High sensitivity solid state magnetometer

摘要

A magnetometer for sensing a magnetic field may include a solid state electronic spin system, and a detector. The solid state electronic spin system may contain one or more electronic spins that are disposed within a solid state lattice, for example NV centers in diamond. The electronic spins may be configured to receive optical excitation radiation and to align with the magnetic field in response thereto. The electronic spins may be further induced to precess about the magnetic field to be sensed, in response to an external control such as an RF field, the frequency of the spin precession being linearly related to the magnetic field by the Zeeman shift of the electronic spin energy levels. The detector may be configured to detect output optical radiation from the electronic spin, so as to determine the Zeeman shift and thus the magnetic field.

主权项

1. A magnetometer for sensing an unknown external magnetic field, comprising:
a solid state electronic spin system containing one or more a plurality of electronic spins that are disposed within a solid state lattice, and that are substantially free of interaction with the solid state lattice; wherein the plurality of electronic spins are configured to align with the unknown external magnetic field in response to optical excitation radiation applied thereto by the optical excitation system; and wherein the plurality of electronic spins are further responsive to the external control system so as to induce a precession of the electronic spins about the unknown external magnetic field to be sensed, the frequency of the precession being linearly related to the unknown external magnetic field by the Zeeman shift of the electronic spin energy levels; and a detector configured to detect output optical radiation correlated with the plurality of electronic spins, after the plurality of electronic spins have been subject to the optical excitation radiation and the external control, and wherein the detector is further configured to determine the Zeeman shift and use the determined Zeeman shift to calculate the unknown external magnetic field, wherein the plurality of electronic spins include different sets of spin centers having different crystallographic orientations within the solid state lattice, and wherein the magnetometer is configured to select one or more of the sets of spin centers in one or more crystallographic orientations and use the selected spin defects to determine the unknown external magnetic field.