In their groundbreaking 2020 work, Prof. Patrick Maletinsky’s group at the University of Basel pioneered the development of high-performance Qnami
Quantilever MX+ probes, designed for advanced quantum sensing applications. The research focuses on improving signal detection from nitrogen-vacancy (N-V) centers in diamond, which are crucial for nanoscale imaging and sensing. The team designed diamond scanning probes with a parabolic shape that enhances the photonic signal from single, near-surface N-V centers. These probes capture a wide range of N-V emissions with a numerical aperture of 0.44 and achieve a fivefold increase in signal strength, reaching a median count rate of 2.1 MHz. They also developed a method for measuring photon detection efficiency from the N-V’s negative charge state, achieving 12% efficiency. The probes demonstrated excellent performance by imaging thin magnetic films with a resolution better than 50 nm, forming the basis for the high-performing Qnami
Quantilever MX+ probes.
