Asia Pacific Physics Week 2024 (APPW2024)

Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024 

2:00 PM - 2:40 PM Plenary Talk: Xinhua Peng (University of Science and Technology of China) 

Spin-based quantum sensing for extremely weak magnetic fields

Xinhua Peng

Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, PR China

The measurement of extremely weak magnetic fields is crucial across various scientific and technological domains due to its wide-ranging applications and implications, including scientific research, national defense and security, metrology and biomedical applications. Quantum precision measurement technology offers new opportunities for advancing ultra-weak magnetic field measurements. Spin plays a pivotal role in these measurements, enabling the creation of create the most sensitive magnetometers. Spin-based magnetometers are at the cutting edge of precision magnetic field measurement technology, marking a significant advancement over classical magnetometers. Focusing on spin systems, I will introduce recent advancements in spin-based magnetometers based on alkali metal and noble gas atomic vapor cells, such as spin amplification, dark-spin amplification, Floquet maser, and cooperative measurements. These advancements have achieved a weak magnetic detection sensitivity at the fT/Hz^{1/2} level. Furthermore, I will explore the applications of ultra-weak magnetic detection technology in frontier scientific research areas such as zero-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and dark matter detection. Finally, I will discuss future prospects and the challenges that lie ahead.