Nanotube spin defects for omnidirectional magnetic field sensing

Abstract

Optically addressable spin defects in three-dimensional (3D) crystals and two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials are revolutionizing nanoscale quantum sensing. Spin defects in one-dimensional (1D) vdW nanotubes will provide unique opportunities due to their small sizes in two dimensions and absence of dangling bonds on side walls. However, optically detected magnetic resonance of localized spin defects in a nanotube has not been observed. Here, we report the observation of single spin color centers in boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) at room temperature. Our findings suggest that these BNNT spin defects possess a spin $S=1/2$ ground state without an intrinsic quantization axis, leading to orientation-independent magnetic field sensing. We harness this unique feature to observe anisotropic magnetization of a 2D magnet in magnetic fields along orthogonal directions, a challenge for conventional spin $S=1$ defects such as diamond nitrogen-vacancy centers. Additionally, we develop a method to deterministically transfer a BNNT onto a cantilever and use it to demonstrate scanning probe magnetometry. Further refinement of our approach will enable atomic scale quantum sensing of magnetic fields in any direction.

9 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (6)

• Probing magnetism in 2D materials at the nanoscale with single spin microscopy
• Robust multi-qubit quantum network node with integrated error detection
• Multi-species optically addressable spin defects in a van der Waals material
• Quantum control and Berry phase of electron spins in rotating levitated diamonds in high vacuum
• Robust Nuclear Spin Polarization via Ground-State Level Anti-Crossing of Boron Vacancy Defects in Hexagonal Boron Nitride
• A charge transfer mechanism for optically addressable solid-state spin pairs

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Sensing Spin Wave Excitations by Spin Defects in Few-Layer Thick Hexagonal Boron Nitride
• Probing Stress and Magnetism at High Pressures with Two-Dimensional Quantum Sensors
• Creation and Microscopic Origins of Single-Photon Emitters in Transition Metal Dichalcogenides and Hexagonal Boron Nitride
• Quantifying the creation of negatively charged boron vacancies in He-ion irradiated hexagonal boron nitride
• Room-Temperature Electrical Readout of Spin Defects in van der Waals Materials
• Purcell-enhanced optical refrigeration
• Omnidirectional magnetic imaging of magnetic anisotropy and phase transitions
• Optical spin defect pairs in cubic boron nitride