Nitrogen-Vacancy Color Centers in Diamond Pillars

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are a leading platform for quantum sensing due to their spin-dependent photoluminescence, optical addressability, and long spin coherence times at room temperature. However, photon collection efficiency is limited by diamond’s high refractive index, which causes significant total internal reflection losses. To overcome this, diamond surfaces are nanostructured into nanopillars that act as optical waveguides, enhancing fluorescence extraction efficiency.

This project proposes a novel magnetic endoscope architecture that integrates NV-diamond nanopillar membranes with imaging fiber bundles. Imaging fiber bundles preserve spatial information while enabling efficient signal transport. By directly coupling NV fluorescence into these bundles, the system aims to combine enhanced photon collection with compact, flexible, and scalable optical readout. The platform holds great promise for nanoscale magnetic sensing applications and the detection of magnetic nanoparticles.