A fiber integrated N-V diamond magnetometer compatible with commercial endoscopic systems

Abstract

Nitrogen-vacancy (N-V) center in diamond provides a robust, solid-state platform for magnetic field measurements at room temperature. To harness its potential in inspecting inaccessible regions, here we present a compact endoscopic configuration of an N-V diamond-based magnetometer. The endoscopic magnetometer was developed by integrating a large-core optical fiber with a bulk N-V diamond for laser excitation and photoluminescence (PL) collection. The diamond and fiber were specially shaped to enhance PL collection through the fiber. Additionally, a 3D-printed endoscope head was employed to facilitate alignment of the bias magnetic field along the N-V axis. A magnetic field sensitivity of approximately 3 nT/Hz$^{1/2}$ was achieved by using cw-magnetometry measurements. The endoscope diameter was restricted to 10 mm to match the dimensions of most commercial endoscopes. The magnetic field non-uniformity caused by the small separation between the diamond and the magnet in the endoscope head limited the overall sensitivity. It could be further improved to 0.85 nT/Hz$^{1/2}$ by using a magnet placed at a sufficient distance outside the endoscope head. Our endoscopic design is mechanically stable and provides additional opportunities for integrating other functionalities into the probe head as needed.