Conjugates of nano-diamond and magnetic or metallic particles

1. A method for imaging a characteristic of a sample, comprising:

providing a plurality of conjugates of diamond-magnetic nanoparticles, one or more of the plurality of conjugates including a diamond nanoparticle having a nitrogen vacancy center;

exposing the plurality of conjugates to the sample;

optically pumping the nitrogen vacancy center;

applying at least one microwave pulse to the nitrogen vacancy center; and

detecting a fluorescent response of the nitrogen vacancy center.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing further comprises providing at least one diamond nanoparticle bonded to a magnetic nanoparticle by a predetermined distance, the predetermined distance corresponding to a radiative enhancement.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein optically pumping includes directing a continuous wave of pump light at approximately 532 nm to the nitrogen vacancy center.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein optically pumping includes applying a pulse of pump light at approximately 532 nm to the nitrogen vacancy center prior to applying the at least one microwave pulse, and applying a pulse of pump light at approximately 532 nm to the nitrogen vacancy center subsequent to applying the at least one microwave pulse.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing further comprises providing a plurality of conjugates including a nitrogen vacancy center having a different orientation with respect to a corresponding magnetic nanoparticle relative to other conjugates, whereby a component of a magnetic field of the magnetic nanoparticle is exerted along an axis of the nitrogen vacancy center, and whereby a m s =+1 and a m s =+1 spin sublevel of the nitrogen vacancy center experience Zeeman splitting.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein detecting a fluorescent response further includes detecting emitted photons over area of the sample, the area divided into a set of pixels each corresponding to a subset of the area.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein detecting emitted photons includes, for each pixel:

applying a first microwave pulse at a first frequency, the first frequency tuned to a field splitting frequency of the nitrogen vacancy center of one of the plurality of conjugates, the field splitting frequency corresponding to the m s =+1 spin sublevel;

measuring a first intensity of a first fluorescent response based on the first frequency;

applying a second microwave pulse at a second frequency, the second frequency tuned to a zero field splitting frequency of the nitrogen vacancy center of the one of the plurality of conjugates;

measuring a second intensity of a second fluorescent response based on the second frequency;

applying at least a third microwave pulse at a second frequency, the third frequency tuned to a field splitting frequency of the nitrogen vacancy center of the one of the plurality of conjugates, the field splitting frequency corresponding to the m s =−1 spin sublevel;

measuring at least a third intensity of a third fluorescent response based on the second frequency;

determining a location of the nitrogen vacancy center based on the first, second and third intensities.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the location includes subtracting the first and second intensities from the first intensity.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the characteristic of the sample is magnetic field and further comprising determining a local magnetic field a the location of the nitrogen vacancy center based on the first, second, and third intensities.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing further comprises providing one or more conjugates bound to a biological molecule.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the sample is pH concentration, and further comprising determining, based on the fluorescent response, a rate of ionization or reduction of the nitrogen vacancy center.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the sample is electric field, and further comprising determining, based on the fluorescent response, a rate of switching between different charge states of the nitrogen vacancy center.

13. A nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate prepared by the method, comprising:

depositing a monolayer of diamond nanoparticles having approximately a predetermined radius on a substrate, one or more of the diamond nanoparticles having a nitrogen vacancy center;

etching the surface of the substrate to a depth greater than the predetermined radius;

depositing a layer of metal having a predetermined thickness over the monolayer of diamond nanoparticles, the predetermined thickness corresponding to a radiative enhancement rate of the nitrogen vacancy center based on the predetermined radius of the diamond nanoparticles; and

transferring the metal-covered diamond nanoparticles to a second substrate.

14. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 13 , wherein the depositing a layer of metal comprises depositing a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, or a combination thereof.

15. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 13 , wherein the depositing a layer of metal comprises depositing a magnetic layer.

16. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 15 , wherein the depositing a layer of metal comprises depositing a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron, or chemical compounds thereof.

17. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 13 , wherein depositing a layer of metal includes depositing the layer of metal at an angle.

18. A nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate prepared by the method, comprising:

preparing a surface of diamond nanoparticles with an acid treatment, one or more of the diamond nanoparticles having a nitrogen vacancy center;

treating the diamond nanoparticles with one or more amino-terminated silanes to provide an amine on the surface of the diamond nanoparticles;

preparing a surface of metal nanoparticles with a molecule, the molecule having an affinity to bond with the amine; and

mixing the diamond nanoparticles and metal nanoparticles in a solution, whereby the molecule of the surface of the metal nanoparticles bonds to the amine of the surface of the diamond nanoparticles, thereby forming a diamond-metal conjugate.

19. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 18 , wherein the treating further comprises selecting an amine with a length corresponding to a radiative enhancement rate of the nitrogen vacancy center.

20. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 18 , wherein the preparing further comprises preparing a surface of metal nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, or a combination thereof.

21. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 18 , wherein the preparing further comprises preparing a surface of magnetic nanoparticles.

22. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 21 , wherein the preparing further comprises preparing a surface of metal nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron, or chemical compounds thereof.

23. A nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate prepared by the method using a DNA strand, comprising:

preparing a surface of diamond nanoparticles with an acid treatment, one or more of the diamond nanoparticles having a nitrogen vacancy center;

adapting the surface of at least one of the diamond nanoparticles to link to a first end of the DNA strand;

providing metal nanoparticles, at least one of the metal nanoparticles adapted to link to a second end of the DNA strand;

mixing the diamond nanoparticles and the metal nanoparticles in solution with at least the DNA strand.

24. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 23 , wherein the DNA strand comprises a DNA strand having a length corresponding to a radiative enhancement rate of the nitrogen vacancy center.

25. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 23 , wherein the providing further comprises providing metal nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, or a combination thereof.

26. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 23 , wherein the providing further comprises providing magnetic nanoparticles.

27. The nanoparticle diamond-metal conjugate of claim 26 , wherein the providing further comprises providing metal nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron, or chemical compounds thereof.