Nanophotonic quantum magnetometry in a spin-dense diamond cavity
Phys. Rev. Applied 26, 054005 – Published 3 November, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/kg8g-r3qk
Abstract
Quantum sensors based on the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond are leading platforms for high-sensitivity magnetometry with nanometer-scale resolution. State-of-the-art implementations, however, typically rely on bulky free-space optics or sacrifice spatial resolution to achieve high sensitivities. Here, we realize an integrated platform that overcomes this trade-off by fabricating monolithic whispering-gallery-mode cavities from a diamond chip containing a high density of NV centers and by evanescently coupling excitation to and photoluminescence from the cavity using a tapered optical fiber. Employing a lock-in-amplified Ramsey magnetometry scheme, we achieve a photon-shot-noise-limited dc sensitivity of —the best sensitivity reported to date for a nanofabricated cavity-based magnetometer. The microscopic cavity size enables micrometer-scale spatial resolution and low-power operation, while fiber coupling provides a path to scalable on-chip integration. Arrays of such sensors could enable NV-NMR spectroscopy of sub-nanoliter samples, magnetic-gradient imaging architectures, and compact biosensing platforms.
