Quantum sensing

"Quantum sensing" describes the use of a quantum system, quantum properties or quantum phenomena to perform a measurement of a physical quantity. Historical examples of quantum sensors include magnetometers based on superconducting quantum interference devices and atomic vapors, or atomic clocks. More recently, quantum sensing has become a distinct and rapidly growing branch of research within the area of quantum science and technology, with the most common platforms being spin qubits, trapped ions and flux qubits. The field is expected to provide new opportunities - especially with regard to high sensitivity and precision - in applied physics and other areas of science. In this review, we provide an introduction to the basic principles, methods and concepts of quantum sensing from the viewpoint of the interested experimentalist.Comment: 45 pages, 13 figures. Submitted to Rev. Mod. Phy

Assembly of Micro Systems with the High Precision Robot Parvus

In recent years, the development of micro systems has been widely discussed in research articles concerning a decrease in size, an increase of complexity and the variety of materials used. In contrast, manufacturing and especially assembly processes of millimetre-sized products with high complexity did not play a significant role. Conventional precision robots that provide adequate accuracies for micro assembly are relatively large and expensive. These machines have to be operated in clean rooms, which results in high costs of maintenance. These days, the assembly technology of electronic production and conventional assembly robots is often no longer suitable for the assembly of hybrid micro systems. The increasing gap between millimetre-sized products and the production machines has lead to a high proportion of manual assembly in the manufacturing process of microproducts. Assembly costs that sometimes account for up to 80 % of the costs of micro systems retard the commercialisation and bulk production of these products. [1] Especially for small and medium-sized businesses, new concepts for flexible and lower-cost micro assembly have to be found

Critical exponents of directed percolation measured in spatiotemporal intermittency

A new experimental system showing a transition to spatiotemporal intermittency is presented. It consists of a ring of hundred oscillating ferrofluidic spikes. Four of five of the measured critical exponents of the system agree with those obtained from a theoretical model of directed percolation.Comment: 7 pages, 12 figures, submitted to PR

Sensing remote nuclear spins

Sensing single nuclear spins is a central challenge in magnetic resonance based imaging techniques. Although different methods and especially diamond defect based sensing and imaging techniques in principle have shown sufficient sensitivity, signals from single nuclear spins are usually too weak to be distinguished from background noise. Here, we present the detection and identification of remote single C-13 nuclear spins embedded in nuclear spin baths surrounding a single electron spins of a nitrogen-vacancy centre in diamond. With dynamical decoupling control of the centre electron spin, the weak magnetic field ~10 nT from a single nuclear spin located ~3 nm from the centre with hyperfine coupling as weak as ~500 Hz is amplified and detected. The quantum nature of the coupling is confirmed and precise position and the vector components of the nuclear field are determined. Given the distance over which nuclear magnetic fields can be detected the technique marks a firm step towards imaging, detecting and controlling nuclear spin species external to the diamond sensor

Electrons, Photons, and Force: Quantitative Single-Molecule Measurements from Physics to Biology

Single-molecule measurement techniques have illuminated unprecedented details of chemical behavior, including observations of the motion of a single molecule on a surface, and even the vibration of a single bond within a molecule. Such measurements are critical to our understanding of entities ranging from single atoms to the most complex protein assemblies. We provide an overview of the strikingly diverse classes of measurements that can be used to quantify single-molecule properties, including those of single macromolecules and single molecular assemblies, and discuss the quantitative insights they provide. Examples are drawn from across the single-molecule literature, ranging from ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy studies of adsorbate diffusion on surfaces to fluorescence studies of protein conformational changes in solution

Quantum sensing

"Quantum sensing" describes the use of a quantum system, quantum properties, or quantum phenomena to perform a measurement of a physical quantity. Historical examples of quantum sensors include magnetometers based on superconducting quantum interference devices and atomic vapors or atomic clocks. More recently, quantum sensing has become a distinct and rapidly growing branch of research within the area of quantum science and technology, with the most common platforms being spin qubits, trapped ions, and flux qubits. The field is expected to provide new opportunities - especially with regard to high sensitivity and precision - in applied physics and other areas of science. This review provides an introduction to the basic principles, methods, and concepts of quantum sensing from the viewpoint of the interested experimentalist. Keywords: quantum control; quantum informationEuropean Commission DIADEMS Program No. 611143Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant 200021_137520)Swiss National Science Foundation NCCR QSITEidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich Research (Grant ETH-03 16-1)Emmy Noether (Grant RE 3606/1-1)U.S. Army Research Office MURI (Grant W911NF-11-1-0400)U.S. Army Research Office MURI (Grant W911NF-15-1-0548)National Science Foundation (PHY0551153)National Science Foundation (PHY1415345

Recombinant GPVI-Fc added to single or dual antiplatelet therapy in vitro prevents plaque-induced platelet thrombus formation

The efficiency of current dual antiplatelet therapy might be further improved by its combination with a glycoprotein (GP) VI-targeting strategy without increasing bleeding. GPVI-Fc, a recombinant dimeric fusion protein binding to plaque collagen and concealing binding sites for platelet GPVI, acts as a lesion-focused antiplatelet drug, and does not increase bleeding in vivo. We investigated, whether GPVI-Fc added in vitro on top of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), the P2Y(12) antagonist ticagrelor, and the fibrinogen receptor antagonist abciximab alone or in combination would increase inhibition of platelet activation by atherosclerotic plaque. Under static conditions, GPVI-Fc inhibited plaque-induced platelet aggregation by 53%, and increased platelet inhibition by ASA (51%) and ticagrelor (64%) to 66% and 80%, respectively. Under arterial flow, GPVI-Fc inhibited plaque-induced platelet aggregation by 57%, and significantly increased platelet inhibition by ASA (28%) and ticagrelor (47%) to about 81% each. The triple combination of GPVI-Fc, ASA and ticagrelor achieved almost complete inhibition of plaque-induced platelet aggregation (93%). GPVI-Fc alone or in combination with ASA or ticagrelor did not increase closure time measured by the platelet function analyzer (PFA)-200. GPVI-Fc added on top of abciximab, a clinically used anti fibrinogen receptor antibody which blocks platelet aggregation, strongly inhibited total (81%) and stable (89%) platelet adhesion. We conclude that GPVI-Fc added on top of single or dual antiplatelet therapy with ASA and/or a P2Y12 antagonist is likely to improve anti-atherothrombotic protection without increasing bleeding risk. In contrast, the strong inhibition of platelet adhesion by GPVI-Fc in combination with GPIIb/Illa inhibitors could be harmful.</p