Physics / mechanism
Quantum magnetometry exploits quantum mechanical properties—spin, superposition, coherence—to measure magnetic fields with sensitivity far beyond classical sensors. Three dominant platforms: NV-center diamonds (nitrogen-vacancy defects operating at room temperature, sensitivity ~1 pT/√Hz demonstrated, commercialising toward fT/√Hz), atomic vapour magnetometers (OPMs, ~10 fT/√Hz, SERF regime approaches 1 fT/√Hz, room-temp operation), and SQUIDs (superconducting, sub-fT/√Hz but requiring 4K cryogenics). Key figures of merit: field sensitivity (T/√Hz), spatial resolution, operating temperature, SWAP-C. NV centres are the only solid-state room-temperature option with nanoscale resolution, making them relevant for both chip-level diagnostics and biomedical imaging.
Competitive landscape
| Modality | Sensitivity | Operating Temp | Spatial Res |
|---|---|---|---|
| SQUID | sub-fT/√Hz | 4 K | ~mm |
| OPM (SERF) | ~1 fT/√Hz | Room temp | ~cm |
| NV-diamond | ~1 pT/√Hz (lab) | Room temp | ~nm |
Companies using
Connected ideas
Sources
Frontier (open questions)
- To be added.