Fraunhofer-GesellschaftVirtual advisory board meeting on June 25, 2020
Successful first year of the Fraunhofer lighthouse project »Quantum Magnetometry«
After a little more than a year of project duration, the first advisory board meeting of the Fraunhofer lead project "Quantum Magnetometry" (QMag) took place on June 25, 2020 - virtually due to the corona pandemic. The project partners presented the current status of the project and the work planned for the second year to representatives from industry, science and politics. Subsequently, technical and economic details were discussed with the advisory boards. After one year, the project is on a firm footing - all milestones planned for the first year of the project were met on time. Thus, the way is paved for a successful implementation of the envisaged quantum magnetometry systems.
The resolution and the sensitivity of today’s magnetometers is insufficient for many future applications. The goal of the Fraunhofer consortium »QMag« is to further develop magnetometers and to test them for applications in industry. Two different magnetometer principles based on quantum technology concepts will be pursued: On the one hand, nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond will be used, which function as the smallest scanning magnets in an imaging scanning probe magnetometer. On the other hand, an alternative measuring method is used that exploits the magnetic field dependence of the optical properties of alkali atoms (»optically pumped alkali magnetometers«, OPM). This will open up applications in micro- and nanoelectronics, materials testing and process analytics.
Advances in diamond magnetometry
With regard to diamond NV centers, Fraunhofer IAF achieved major progress in the optimization of crystal growth in the first year. The high-quality diamond is expected to achieve better spatial resolution and sensitivity.
Using quantum theoretical methods, Fraunhofer IWM calculates the influences of surfaces and structural defects on the properties of NV centers. Fraunhofer CAP is working on improved light extraction from the diamond tips to improve signal quality. Fraunhofer IMM produces magnetic nanoparticles that are attached to the diamond tip to further increase the sensitivity. Finally, Fraunhofer IISB is developing a method for the targeted generation of NV centers with the technical challenge of placing the NV centers as precisely as possible in the diamond tip. In cooperation with Fraunhofer IWM, the first magnetic field measurements were successfully carried out on a fatigued steel structure.
In the next step, the diamond tips will be integrated in scanning probe magnetometers to measure high-resolution current distributions of nano- and microelectronic circuits.
Advances in the use of optically pumped alkali magnetometers
At Fraunhofer IPM, two magnetic shielding systems were put into operation for the work with the OPM. These provide controlled conditions for very low-noise and sensitive measurements and are used in application development for process analytics and in materials testing. In a »shuttle« experiment the first NMR signals from water were successfully measured.
Fraunhofer IPM will apply methods of NMR at weak magnetic field strengths (< 100 µT) and thus explore the feasibility of low field NMR based flow measurement with OPM.
In the near future, Fraunhofer IWM and Fraunhofer IPM will jointly put into operation a measurement setup to measure magnetic signatures during material fatigue using OPM.
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We would like to thank the sponsors of the lighthouse project
