Exploring new approaches to provide a deeper understanding of nanoscale processes, like charge-carrier dynamics in energy materials, is crucial. Using NV-centers in a diamond as optically detectable quantum sensors presents a promising opportunity to gain new insights on surfaces and interfaces of materials by NMR, which have not been possible due to the low sensitivity of conventional techniques on nanoscale thin film materials.1 In comparison to other surface-sensitive techniques, this method is capable of in-situ nanoscale measurements at room temperature, facilitated by the coupling of the NV-centers’ spins to spins and magnetic fields of the sample. Along with the investigation of magnetic fields, the method can also be used to study diffusion or hopping of ions, spins by NMR and EPR, conductivity, and even temperature changes.2
Through our joint work, we collectively design model experiments on H+ and Li+ ionic conductors, for which we investigate thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to learn about carrier dynamics.
[1] Rizzato, R., et al. and Bucher, D.B., Appl. Phys. Lett. 123, 260502 (2023)
[2] Freire-Moschovitis, F.A., et al. and Bucher, D.B., ACS Nano 17 (11), 10474-10485 (2023)