High sensitivity pressure and temperature quantum sensing in pentacene-doped p-terphenyl single crystals.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41298351.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-65508-2 and PMC identifier 12658087.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Quantum sensors' responsiveness to their physical environment enables detection of variables such as temperature (T), pressure (P), and strain. We present a molecular platform for PT sensing using para-terphenyl crystals doped with pentacene (PDP), leveraging optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) of photoexcited triplet electron spins. We observe maximal frequency variations of df/dP=1.8 MHz/bar from 0-8 bar and df/dT=247 kHz/K from 79-330 K, over 1200 times and threefold greater, respectively, than those seen with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond and > 85-fold greater pressure sensitivity over the previous record. Density functional theory calculations indicate picometer-level PT-induced molecular orbital shifts are measurable via ODMR. PDP offers additional advantages including high sensor doping levels, narrow ODMR linewidths, high contrast, and low-cost single crystal growth. Overall, this work reports low-cost, optically-interrogated PT sensors and lays the foundation for increased versatility of quantum sensors through synthetic molecular design.