Granted Patent B2

US 12,339,332 · App. 18/961,530 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Inventors: Ferdinand Schiller (Korntal Münchingen, DE); Robert Roelver (Calw, DE); Katharina Jag-Lauber (Winterbach, DE)

Assignee: Q.ANT GMBH

G01R33/032G01R33/26

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A method for determining an external magnetic field with a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) magnetometer with automated resonance control, wherein the NV magnetometer comprises a sensor material with NV centers with respective spin states m s =0, ±1 and resonance frequencies f ± for transitions between the spin states m s =0↔±1, wherein a difference f + −f − of the resonance frequencies f ± depends on the external magnetic field B, the method comprising:

recording single resonance signals V SR-LIA for determining the resonance frequencies f ± by using frequency-modulated microwave radiation emitted onto the sensor material in frequency bands based on a microwave frequency f MW and a carrier frequency f SB , wherein the microwave frequency f MW and the carrier frequency f SB are selected such that the frequency bands address two magnetic resonances in succession;

recording a double resonance signal V DR-LIA with a dispersive form and a linear range around the resonance frequencies f ± , wherein the microwave frequency f MW and the carrier frequency f SB are selected such that f MW ±f SB =f ± applies so that the two magnetic resonances are excited simultaneously;

determining a slope of the linear range as a scalar factor α from the double resonance signal V DR-LIA ;

observing a detuning Δ B =V DR-LIA /α of the resonance frequencies f ± via the double resonance signal V DR-LIA with resonant emission of the microwave radiation due to external magnetic field changes by using an evaluation unit;

controlling the frequency bands f MW ±f SB with a controller comprising a control algorithm based on the observed detuning Δ B so that the frequency bands f MW ±f SB remain in the range of the resonance frequencies f ± of the NV centers present at the detuning Δ B even after the detuning Δ B has occurred; and

determining the external magnetic field B from a distance 2*f SB of the frequency bands and the detuning Δ B by using the evaluation unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling comprises:

comparing the double resonance signal V DR-VIA with a setpoint r=0;

calculating a deviation e=r−V DR-LIA =−V DR-LIA ; and

shifting the frequency bands of the microwave radiation in opposite direction by Δf MW using the controller.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is an integral software-based controller controlling according to a rule Δf MW [n]=K*(e[0]+e[1]+ . . . +e[n] with K as a proportionality factor of the controller with i=0, 1, . . . , n as iteration steps.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the proportionality factor K=1/α.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controller has a control period Tc, after which the microwave frequency f MW is again controlled with the controller, wherein the control period Tc is between 1 μs and 10 s.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a signal generator generates a signal with the microwave frequency f MW and a further signal generator generates a frequency-modulated signal with the carrier frequency f SB , a modulation frequency f m and a modulation amplitude f d with f SB (t)=f SB +f d *cos(2πf m t) with t as a time with a respective power.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the signal and the frequency-modulated signal are frequency-mixed by a frequency mixer, and the microwave radiation emitted onto the sensor material comprises two frequency bands f MW +f SB (t) and f MW −f SB (t), wherein f SB (t) is phase-shifted by π at f MW −f SB (t).

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the microwave frequency f MW and carrier frequency f SB are selected such that the two frequency bands are each resonant with the resonance frequencies f ± .

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the two frequency bands are emitted with individually adjusted powers.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the powers are individually adjusted by a programmable attenuator or by adjusting a power of the signal generator a power of the further signal generator.

11. An NV magnetometer for determining an external magnetic field B, configured to carry out a method for automated resonance control according to claim 1 , the NV magnetometer comprising

a sensor material with NV centers with respective spin states m s =0, ±1 and resonance frequencies f ± for transitions between the spin states m s =0↔±1, wherein a difference f + −f − of the resonance frequencies f ± depends on the external magnetic field B,

a microwave transmitter for excitation of magnetic resonances at the resonance frequencies f ± by frequency-modulated microwave radiation emitted onto the sensor material in frequency bands based on a microwave frequency f MW and a carrier frequency f SB , wherein the microwave frequency f MW and carrier frequency f SB are selected for recording single resonance signals V SR-LIA such that the frequency bands address two magnetic resonances in succession, and wherein the microwave frequency f MW and carrier frequency f SB are selected for recording a double resonance signal V DR-LIA such that f MW ±f SB =f ± applies so that the two magnetic resonances are excited simultaneously;

a laser for emitting in a continuous wave mode with a wavelength in a range of 510-540 nm for continuous initialization and readout of the spin states,

a detector for recording frequency-modulated fluorescent light from the sensor material;

a lock-in amplifier for demodulating the fluorescent light, wherein excitation of one or both magnetic resonances results in the single resonance signals V SR-LIA or the double resonance signal V DR-LIA with a dispersive form and a linear range around the resonance frequency f ± ;

an evaluation unit for observing a detuning Δ B =V DR-LIA /α of the resonance frequencies f ± via the double resonance signal V DR-LIA ; and

a controller for controlling the frequency bands f MW ±f SB with a control algorithm based on the observed detuning Δ B so that the frequency bands f MW ±f SB remain in the range of the resonance frequencies f ± of the NV centers present at this detuning Δ B even after the detuning Δ B has occurred;

wherein the evaluation unit is provided for determining the external magnetic field B from the distance 2*f SB of the two frequency bands and the detuning Δ B .

12. The NV magnetometer according to claim 11 ,

wherein

the microwave transmitter comprises a signal generator for generating a signal with the microwave frequency f MW and a further signal generator for generating a frequency-modulated signal with the carrier frequency f SB , a modulation frequency f m and a modulation amplitude f d with f SB (t)=f SB +f d *cos(2πf m t) with t as a time with a respective power.

13. The NV magnetometer according to claim 12 ,

wherein

the signal generators are designed to adjust the power of the signals or the signal generators have an attenuator connected upstream for individual power adjustment.

14. The NV magnetometer according to claim 11 ,

wherein

the sensor material is diamond.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (9)