Research

We study the optical and spin properties of crystal defects in wide bandgap semiconductors that can be thinned down to 2D, such as van der Waals material hexagonal boron nitride (hBN).

Such systems are appealing for sensing as they offer the possibility of atomic-scale sample-sensor standoff, with associated improvements in effective sensitivity and spatial resolution.

We investigate the fundamental photo-physics of novel spin defects, explore methods to generate them on demand, test their ability to perform as nanoscale quantum sensors, and explore applications in physics and chemistry.

An established application of quantum spin sensors is magnetic microscopy, where a nanoscale spin system such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre in diamond is employed to form a magnetic image through optical readout of the spin. We develop tools to implement such quantum magnetic microscopes, from practical instruments to software to control them and analyse the data. We also explore applications of these microscopes, predominantly for the mapping of stray magnetic fields from solid-state magnetic systems (e.g. novel van der Waals magnetic materials) and electronic devices.

We investigate fluorescent molecular systems such as fluorescent proteins and carbon dots, which exhibit a magnetic response and have an addressable spin state. We aim to understand the spin-photophysics of these systems and explore the possibility of using them as nanoscale quantum sensors in an aqueous environment.