Zero-Field Magnetometry Based on Nitrogen-Vacancy Ensembles in Diamond
At a Glance
Section titled “At a Glance”| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2019-06-27 |
| Journal | Physical Review Applied |
| Authors | Huijie Zheng, Jingyan Xu, Geoffrey Z. Iwata, Till Lenz, Julia Michl |
| Institutions | Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Helmholtz Institute Mainz |
| Citations | 77 |
Abstract
Section titled “Abstract”Ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamonds are widely utilized for magnetometry, magnetic-field imaging and magnetic-resonance detection. They have not been used for magnetometry at zero ambient field because Zeeman sublevels lose first-order sensitivity to magnetic fields as they are mixed due to crystal strain or electric fields. In this work, we realize a zero-field (ZF) magnetometer using polarization-selective microwave excitation in a 12C-enriched HPHT crystal sample. We employ circularly polarized microwaves to address specific transitions in the optically detected magnetic resonance and perform magnetometry with a noise floor of 250 pT/Hz^(1/2). This technique opens the door to practical applications of NV sensors for ZF magnetic sensing, such as ZF nuclear magnetic resonance, and investigation of magnetic fields in biological systems.