Speaker
Description
Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond provide a versatile platform for nanoscale magnetic sensing under ambient conditions. Here, we use a scanning single-NV probe positioned ~50 nm above a magnetic surface to image nanoscale magnetic textures via optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), achieving sub-100-nm spatial resolution while preserving spin coherence.
Beyond static stray-field imaging, we use ODMR to detect propagating spin-wave dynamics through their oscillating RF magnetic fields, enabling real-space mapping of dynamic modes. We further implement NV circular dichroism (NVCD), exploiting the circularly selective transitions of the NV spin triplet to distinguish the local left- and right-handed components of the RF field, thereby achieving chirality-resolved imaging of spin waves.
We apply this method to a magnetic thin film Py and image spin-wave excitations with chirality-dependent contrast. Utilizing the circularly selective microwave transitions of the NV spin triplet, we resolve the spatial distribution of left- and right-handed RF magnetic field components associated with the spin-wave dynamics. This enables real-space mapping of spin-wave polarization symmetry under ambient conditions. Our results demonstrate chirality-resolved imaging of spin waves, providing direct access to the handedness of magnetic excitations at the nanoscale.
These results establish scanning NV magnetometry as a powerful platform for imaging anisotropy- and magnetization-dependent spin-wave dynamics under ambient conditions.
