Sub-nanoscale Temperature, Magnetic Field and Pressure sensing with Spin Centers in 2D hexagonal Boron Nitride

2021/02/22 by Andreas Gottscholl, Matthias Diez, Victor Soltamov +6 · 5 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #quant-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41467-021-24725-1

published as Nature Communications 12, 4480 (2021) · 9 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables

arxiv created 2021/02/22 · arxiv updated 2021/07/23

Abstract

Spin defects in solid-state materials are strong candidate systems for quantum information technology and sensing applications. Here we explore in details the recently discovered negatively charged boron vacancies (V_B^-) in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and demonstrate their use as atomic scale sensors for temperature, magnetic fields and externally applied pressure. These applications are possible due to the high-spin triplet ground state and bright spin-dependent photoluminescence (PL) of the V_B^-. Specifically, we find that the frequency shift in optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) measurements is not only sensitive to static magnetic fields, but also to temperature and pressure changes which we relate to crystal lattice parameters. Our work is important for the future use of spin-rich hBN layers as intrinsic sensors in heterostructures of functionalized 2D materials.

Cited by

• Spin decoherence in molecular crystals: nuclear v.s. electronic spin baths
• Quantum sensing with spin defects in boron nitride nanotubes
• Squeezed Phonon Lasing via Floquet-Controlled Solid-State Defects
• Nanoscale Quantum Imaging of Spin Dynamics using a Hybrid 2D/3D System
• Probing Remote Nuclear Magnetic Moments in hBN with VB Electron Spin
• Direct Measurement of the Singlet Lifetime and Photoexcitation Behavior of the Boron Vacancy Center in Hexagonal Boron Nitride