Identifying subsurface metal microstructure and its materials via quantum wide-field microscope

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Quantum Technology
• Nondestructive Testing

Background:

• Evaluating subsurface metal microstructure is vital for engineering structure performance.
• Current methods may lack precision in characterizing intricate microstructures.
• Advanced techniques are needed for accurate materials evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel nondestructive inspection method for subsurface metal microstructure characterization.
• To integrate quantum sensing with electromagnetic theory and optical imaging.
• To establish a relationship between microwave fields and metallic material properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers for characterizing induced microwave fields in metallic materials.
• Analyzed the relationship between microwave fields and material conductivity theoretically.
• Applied microstrip transmission theory to understand microwave field variations due to defects.

Main Results:

• Successfully characterized microwave fields of six different metallic materials within a 1000×1000 µm² field of view.
• Established a correlation between induced microwave fields and the electrical conductivity of metals.
• Identified and analyzed microwave field differences caused by various subsurface metallic defect structures.

Conclusions:

• The integrated quantum sensing and optical imaging method is feasible for characterizing subsurface metallic materials and structures.
• This approach offers a promising advancement in materials evaluation and engineering maintenance.
• The study highlights the expanding applications of quantum testing technologies.