The utilization of Nitrogen-vacancy quantum defects for NMR experiments BY KATHERINE LASONE '23 Cover Image: The utilization of Nitrogen-vacancy quantum defects for NMR experiments Image Source: Unsplash
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Abstract
Motivation
This paper demonstrates the feasibility of room temperature nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments through an inexpensive, tabletop Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center spectrometer. The spectrometer operates in a low magnetic and microwave field, ambient temperatures and requires only commercially available components. The state of an NV center can be read out using optically detected resonance measurements (ODMR). While other NMR experiments use electromagnets, this experimental setup utilizes a permanent magnet source to decrease the cost and portability of the set up. Additionally, the Quanta Image Sensor (QIS) is used to count individual photons from singular NV centers. NV center readout is best observed in experiments with low light and high contrast conditions, which is perfect for the QIS but difficult with many complementary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) and charge couple device (CCD) image sensors. Applications of NV center spectrometer sensing includes detection of single-neuron action potentials, single protein detection, and investigations of meteorites.
Transistors are small semiconductor devices used to amplify and control electrical signals. Typically, transistors are composed of adjacent electron-doped (N) and hole-doped (P) regions. By allowing current to flow from an N to a P region or a P to an N region, the output power can be controlled. Based on the applied voltage to the transistor, the signal can be completely stopped or greatly amplified. Transistors are the fundamental building blocks of all computer electronics. For the past several decades, classical computers have continuously improved in speed and size per the projection of Moore's law – the hypothesis that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years. However, the transistors within the computers are beginning to become so small that they are approaching the size of an atom. Classical computing architecture improvements are beginning to slow as issues such as current leakage and electron tunneling become increasingly impactful as transistor size decreases (Britannica, 2019). Thus, a new architecture regime is being explored: quantum DARTMOUTH UNDERGRADUATE JOURNAL OF SCIENCE
