diamond ShapIng for membraNe Fabrication and integratiOn into high end quaNtum sensIng Applications – SINFONIA

While advances in the quantum manipulation of cold atoms have already been translated into sensors with high industrial impacts (e.g. gravimeter applied to hydrology or civil engineering, already commercialized; or inertial sensors, in advanced stage of development), solid-state quantum systems-based sensors are still in their infancy, despite remarkable assets. Among these systems, the NV- center in diamond has emerged as a highly polyvalent sensor of physical parameters including magnetic and electric fields, voltage, temperature…at scales ranging from nano- to millimeters, then offering imaging capabilities, with outstanding sensitivity performances. The rapid development of NV-diamond-based sensors stems from their room temperature operation, optical preparation and interrogation of the quantum state, and the robustness of the diamond material. However, beside commercial scanning magnetometers and sensitive device for bioanalytical assays, technological transfers of other NV-sensing modalities are still hampered by sub-optimal micro- and nano-processing of quantum grade diamond.
The ambition of SINFONIA is to develop a sovereign value chain of novel NV-sensor, from the growth of quantum grade diamond layers, to their shaping into flat or nanostructured membranes with high NV- center concentration, and to their integration into industrial-grade non-destructive testing magnetometer and into a neuronal electrical activity imaging sensor. An original microwave-free sensing method, very recently introduced by one partner, will also be implemented for all optical magnetic field stabilization at zero-field. The project relies on cutting edge facilities recently upgraded through the Equipex+ e-Diamant, and internationally recognized know-how in quantum grade diamond fabrication. The consortium gathers all required expertise in nanotechnologies, NV-fundamental physics, applied metrology and neuron electrophysiology to address the groundbreaking applications envisioned. The participation of two industrial partners will ensure rapid commercialization of viable products, and academic laboratory partners will benefit from quantum-grade processed material to test novel sensing concepts and devices, with mutual benefit for both parties, as these fundamental researches pave the way to the next-generation of NV-diamond sensors.