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Georg H. Endress-Stiftungsprofessur für Experimentalphysik (Maletinsky)

Projects & Collaborations

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Exploring nanoscale magnetic phenomena using a quantum microscope

Research Project  | 4 Project Members

Quantum sensing technologies harness quantum phenomena, such as superposition or entanglement, to yield powerful sensors for quantities such as electric and magnetic fields, strain or temperature. Over the last years, such quantum sensors and in particular magnetometers based on individual spins in diamond have seen remarkable progress, in part based on the successful research and technological developments by the applicant's group at the University of Basel. Our state-of-the art quantum magnetometers, today offer spatial resolutions ~20 nm, magnetic field sensitivities sufficient to detect single electron spins and operate from cryogenic to ambient conditions. Their performance is thereby at the forefront of modern-day nanoscale sensing technologies and offer a highly attractive approach to address a wide range of challenging topics in nanoscience and technology, whose impact ranges from the life-sciences over semiconductor technologies to the fundamental physics questions we target here.In this project, we will build on this outstanding performance to address pressing open questions relevant to present-day research in condensed matter and mesoscopic physics. Specifically, we will employ our magnetometers to the emerging field of antiferromagnetic spintronics, to high-frequency dynamics of ferromagnets and to the low-temperature physics of superconductors and two-dimensional magnets in the atomic monolayer limit. Next to quantitative imaging of static magnetic spin textures or supercurrents, we will employ and further develop approaches to sense and image high-frequency magnetic fields with high resolution and sensitivity. Our novel and unique approach is ideally suited to yield insight into these physical systems, which is not readily accessible otherwise. Examples include the nanoscale probing and imaging of magnetic ordering in antiferromagnets, of spin-wave propagation in magnetic nanostructures or of magnetic ordering in atomically thin, silicene-based ferromagnets, which we will perform within this project. The scientific insights these studies will yield will have far-reaching impact in physics and material sciences and will offer new views on magnetism on the nanoscale.The main applicant is Prof. Dr. Patrick Maletinsky, an associate professor and head of the QuantumSensing Group, which he founded at the University of Basel in 2012. He has a strong background in quantum sensing, quantum optics, mesoscopic physics and nanotechnology. He obtained his physics diploma and doctoral degree at ETH Zurich and performed research in some of the world-leading research laboratories such as JILA or Harvard University. Together with international collaborators including the CNRS in France, research groups in Germany, Russia and Japan, and collaborators throughout Switzerland (Basel, ETH, EPFL, Geneva) this project establishes a coordinated, international effort to push the frontiers of condensed matter physics and nanotechnology using our novel, high-performance quantum sensors.Here we ask for the renewal of our soon to be concluded, three-year SNF project #169321, during which we have already achieved key breakthroughs of single-spin magnetometry in, e.g., the fields of antiferromagnetic spintronics or van-der-Waals magnetism. The present, challenging proposal builds on these achievements to not only advance our field or research but also further strengthen Switzerland's leading role quantum technology development and modern condensed matter research. We kindly ask the SNF to support this four year project with two postdocs and three PhD students who will ensure continuation of our highly successful line of experiments.

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ASTERIQS

Research Project  | 1 Project Members

ASTERIQS will exploit quantum sensing based on the NV centre in ultrapure diamond to bring solutions to societal and economical needs for which no solution exists yet. Its objectives are to develop: 1) Advanced applications based on magnetic field measurement: fully integrated scanning diamond magnetometer instrument for nanometer scale measurements, high dynamics range magnetic field sensor to control advanced batteries used in electrical car industry, labonChip Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) detector for early diagnosis of disease, magnetic field imaging camera for biology or robotics, instantaneous spectrum analyser for wireless communications management; 2) New sensing applications to sense temperature within a cell, to monitor new states of matter under high pressure, to sense electric field with ultimate sensitivity; 3) New measurement tools to elucidate the chemical structure of single molecules by NMR for pharmaceutical industry or the structure of spintronics devices at the nanoscale for new generation spin-based electronic devices. ASTERIQS will develop enabling tools to achieve these goals: highest grade diamond material with ultralow impurity level, advanced protocols to overcome residual noise in sensing schemes, optimized engineering for miniaturized and efficient devices. ASTERIQS will disseminate its results towards academia and industry and educate next generation physicists and engineers. It will contribute to the strategic objectives of the Quantum Flagship to expand European leadership in quantum technologies, deliver scientific breakthroughs, make available European technological platforms and develop synergetic collaborations with them, and finally kick-start a competitive European quantum industry. The ASTERIQS consortium federates world leading European academic and industrial partners to bring quantum sensing from the laboratory to applications for the benefit of European citizens.

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NanoMAGIQ

Research Project  | 1 Project Members

Magnetic imaging is a tool widely used in a large variety of applications ranging from basic material science, to electronic device testing, to medical diagnostic. But classical technologies fail to provide good enough resolution to address the nanometer scale. Yet today, this corresponds to the process size in the semiconductor industry: the new generations of transistors and memory cells all have features in the 10 nm range. Therefore, there is a critical demand for solutions going beyond current capabilities. Qnami develops sensors for magnetic imaging based on a quantum technology. This brings unique sensitivity and unique resolution. Our quantum sensors operate under ambient conditions, which simplifies use and maintains operation costs at a low level. Qnami's ambition is to provide the semiconductor industry with analytical tools for design testing and failure analysis, and to help researchers exploring new avenues in material and life sciences. Our first product is a magnetic sensor with optical read-out, which combines nanometer resolution with a sensitivity to just a hundred atoms, limited by quantum noise. It is carved out of ultra-pure diamond, which brings two further advantages: robustness and bio-compatibility. The goal of this proposal is to evaluate the business potential of our innovation and prepare for investment rounds. The three main objectives of this proposal are 1) to deploy our technology and address a short list of >10 customers from a first market of expert academic users, 2) to evaluate the potential of the semiconductor segment and to engage with a first customer 3) to rationalize production costs and optimize the revenue model in order to ensure a sustainable and profitable business, and attract private investment.

Project cover

Exploring nanoscale magnetic phenomena using a quantum microscope

Research Project  | 2 Project Members

Quantum sensors harness quantum phenomena, such as superposition or entanglement to yield powerful sensors for quantities such as electric and magnetic fields, strain fields or temperature. Over the last years, such quantum sensors and in particular magnetometers based on individual spins in diamond have seen remarkable progress, in part based on the successful research and technological developments by the applicant's group at the University of Basel. Todays state-of-the art quantum magnetometers, such as the ones we currently operate in Basel, offer spatial resolutions ~10 nm, magnetic field sensitivities up to 20 nT/Hz^0.5 and operate from cryogenic to ambient conditions. In this project, we will build on the outstanding performance of our existing magnetometers to address interesting and pressing questions in condensed matter and mesoscopic physics. The performance of our instruments are ideally suited to address these topics in a way impossible with other existing technologies. Our project will on one hand focus on open problems in spintronics and nano-magnetism and on the other hand address challenges in mesoscopic physics of superconductors and low-dimensional electronic systems. Our powerful new technology and the scientific insights it will generate will have far-reaching impact in physics and material sciences and will offer new views on magnetism on the nanoscale. Specifically, we will employ our magnetometers to study high-frequency dynamics in nanoscale magnetic systems. Examples include ferromagnetic resonance and spin-wave propagation that we will both study on the nanoscale. These phenomena are central to spintronics and quantum information processing and our results will thereby contribute to progress in both these fields. In a second line of experiments, we will address mesoscopic, condensed matter systems at cryogenic temperatures. A particular focus will lie on the imaging of current-distributions in superconductors and low-dimensional electronic systems, such as graphene. A broad range of open questions exist in these domains - questions that our NV magnetometers will allow us to address for the first time. We will thereby bring significant new understanding to these diverse aspects of condensed matter physics at the nanoscale.