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Ensemble spin fabrication and manipulation of NV centres for magnetic sensing in diamond

Jiliang Mu (National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology, and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)
Zhang Qu (National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology, and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)
Zongmin Ma (National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology, and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)
Shaowen Zhang (National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology, and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)
Yunbo Shi (National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology, and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)
Jian Gao (National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology, and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)
Xiaoming Zhang (National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology, and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)
Huiliang Cao (National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology, and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)
li Qin (National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology, and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)
Jun Liu (National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology, and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)
Yanjun Li (Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan and Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, North University of China, Taiyuan, China)

Sensor Review

ISSN: 0260-2288

Article publication date: 2 November 2017

Issue publication date: 2 November 2017

281

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to fabricate and manipulate ensemble spin of negative nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres optimally for future solid atomic magnetometers/gyroscope. Parameters for sample preparation most related to magnetometers/gyroscope are, in particular, the concentration and homogeneity of the NV centres, the parameters’ microwave antenna of resonance frequency and the strength of the microwave on NV centres. Besides, the abundance of other impurities such as neutral NV centres (NV0) and substitutional nitrogen in the lattice also plays a critical role in magnetic sensing.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors succeeded in fabricating the assembly of NV centres in diamond and they determined its concentration of (2-3) × 1016 cm−3 with irradiation followed by annealing under a high temperature condition. They explored a novel magnetic resonance approach to detect the weak magnetic fields that takes advantage of the solid-state electron ensemble spin of NV centres in diamond. In particular, the authors set up a magnetic sensor on the basis of the assembly of NV centres. They succeeded in fabricating the assembly of NV centres in diamond and determined its concentration. They also clarified the magnetic field intensity measured at different positions along the antenna with different lengths, and they found the optimal position where the signal of the magnetic field reaches the maximum.

Findings

The authors mainly reported preparation, initialization, manipulation and measurement of the ensemble spin of the NV centres in diamond using optical excitation and microwave radiation methods with variation of the external magnetic field. They determined the optimal parameters of irradiation and annealing to generate the ensemble NV centres, and a concentration of NV centres as high as 1016 cm−3 in diamond was obtained. In addition, they found that sensitivity of the magnetometer using this method can reach as low as 5.22 µT/Hz currently.

Practical implications

This research can shed light on the development of an atomic magnetometer and a gyroscope on the basis of the ensemble spin of NV centres in diamond.

Social implications

High concentration spin of NV in diamond is one of the advantages compared with that of the atomic vapor cells, because it can obtain a higher concentration. When increasing the spin concentration, the spin signal is easy to detect, and macro-atomic spin magnetometer become possible. This research is the first step for solid atomic magnetometers with high spin density and high sensitivity potentially with further optimization. It has a wide range of applications from fundamental physics tests, sensor applications and navigation to detection of NMR signals.

Originality/value

As has been pointed out, in this research, the authors mainly worked on fabricating NV centres with high concentration (1015-1016 cm−3) in diamond by using optimal irradiation and annealing processes, and they quantitatively defined the NV concentration, which is important for the design of higher concentration processes in the magnetometer and gyroscope. Until now, few groups can directly define the NV concentration. Besides, the authors optimized the microwave antenna parameters experimentally and explored the dependence between the splitting of the magnetic resonance and the magnetic fields, which dictated the minimum detectable magnetic field.

Keywords

Citation

Mu, J., Qu, Z., Ma, Z., Zhang, S., Shi, Y., Gao, J., Zhang, X., Cao, H., Qin, l., Liu, J. and Li, Y. (2017), "Ensemble spin fabrication and manipulation of NV centres for magnetic sensing in diamond", Sensor Review, Vol. 37 No. 4, pp. 419-424. https://doi.org/10.1108/SR-09-2016-0163

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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