Detection of Paramagnetic Spins with an Ultrathin van der Waals Quantum Sensor

Robertson, I. O.; Scholten, Sam C.; Singh, Priya; Healey, A. J.; Meneses, Fernando; Reineck, Philipp; Abe, Hiroshi; Ohshima, Takeshi; Kianinia, Mehran; Aharonovich, Igor; Tetienne, J.‐P.

doi:10.1021/acsnano.3c01678

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Finally, we measure the spin relaxation time T 1 , which sets the practical upper limit for spin coherence and the sensitivity of relaxometry experiments [9,31]. Here we use longer laser pulse durations, ≈1 µs (up from 500 ns), to ensure high, uniform initialisation into the |0⟩ ground state across the ensemble [9].…”

Section: T 1 and Relaxometry Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Again assuming a shot-noise-limited measurement, the sensitivity of a T 1 relaxometry measurement will be proportional to [9]…”

Section: T 1 and Relaxometry Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The advent of optically active spin defects in hBN, in particular the negatively-charged boron vacancy centre (V − B ) [1][2][3], has sparked excitement as van der Waals quantum sensors have opened up the possibility of moving towards atomic proximity with a target and for seamless integration with devices based on van der Waals heterostructures [4,5]. Implementations based on single crystal flakes exfoliated from high-quality bulk crystals [6][7][8] and commercially-available nanopowders [9,10] have been demonstrated, with proposed applications in fields ranging from condensed matter physics to biology [5]. Essential to the furtherance of hBN-based quantum sensing is arriving at reliable and scalable methods for creating high quality spin ensembles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Optimisation of electron irradiation for creating spin ensembles in hexagonal boron nitride

Healey,

Singh,

Robertson

et al. 2024

Mater. Quantum. Technol.

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Boron vacancy centre (VB-) ensembles in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have attracted recent interest for their potential as two-dimensional solid-state quantum sensors. Irradiation is necessary for VB- creation, however, to date only limited attention has been given to optimising the defect production process, especially in the case of bulk irradiation with high-energy particles, which oﬀers scalability through the potential for creating ensembles in large volumes of material. Here we systematically investigate the eﬀect of electron irradiation by varying the dose delivered to a range of hBN samples, which diﬀer in their purity, and search for an optimum in measurement sensitivity. We ﬁnd that moderate electron irradiation doses ( 5 × 1018 cm-2) appear to oﬀer the best sensitivity, and also observe a dependence on the initial crystal purity. These results pave the way for the scalable and cost-eﬀective production of hBN quantum sensors, and provide insight into the mechanisms limiting VB- spin properties.

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Section: T 1 and Relaxometry Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Again assuming a shot-noise-limited measurement, the sensitivity of a T 1 relaxometry measurement will be proportional to [9]…”

Section: T 1 and Relaxometry Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Optimisation of electron irradiation for creating spin ensembles in hexagonal boron nitride

Healey,

Singh,

Robertson

et al. 2024

Mater. Quantum. Technol.

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“…While finalizing this paper, we became aware of a related paper on detecting paramagnetic ions with hBN spin defects …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantum Sensing of Paramagnetic Spins in Liquids with Spin Qubits in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

et al. 2023

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Paramagnetic ions and radicals play essential roles in biology and medicine, but detecting them requires highly sensitive and ambient-operable sensors. Optically addressable spin color centers in 3D semiconductors are useful for detecting paramagnetic spins due to their sensitivity to spin magnetic noise. However, creating high-quality spin defects near the surface of 3D materials is challenging. Here, we show that spin qubits in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a layered van der Waals (vdW) material, can efficiently detect paramagnetic spins in liquids at nanoscales. We create shallow spin defects near the hBN surface, which maintain high-contrast optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) in liquids. Then, we detect paramagnetic ions in water using spin relaxation measurements, with a sensitivity of about 10 −18 mol/ for Gd 3+ ions. Finally, we show that paramagnetic ions reduce the contrast of spindependent fluorescence, enabling efficient detection by continuous wave ODMR. Our results demonstrate the potential of ultrathin hBN quantum sensors for chemical and biological applications.

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Multi-species optically addressable spin defects in a van der Waals material

Scholten,

Singh,

Healey

et al. 2024

Nat Commun

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Optically addressable spin defects hosted in two-dimensional van der Waals materials represent a new frontier for quantum technologies, promising to lead to a new class of ultrathin quantum sensors and simulators. Recently, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has been shown to host several types of optically addressable spin defects, thus offering a unique opportunity to simultaneously address and utilise various spin species in a single material. Here we demonstrate an interplay between two separate spin species within a single hBN crystal, namely S = 1 boron vacancy defects and carbon-related electron spins. We reveal the S = 1/2 character of the carbon-related defect and further demonstrate room temperature coherent control and optical readout of both S = 1 and S = 1/2 spin species. By tuning the two spin ensembles into resonance with each other, we observe cross-relaxation indicating strong inter-species dipolar coupling. We then demonstrate magnetic imaging using the S = 1/2 defects and leverage their lack of intrinsic quantization axis to probe the magnetic anisotropy of a test sample. Our results establish hBN as a versatile platform for quantum technologies in a van der Waals host at room temperature.

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Detection of Paramagnetic Spins with an Ultrathin van der Waals Quantum Sensor

Cited by 6 publications

References 59 publications

Optimisation of electron irradiation for creating spin ensembles in hexagonal boron nitride

Optimisation of electron irradiation for creating spin ensembles in hexagonal boron nitride

Quantum Sensing of Paramagnetic Spins in Liquids with Spin Qubits in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Multi-species optically addressable spin defects in a van der Waals material

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