CAREER: Picoliter Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy with Diamond Quantum Sensors

在化学部化学测量和成像计划的支持下，以及刺激竞争性研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）和化学，生物工程，环境和运输系统（CBET）部门的共同资助下，阿科斯塔教授和他在新墨西哥州大学的小组正在开发新的测量工具，称为“量子传感器”以与单细胞分析相容的空间分辨率鉴定样品的分子组成。量子传感器使用量子位（量子计算机的逻辑元素）来检测其本地环境。具体来说，Acosta的实验室使用钻石中的缺陷，称为氮空位中心，作为量子比特传感器。Acosta团队正在使用这些传感器通过类似于医学磁共振成像（MRI）的技术来检测化学和生物样品自然产生的振荡磁场。通过这些方法获得的信息正被用于鉴定与单个细胞大小相当的样品中分子的类型和数量。Acosta教授正在与一家初创公司合作，开发可用于本科化学和物理教学实验室的便携式量子传感器技术。他的教育工作还包括为暑期学校设计课程，该课程将向来自不同背景的本科生介绍量子传感领域。Acosta教授正在实施一项协同研究和教育计划，以开发一个小体积核磁共振（NMR）光谱平台，该平台使用金刚石量子传感器来产生和检测核磁化。具体而言，他试图开发两种不同的金刚石NMR硬件实现：（i）适合于皮升分析物体积的并行化学分析的微流体平台和（ii）用于以单细胞分辨率定量代谢组成的高光谱NMR显微镜。该研究基于一种假设，即非感应检测模式（金刚石量子传感器）可以提高灵敏度、光谱分辨率、空间分辨率和微流体集成，超越目前小体积NMR光谱学中可用的水平。Acosta博士正在将钻石NMR整合到本科教学实验室中，并评估学习成果。他还在设计一个为期一周的夏季或冬季量子工程学校的课程，目标是本科生，重点是女性、代表性不足的少数民族和第一代大学生。他的目标是吸引多样化的学生进入物理/化学科学，特别是量子传感和工程。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program in the Division of Chemistry, and co-funding from the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET), Professor Acosta and his group at the University of New Mexico are developing new measurement tools called “quantum sensors” to identify the molecular composition of samples with spatial resolution compatible with analysis of single cells. A quantum sensor uses a qubit (the logical element of a quantum computer) to detect its local environment. Specifically, Acosta’s lab uses defects in diamond, called Nitrogen-Vacancy centers, as the qubit sensors. The Acosta group is using these sensors to detect the oscillating magnetic fields naturally produced by chemical and biological samples via a technique that is analogous to medical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The information obtained by these methods is being used to identify the type and quantity of molecules in samples of a size comparable to individual cells. Prof. Acosta is working with a startup company to develop portable quantum sensor technology that can be used in undergraduate chemistry and physics teaching labs. His educational efforts also include designing the curriculum for a summer school that will introduce undergraduates from a diverse range of backgrounds to the field of quantum sensing.Professor Acosta is implementing a synergistic research and educational plan to develop a platform for small-volume nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy which uses diamond quantum sensors to generate and detect nuclear magnetization. Specifically, he seeks to develop two different implementations of diamond NMR hardware: (i) a microfluidic platform suitable for parallel chemical analysis of picoliter analyte volumes and (ii) a hyperspectral NMR microscope for quantifying metabolic composition with single cell resolution. The research is based on the hypothesis a non-inductive detection modality (diamond quantum sensors) can lead to improvements in sensitivity, spectral resolution, spatial resolution, and microfluidic integration beyond what is currently available in small-volume NMR spectroscopy. Dr. Acosta is integrating diamond NMR into undergraduate teaching labs and assessing the learning outcomes. He is also designing a curriculum for a one-week summer or winter school in quantum engineering targeting undergraduates, with an emphasis on women, under-represented minorities, and first-generation college students. His aim is to attract a diverse student body into the physical/chemical sciences and specifically to quantum sensing and engineering.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.