Quantum-enabled nanoscale magnetic field metrology for traceable standards

Translating quantum technology from the laboratory into real world applications is the main aim of the European Commission’s Quantum Strategy. The European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC) highlighted in their 2025 roadmap that quantum sensing, and the role that metrology plays, has currently by far the most hardware and instrumentation. This is particularly relevant to industries where magnetic field measurements are integral, including the automotive, electronics, semiconductor and biomedical sectors.

As components are becoming increasingly miniaturised, down to the nanometre level, so has the need for equally sensitive magnetic measurements. Quantum sensors based on implanting nitrogen atoms into synthetic diamonds have been identified by the European Metrology Network for Quantum Technologies as highly promising candidates in this area. However, the sensitivity of these “Nitrogen Vacancy” sensors is highly dependent on the location of the implanted nitrogen atom relative to the diamond’s surface, which currently lacks reliable measurements. In addition, these also lack SI traceability and there is no infrastructure, or guidance, for sensor manufacturing.

Building on EURAMET projects such as NanoMag and QADeT this project will develop novel methods to allow industrially relevant magnetic field measurements with a resolution below 10 nm and a magnetic field resolution from 1 µT up to 100 mT. This will include procedures for determining the depth of nitrogen implantation into the diamond and intercomparisons will allow guidance to be developed. Once established, the validated measurement systems will then be used to perform the first traceable quantum magnetic field measurements on relevant samples provided by industrial and academic stakeholders.