Oral Presentation 2014 International Biophysics Congress

Nanodiamonds as fluorescent quantum probes in biology (#36)

Lloyd C.L. Hollenberg 1
  1. Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defect centre in diamond represents an ideal single spin quantum system for use as a new probe in biology. It possesses a broad absorption band from 512-560 nm, sustained fluorescence from 630-750 nm, is chemically inert and bio-compatible. These defect centres have been used as highly stable fluorescence beacons to track the position and diffusion of diamond nano-crystals in vitro [1,2] and in vivo [3]. Recent experimental demonstrations [4] of nanomagnetometry using these single spin systems create opportunities for new applications in biology [5]. In our work, we explored the viability of diamond-based nanobiomagnetometry by performing the full suite of quantum control and measurement protocols on NV-nanodiamonds in a living HeLa cell [6], and demonstrated nanoscale spin detection in the biological context [7].

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