Abstract: Color centers in wide-bandgap semiconductors have emerged as a leading platform in the field of quantum sensing, broadly defined as the use of qubits to measure environmental parameters. My research group uses Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers in diamond to image magnetic phenomena in condensed-matter and biochemical systems over a broad range of length scales. At the nanometer scale, we are building super resolution magnetic microscopes to image magnetic nanoparticles with 50-100 nm resolution [1]. At the micrometer scale, we embed diamond sensors inside microfluidic chips to perform nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at the scale of single cells [2]. At the millimeter scale, we use magnetic flux concentrators to detect femtotesla-level magnetic fields [3], with potential applications in medical imaging, navigation, and even dark matter detection [4]. I will provide an introduction to the field, discuss recent results and ongoing challenges, and outline future directions.

Hosted by Professor Chandrasekhar Ramanathan