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Nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance with a nitrogen-vacancy spin sensor
H J Mamin1, M Kim, M H Sherwood
1IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA 95120, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 2, 2013
Summary
Researchers used a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond to detect nanoscale proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals from external organic samples. This breakthrough enables sensitive, localized NMR measurements.
Area of Science:
- Quantum sensing
- Nanoscale spectroscopy
- Magnetic resonance imaging
Background:
- Conventional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods lack sensitivity for nanoscale samples.
- Detecting signals from small sample volumes is a significant challenge in analytical chemistry and materials science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a highly sensitive method for nanoscale NMR detection.
- To utilize a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond as a probe for external proton NMR signals.
Main Methods:
- Employing an individual, near-surface nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond as a quantum sensor.
- Implementing electron spin echo techniques combined with proton spin manipulation.
- Detecting nanotesla magnetic field fluctuations generated by proton spins in an external organic sample.
Main Results:
- Successful detection of proton NMR signals from an organic sample using a single NV center sensor.
- Demonstration of both time-domain and spectroscopic NMR measurements at the nanometer scale.
- Achieved sensitivity to nanotesla-level magnetic field fluctuations from target protons.
Conclusions:
- A single NV center in diamond can serve as a sensitive probe for nanoscale NMR.
- This technique overcomes the sensitivity limitations of conventional NMR for small sample volumes.
- Enables new possibilities for high-resolution chemical and structural analysis at the nanoscale.
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