High-resolution vector microwave magnetometry based on solid-state spins in diamond

• Published in: Nature communications 2015-03, Vol.6 (1), p.6631-6631, Article 6631
• Main Authors: Wang, Pengfei, Yuan, Zhenheng, Huang, Pu, Rong, Xing, Wang, Mengqi, Xu, Xiangkun, Duan, Changkui, Ju, Chenyong, Shi, Fazhan, Du, Jiangfeng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/301/119/1001; 639/766/25; 639/925; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7631

The measurement of the microwave field is crucial for many developments in microwave technology and related applications. However, measuring microwave fields with high sensitivity and spatial resolution under ambient conditions remains elusive. In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a scheme to measure both the strength and orientation of the microwave magnetic field by utilizing the quantum coherent dynamics of nitrogen vacancy centres in diamond. An angular resolution of 5.7 mrad and a sensitivity of 1.0 μT Hz −1/2 are achieved at a microwave frequency of 2.6000 GHz, and the microwave magnetic field vectors generated by a copper wire are precisely reconstructed. The solid-state microwave magnetometry with high resolution and wide frequency range that can work under ambient conditions proposed here enables unique potential applications over other state-of-art microwave magnetometry. Microwave technology is crucial for communications and high-speed electronics. Wang et al . now use nitrogen-vacancy defects in diamond to measure the strength and orientation of the magnetic component of a microwave electromagnetic field on the nanoscale.