-sized sensor allowing the detection of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals at unprecedented length scales down to a single proton. In this article, we review the fundamentals of NV center-based quantum sensing and its distinct impact on nano- to microscale NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, we highlight and discuss possible future applications of this novel technology ranging from energy research, material science, or single-cell biology, but also associated challenges of these rapidly developing NMR sensors.

Understanding diffusion in microstructures plays a crucial role in many scientific fields, including neuroscience, cancer- or energy research. While magnetic resonance methods are the gold standard for quantitative diffusion measurements, they lack sensitivity in resolving and measuring diffusion within individual microstructures. Here, we introduce nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center based nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as a novel tool to probe diffusion in individual structures on microscopic length scales. We have developed a novel experimental scheme combining pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) with optically detected NV-NMR, which allows for the quantification of molecular diffusion and flow within nano-to-picoliter sample volumes. We demonstrate correlated optical imaging with spatially resolved PGSE NV-NMR experiments to probe anisotropic water diffusion within a model microstructure. Our method will extend the current capabilities of investigating diffusion processes to the microscopic length scale with the potential of probing single-cells, tissue microstructures, or ion mobility in thin film materials for battery applications.

No abstract

Quantum technologies have seen a rapid developmental surge over the last couple of years. Though often overshadowed by quantum computation, quantum sensors show tremendous potential for widespread applications in chemistry and biology. One system stands out in particular: the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond, an atomic-sized sensor allowing the detection of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals at unprecedented length scales down to a single proton. In this article, we review the fundamentals of NV center-based quantum sensing and its distinct impact on nano- to microscale NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, we highlight and discuss possible future applications of this novel technology ranging from energy research, material science, or single-cell biology, but also associated challenges of these rapidly developing NMR sensors.

No abstract

Quantum technologies have seen a rapid developmental surge over the last couple of years. Though often overshadowed by quantum computation, quantum sensors show tremendous potential for widespread applications in chemistry and biology. One system stands out in particular: the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond, an atomic-sized sensor allowing the detection of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals at unprecedented length scales down to a single proton. In this article, we review the fundamentals of NV center-based quantum sensing and its distinct impact on nano- to microscale NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, we highlight and discuss possible future applications of this novel technology ranging from energy research, material science, or single-cell biology, but also associated challenges of these rapidly developing NMR sensors.