Speaker
Description
Nitrogen Vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have emerged as versatile quantum sensors, enabling nanoscale detection of magnetic and electric fields, temperature shifts, strain and chemical environments under ambient conditions. The unique spin properties of NV centers combined with the exceptional properties of diamond provide a powerful platform for investigating physical, chemical, and biological systems with high spatial resolution.
Our research focuses on the application of NV-based quantum sensing techniques using several experimental platforms including confocal microscopy, scanning NV magnetometry, (cryo-) widefield microscope and spin-to-charge conversion microscopy. These approaches are employed to study two-dimensional and nanostructured materials, perform nanoscale thermometry and detect paramagnetic species via T₁ relaxometry. In addition, we explore fluorescence-based techniques such as Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) using NV-bulk diamonds and photosynthetic molecules.
By combining advanced optical microscopy with quantum sensing, our work contributes to the development of robust, non-invasive sensing technologies capable of addressing fundamental questions in condensed matter physics, materials science, chemistry, and biology.
References:
J.P. Leibold, L.M. Todenhagen, M. Althammer, N. Khera, S. Levashov, E. Neu, M.S. Brandt, H. Huebl, D.B. Bucher, Influence of Platinum Thin Films on the Photophysical and Quantum Properties of Near-Surface NV Centers, Adv. Optical Mater.14, no. 7 (2026): e03544
S. Westrich, N. Oshnik, N. Thiele, N. Burmeister, Y. Abdedou, N. Khera, S.J. Müller-Schüssele, E. Neu, FRET Between NV Centers In Diamond And Chlorophyll Molecules: A Novel Resource For Multimodal Sensing And Imaging In Plant Cells, Advanced Optical Materials (2026): e00003
E. Herbst, S. Westrich, A. Erlenbach, J. Gutsche, M. Wächtler, E. Neu, Towards Application of Nanodiamonds for in-situ Monitoring of Radicals in Liquid Phase Chemical Reactions, arXiv
