Robotic Vectorial Field Alignment for Spin-Based Quantum Sensors

Developing practical quantum technologies will require the exquisite manipulation of fragile systems in a robust and repeatable way. As quantum technologies move toward real world applications, from biological sensing to communication in space, increasing experimental complexity introduces constraints that can be alleviated by the introduction of new technologies. Robotics has shown tremendous progress in realizing increasingly smart, autonomous, and highly dexterous machines. Here, a robotic arm equipped with a magnet is demonstrated to sensitize an NV center quantum magnetometer in challenging conditions unachievable with standard techniques. Vector magnetic fields are generated with 1 degrees angular and 0.1 mT amplitude accuracy and determine the orientation of a single stochastically-aligned spin-based sensor in a constrained physical environment. This work opens up the prospect of integrating robotics across many quantum degrees of freedom in constrained settings, allowing for increased prototyping speed, control, and robustness in quantum technology applications. Robotic arms consist of sets of links that allow arbitrary positioning and orientation of an end tool. This study shows such a technique can be used to align vector spin-based quantum sensors with high accuracy by positioning a permanent magnet. The flexibility demonstrated is important for emerging quantum sensing applications in physically constrained environments.image

Automated summary

Developing practical quantum technologies requires precise manipulation and sensitive sensing in constrained environments, where robotics can play a significant role in providing increased control and robustness.