Scanning Quantum Sensing of Quantum Materials

Emergent quantum systems with unconventional material properties have attracted immense interest in modern condensed matter physics research over the past decades. The discovery and development of new classes of quantum materials relies simultaneously on advances in theory, material synthesis, and development of sensitive metrology tools capable of evaluating the key material properties at the nanoscale. Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, optically active atomic defects in diamond, are directly relevant in this context due to their unprecedented field and spatial sensitivity and remarkable functionality over a broad range of experimental conditions. In this talk, I will report our recent efforts on developing scanning NV magnetometry techniques and utilizing them to reveal some interesting spin behaviors in novel quantum material systems. Our results demonstrate the significant potential of scanning quantum sensing techniques on studying the exciting new physics in the cutting-edge quantum state of matter.