Speaker
Description
We propose a novel particle detection mechanism that utilizes the ability of nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV) in diamond thin films to investigate nanoscale magnetic phenomena on superconducting thin films. Energy deposited by a particle either directly in the superconductor or in an absorber, causes a thin layer of superconductor on the diamond film, to transition to normal state. The transition to normal state is detected through variation in the optically detected magnetic resonance spectra of NV centers. Initial results from our simulation show that the energy threshold for particle detection is in the sub electron volt regime and an optimization of the absorber, superconductor, the thin film geometry, and the implementation of the magnetic resonance spectroscopy can lead to good spatial and energy resolution. Here we will show the results from our simulation including optimization of detector performance. We will present the next phase of the project that aims to build and test an diamond - superconductor heterostructure based detector in a controlled laboratory environment. Our detection scheme can be thought of as an optically read out transition edge sensor (TES) that may result in lower noise and thresholds. Since pico Tesla magnetometry using NV centers and particle detection using TES has already been demonstrated with on-chip integration, we believe coupling these two technologies will lead to particle detection down to the meV range, which is crucial for advancing particle physics and exploring Beyond Standard Model (BSM) phenomena, including potential dark matter interactions. On-chip integration would allow for the development of compact, high-sensitivity detectors with direct applications in both particle physics and fundamental research.
