MONITORING SAMPLE VIA QUANTUM DECOHERENCE RATE OF PROBE

摘要

A property of a sample is monitored by providing a quantum probe having a quantum state in proximity to the sample, and detecting the quantum decoherence rate of the quantum probe, where said quantum decoherence rate is influenced by the property of the sample. The quantum probe may comprise one or more nitrogen vacancy centres in a diamond material, mounted on a scanning tip, with the decoherence rate detected via emitted fluorescence photons. The decoherence rate may be imaged simultaneously with magnetometer or electrometer based imaging over the sample. The sample may be a biological sample including ion channels, where the function of the ion channel is monitored.