Quantum sensing with spin defects in 2D and 1D materials
Prof. Tongcang Li
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Purdue University
The recent discovery of spin qubits in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) material, has opened up exciting possibilities for quantum sensing. Due to its layered structure, hBN can be easily exfoliated and integrated with various materials and nanostructures for in-situ quantum sensing applications. In this talk, I will provide a brief overview of recent advancements in quantum sensing and imaging using spin defects in hBN and discuss our contributions to this emerging field. We have demonstrated high-contrast plasmon-enhanced spin defects in hBN for quantum sensing. Additionally, we achieved optical polarization and coherent control of nuclear spins in hBN at room temperature [Nature Materials 21, 1024 (2022); Nature Communications 15, 104 (2024)], paving the way for manipulation of nuclear spins in vdW materials for quantum information science and technology applications. Recently, we observed optically active single spin defects in boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT), a one-dimensional (1D) vdW material [arXiv:2310.02709]. We have developed a method to deterministically transfer a BNNT onto a cantilever and use it to demonstrate scanning probe magnetometry.
Hosted by Prof. Jin