High-Resolution Nanoscale AC Quantum Sensing in CMOS Compatible SiC.

Fisher, Paul; Zappacosta, Alexander; Fuhrmann, Jens; Haylock, Benjamin; Gao, Weibo; Nagy, Roland; Jelezko, Fedor; Cernansky, Robert · Nano Lett · 2025

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

High-resolution nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) allows measurement of chemical structure at the single-molecule level for determining molecular dynamics. Until now, nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond have been the only platform to demonstrate single-defect NMR sensing at sub-Hz spectral resolution. Using a single silicon vacancy defect prepared under CMOS-compatible conditions in commercial 4H-silicon carbide at room temperature, we use the Synchronized Readout technique to measure a test signal. We achieve a spectral resolution of 0.33 Hz, necessary for understanding molecular structure, and estimate a magnetic sensitivity of 358 μT/<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msqrt><mrow><mi>H</mi><mi>z</mi></mrow></msqrt></math> for our system. We also explore the necessary improvements for achieving single-proton spin sensitivity. Combining these results with future integrated photonics shows a promising path toward scalable nanoscale sensing for low-cost NMR spectrometers based on an industry-mature silicon carbide material.