CAREER: Novel Diamond Surface Functionalization and Nanoscale Surface Spectroscopy for Quantum Applications

非技术性描述：钻石晶体通常含有缺陷，称为“色心缺陷”，其大小为几个原子。已知这些缺陷对它们附近的单个分子的存在高度敏感，因此可以用于研究活细胞内分子的结构和功能。为了实现这一点，色心缺陷必须放置在非常靠近它们将感测的分子的位置。该研究项目旨在构建一种新的仪器，能够以全新的形式探测和操纵金刚石晶体表面的色心缺陷。基于这种方法的小型敏感传感器的开发有可能影响不同的领域，从类似于MRI的超高分辨率生物医学成像应用到未来量子计算机的新材料发现。这项研究活动与下一代科学家和工程师的高级培训相结合。该项目的教育部分包括与韦尔斯利学院合作，为本科生提供长期研究经验，让学生参加普林斯顿大学的前沿研究，并在学年期间得到密切的指导。技术描述：该项目旨在控制金刚石表面的单原子缺陷水平。金刚石有许多孤立的点缺陷，这些缺陷可以通过光学方法解决。其中一个缺陷，氮空位（NV）中心，在室温下表现出优异的自旋相干性，使其能够作为亚纳米分辨率的高灵敏度磁传感器。靠近表面的NV中心可能与其他材料和分子有很强的相互作用，但不受控制的表面缺陷会产生噪声，使感兴趣的信号变得模糊。该项目开发了控制和光谱探测金刚石表面的新方法。这项工作的核心是建设一个新的真空集群工具进行表面化学和传统的表面光谱与量子光谱学串联使用单NV中心。浅的，一致的NV中心的实现为许多应用铺平了道路：在环境条件下单个蛋白质的成像结构和动力学，用于材料表征的非侵入性传感器，以及量子信息处理。该项目为光学，材料科学和量子科学的学生和博士后提供先进的跨学科培训。该研究还与教育相结合，包括普林斯顿大学和韦尔斯利之间的伙伴关系，在“20个月的REU”与研究经验，在两个机构，并开发一个公开演示钻石的材料特性，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响进行评估，被认为值得支持审查标准。

Nontechnical description: Diamond crystals often contain imperfections, known as "color center defects", that are the size of a few atoms. These defects are known to be highly sensitive to the presence of single molecules in their vicinity, and may therefore be used to study the structure and function of molecules inside living cells. In order to accomplish this, color center defects must be placed very close to the molecules they will sense. This research project aims to construct a new instrument that enables completely new forms of probing and manipulating color center defects at the surface of diamond crystals. The development of small, sensitive sensors based this approach has the potential to impact diverse fields, ranging from ultrahigh-resolution biomedical imaging applications akin to MRI, to the discovery of new materials for future quantum computers. This research activity is integrated with advanced training for the next generation of scientists and engineers. The educational component of the project includes long-term research experience for undergraduates in partnership with Wellesley College, in which students participate in leading-edge research at Princeton University, with close mentorship during the academic year. Technical description: This project aims to gain control over the surface of diamond at the level of single atomic defects. Diamond hosts numerous isolated point defects that may be optically addressed. One such defect, the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center, exhibits excellent spin coherence at room temperature, allowing it to act as a highly sensitive magnetic sensor with sub-nanometer resolution. NV centers placed close to the surface can have strong interactions with other materials and molecules, but uncontrolled surface defects give rise to noise that obscures the signal of interest. This project develops new methods for controlling and spectroscopically probing the diamond surface. Central to this effort is the construction of an ultrahigh vacuum cluster tool to perform surface chemistry and traditional surface spectroscopy in tandem with quantum spectroscopy using single NV centers. The realization of shallow, coherent NV centers paves the way for numerous applications: imaging structure and dynamics of single proteins in ambient conditions, non-invasive sensors for materials characterization, and quantum information processing. This project provides advanced, interdisciplinary training to students and postdocs in optics, materials science, and quantum science. The research is also integrated with education, including a partnership between Princeton and Wellesley on a "20 Month REU" with research experiences at both institutions, and the development of a public demonstration on material properties of diamond, in collaboration with Element Six.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.