Diamond Compass Sees Atoms ⚡ экспресс
Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond are point defects that serve as qubits in quantum computers and sensors. To fully unlock their potential, we need to precisely locate individual centers. To do this, scientists used Fourier magnetic imaging: a compact setup with thermal drift compensation generates a pulsed magnetic field gradient of up to 13.5 Gs/µm. This allowed pinpointing a single NV center with a record resolution of 0.28 ± 0.10 nm, as if mentally zooming in on nanometer-scale details. The field measurement precision is just 9 nT. Interestingly, this method could help study spins inside proteins and cells.
In the crystal lattice of diamond, defects occasionally appear: a nitrogen atom grabs a foreign spot, and next to it gapes a void. Such a flaw turns into a supersensitive diamond compass—its magnetic needle quivers at the slightest external field. Paradoxically, a blemish that lowers a stone's value has become a coveted tool for physicists.
To see this atom-sized compass, scientists built a tiny platform unfazed by temperature fluctuations. They 'hailed' the defect with a series of magnetic pulses and caught the echo—a faint response. Magnetic scanning decoded the signal and pinpointed the spot with staggering precision of 0.28 nanometers—smaller than the distance between atoms in a crystal.
Underpinning this is the quantum nature of the defect: its magnetic moment can act as a qubit—the information unit of a quantum computer. Now we can probe such 'compasses' inside proteins and living cells, bringing us closer to the era of molecular medicine.
🎯 These defects are so sensitive they detect the magnetic field of a single proton—it's like hearing a whisper from across an ocean.