Investigation of temperature dependence of magnetic properties of Cr$_2$O$_3$ thin film structure using a magnetic field imaging technique based on Nitrogen-Vacancy centres in diamond crystal

This work presents a magnetic field imaging method based on color centres in diamond crystal applied to thin film structure. To demonstrate the capacity of our device we have used it for characterization of magnetic properties in microscopic scale of Cr$_2$O$_3$ thin film structure above and below N\'eel temperature. The obtained measurement results clearly identify the detection of the magnetic phase transition of Cr$_2$O$_3$ thin film with an unexpected diamagnetic like behaviour at 19$^{\circ}$C (below the N\'eel temperature of Cr$_2$O$_3$). To have better insights in the magnetic fields created by the thin films we present simulations of the magnetic fields near the thin film surface. W…

Dynamic $^{14}\rm N$ nuclear spin polarization in nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond

We studied the dynamic nuclear spin polarization of nitrogen in negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond both experimentally and theoretically over a wide range of magnetic fields from 0 to 1100 G covering both the excited-state level anti-crossing and the ground-state level anti-crossing magnetic field regions. Special attention was paid to the less studied ground-state level anti-crossing region. The nuclear spin polarization was inferred from measurements of the optically detected magnetic resonance signal. These measurements show that a very large (up to $96 \pm 2\%$) nuclear spin polarization of nitrogen can be achieved over a very broad range of magnetic field start…

Magnetic Field Gradiometer with Sub-Micron Spatial Resolution Based on Caesium Vapour in an Extremely Thin Cell

Abstract In this paper we present a device for measuring the magnetic field and its gradient with a spatial resolution of several hundred nanometres. This device is based on caesium metal vapour confined to an extremely thin cell (ETC). To measure magnetic signals, we use absorption and very low laser powers, which might be appealing for modern fabrication techniques. A portable, fully automated device was constructed.

Longitudinal spin-relaxation in nitrogen-vacancy centers in electron irradiated diamond

We present systematic measurements of longitudinal relaxation rates ($1/T_1$) of spin polarization in the ground state of the nitrogen-vacancy (NV$^-$) color center in synthetic diamond as a function of NV$^-$ concentration and magnetic field $B$. NV$^-$ centers were created by irradiating a Type 1b single-crystal diamond along the [100] axis with 200 keV electrons from a transmission electron microscope with varying doses to achieve spots of different NV$^-$ center concentrations. Values of ($1/T_1$) were measured for each spot as a function of $B$.

Impact of Helium Ion Implantation Dose and Annealing on Dense Near-Surface Layers of NV Centers

A. Berzins acknowledges support from Latvian Council of Science project lzp-2021/1-0379, “A novel solution for high magnetic field and high electric current stabilization using color centers in diamond,” and LLC “MikroTik” donation project, administered by the UoL foundation, “Improvement of Magnetic field imaging system” for the opportunity to significantly improve experimental setup as well as “Simulations for stimulation of science” for the opportunity to acquire COMSOL license. I. Fescenko acknowledges support from ERAF project 1.1.1.5/20/A/001, and I.F. and A.B. acknowledge support from LLC “MikroTik” donation project “Annealing furnace for the development of new nanometer-sized sensor…

Alignment-to-orientation conversion in a magnetic field at nonlinear excitation of theD2line of rubidium: Experiment and theory

We studied alignment-to-orientation conversion caused by excited-state level crossings in a nonzero magnetic field of both atomic rubidium isotopes. Experimental measurements were performed on the transitions of the $D_2$ line of rubidium. These measured signals were described by a theoretical model that takes into account all neighboring hyperfine transitions, the mixing of magnetic sublevels in an external magnetic field, the coherence properties of the exciting laser radiation, and the Doppler effect. In the experiments laser induced fluorescence (LIF) components were observed at linearly polarized excitation and their difference was taken afterwards. By observing the two oppositely circ…

Hyperfine level structure in nitrogen-vacancy centers near the ground-state level anticrossing

Energy levels of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond were investigated using optically detected magnetic-resonance spectroscopy near the electronic ground-state level anticrossing (GSLAC) at an axial magnetic field around 102.4~mT in diamond samples with a nitrogen concentration of 1~ppm and 200~ppm. By applying radiowaves in the frequency ranges from 0 to 40 MHz and from 5.6 to 5.9 GHz, we observed transitions that involve energy levels mixed by the hyperfine interaction. We developed a theoretical model that describes the level mixing, transition energies, and transition strengths between the ground-state sublevels, including the coupling to the nuclear spin of the NV center\textquotesing…

Magnetic field microscopy with concentrated bias field

Detection of magnetic thin film impurity phases using nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond crystal

We demonstrate the possibility to detect magnetic impurity phases in thin films using magnetic field imaging technique based on a layer of nitrogen-vacancy centers in the diamond lattice. We demonstrate results of magnetic field distributions created by impurity phases as well as mechanical defects on the thin film surface.

Dependence of the shapes of nonzero-field level-crossing signals in rubidium atoms on the laser frequency and power density

We studied magneto-optical resonances caused by excited-state level crossings in a nonzero magnetic field. Experimental measurements were performed on the transitions of the ${D}_{2}$ line of rubidium. These measured signals were described by a theoretical model that takes into account all neighboring hyperfine transitions, the mixing of magnetic sublevels in an external magnetic field, the coherence properties of the exciting laser radiation, and the Doppler effect. Good agreement between the experimental measurements and the theoretical model could be achieved over a wide range of laser power densities. We further showed that the contrasts of the level-crossing peaks can be sensitive to c…

Dynamic N14 nuclear spin polarization in nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond

We studied the dynamic nuclear spin polarization of nitrogen in negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond both experimentally and theoretically over a wide range of magnetic fields from 0--1100 G covering both the excited-state level anticrossing and the ground-state level anticrossing magnetic field regions. Special attention was paid to the less studied ground-state level anticrossing region. The nuclear spin polarization was inferred from measurements of the optically detected magnetic resonance signal. These measurements show that a very large (up to $96\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2%$) nuclear spin polarization of nitrogen can be achieved over a very broad range of mag…

Conversion of bright magneto-optical resonances into dark resonances at fixed laser frequency forD2excitation of atomic rubidium

Nonlinear magneto-optical resonances on the hyperfine transitions belonging to the ${D}_{2}$ line of rubidium were changed from bright to dark resonances by changing the laser power density of the single exciting laser field or by changing the vapor temperature in the cell. In one set of experiments atoms were excited by linearly polarized light from an extended cavity diode laser with polarization vector perpendicular to the light's propagation direction and magnetic field, and laser-induced fluorescence was observed along the direction of the magnetic field, which was scanned. A low-contrast bright resonance was observed at low laser power densities when the laser was tuned to the ${F}_{g…

Level anti-crossing magnetometry with color centers in diamond

Recent developments in magnetic field sensing with negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV) in diamond employ magnetic-field (MF) dependent features in the photoluminescence (PL) and eliminate the need for microwaves (MW). Here, we study two approaches towards improving the magnetometric sensitivity using the ground-state level anti-crossing (GSLAC) feature of the NV center at a background MF of 102.4\,mT. Following the first approach, we investigate the feature parameters for precise alignment in a dilute diamond sample; the second approach extends the sensing protocol into absorption via detection of the GSLAC in the diamond transmission of a 1042\,nm laser beam. This leads to an …

Relaxation mechanisms affecting magneto-optical resonances in an extremely thin cell: Experiment and theory for the cesiumD1line

We have measured magneto-optical signals obtained by exciting the $D_1$ line of cesium atoms confined to an extremely thin cell (ETC), whose walls are separated by less than one micrometer, and developed an improved theoretical model to describe these signals with experimental precision. The theoretical model was based on the optical Bloch equations and included all neighboring hyperfine transitions, the mixing of the magnetic sublevels in an external magnetic field, and the Doppler effect, as in previous studies. However, in order to model the extreme conditions in the ETC more realistically, the model was extended to include a unified treatment of transit relaxation and wall collisions wi…

Estimating the magnetic moment of microscopic magnetic sources from their magnetic field distribution in a layer of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in diamond

We have used a synthetic diamond with a layer of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres to image the magnetic field distributions of magnetic particles on the surface of the diamond. Magnetic field distributions of 4 µ m and 2 µ m ferromagnetic and 500 nm diameter superparamagnetic particles were obtained by measuring the position of the optically detected magnetic resonance peak in the fluorescence emitted by the NV centres for each pixel. We fitted the results to a model in order to determine the magnetic moment of the particles from the magnetic field image and compared the results to the measured magnetic moment of the particles. The best-fit magnetic moment differed from the value expected base…

Colloidal nanoparticle sorting and ordering on anodic alumina patterned surfaces using templated capillary force assembly

Abstract A new, robust technique of size-selective nanoparticle ordering on porous anodized aluminum oxide (PAAO) templates is presented. Simultaneous particle sorting and array formation is achieved for the first time using a polydisperse suspension of irregularly shaped diamond nanocrystals. The array parameters can be tuned through a balance of evaporation driven particle flux, capillary, electrostatic, and adhesion forces, which are influenced by the asperities of the surface during the capillary and convective assembly dip-coating process. The resulting structures are dense (lower limit approximately 50 nm center separation), isolated (non-touching) nanoparticle arrays with a size dist…

Surface magnetic structure investigation of a nanolaminated Mn$_2$GaC thin film using a magnetic field microscope based on Nitrogen-Vacancy centers

This work presents a magnetic field imaging method based on color centers in diamond crystal applied to a thin film of a nanolaminated Mn$_2$GaC MAX phase. Magnetic properties of the surface related structures have been described around the first order transition at 214 K by performing measurements in the temperature range between 200 K and 235 K with the surface features fading out by increasing temperature above the transition temperature. The results presented here demonstrate how Nitrogen-Vacancy center based magnetic microscopy can supplement the traditionally used set of experimental techniques, giving additional information of microscopic scale magnetic field features, and allowing t…

Cross-relaxation studies with optically detected magnetic resonances in nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond in an external magnetic field

In this paper cross-relaxation between nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers and substitutional nitrogen in a diamond crystal was studied. It was demonstrated that optically detected magnetic resonance signals (ODMR) can be used to measure these signals successfully. The ODMR were detected at axial magnetic field values around 51.2~mT in a diamond sample with a relatively high (200~ppm) nitrogen concentration. We observed transitions that involve magnetic sublevels that are split by the hyperfine interaction. Microwaves in the frequency ranges from 1.3 GHz to 1.6 GHz ($m_S=0\longrightarrow m_S=-1$ NV transitions) and from 4.1 to 4.6 GHz ($m_S=0\longrightarrow m_S=+1$ NV transitions) were used. To u…

Characterization of microscopic ferromagnetic defects in thin films using magnetic microscope based on Nitrogen-Vacancy centres

In this work we present results acquired by applying magnetic field imaging technique based on Nitrogen-Vacancy centres in diamond crystal for characterization of magnetic thin films defects. We used the constructed wide-field magnetic microscope for measurements of two kinds of magnetic defects in thin films. One family of defects under study was a result of non-optimal thin film growth conditions. The magnetic field maps of several regions of the thin films created under very similar conditions to previously published research revealed microscopic impurity islands of ferromagnetic defects, that potentially could disturb the magnetic properties of the surface. The second part of the measur…