Sensor for measurements using Johnson noise in materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10197497-B2
Application number	US-201615547092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Jan 29, 2015
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A method of making measurements includes providing a sensor with at least one solid state electronic spin; irradiating the sensor with radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source that manipulates the solid state electronic spins to produce spin-dependent fluorescence, wherein the spin-dependent fluorescence decays as a function of relaxation time; providing a target material in the proximity of the sensor, wherein, thermally induced currents (Johnson noise) present in the target material alters the fluorescence decay of the solid state electronic spins as a function of relaxation time; and determining a difference in the solid state spins spin-dependent fluorescence decay in the presence and absence of the target material and correlating the difference with a property of the sensor and/or target material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making measurements, comprising:
providing a sensor with at least one solid state electronic spin;
irradiating the sensor with radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source that manipulates the solid state electronic spins to produce spin-dependent fluorescence,
wherein the spin-dependent fluorescence decays as a function of relaxation time;

providing a target material in the proximity of the sensor,
wherein, thermally induced currents (Johnson noise) present in the target material alters the fluorescence decay of the solid state electronic spins as a function of relaxation time; and

determining a difference in the solid state spins spin-dependent fluorescence decay in the presence and absence of the target material and correlating the difference with a property of the sensor and/or target material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the property of the target material measured is localized at a length scale of 10-100 nm.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the property measured is the resistance values within the target material.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the property measured is the temperature of the target material.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the property measured is the distance of the target material from the surface of the sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the property measured is the distance of the solid state electronic spins from the surface of the sensor.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the sensor comprises a diamond crystal lattice.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein, the solid state electronic spins comprises a defect in the diamond crystal lattice.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the defect comprises a nitrogen vacancy center in a diamond crystal lattice.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the electromagnetic radiation source is a laser.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the laser source emits a laser having wavelength of about 532 nanometers.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target material is in contact with the sensor.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target material is not in contact with the sensor.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target material is a conductive material.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target material is a metal.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target material is silver.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target material is copper.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target material is a single crystal.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the single crystal is a silver single crystal.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target material is polycrystalline.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target material is a conductive polymer.

Assignees

• Harvard College

Inventors

• Kolkowitz Shimon Jacob
• Safira Arthur
• High Alexander A
• Devlin Robert C
• Choi Soonwon
• Unterreithmeier Quirin P
• Patterson David
• Zibrov Alexander S
• Manucharyan Vladimir E
• Lukin Mikhail D
• Park Hongkun

Classifications

• G01N21/6408 Primary

  with measurement of decay time, time resolved fluorescence · CPC title

• G01R27/02

  Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant (by measuring phase angle only G01R25/00) · CPC title

• G01K11/00

  Measuring temperature based upon physical or chemical changes not covered by groups G01K3/00, G01K5/00, G01K7/00 or G01K9/00 · CPC title

• G01R33/032

  using magneto-optic devices, e.g. Faraday {or Cotton-Mouton effect} · CPC title

• G01B11/14

  for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00) · CPC title