Periodic Reporting for period 3 - QS2DM (Quantum sensing of two-dimensional magnets)
Reporting period: 2024-02-01 to 2025-07-31
Van der Waals (vdW) materials are layered compounds that can be readily exfoliated down to the monolayer limit. Magnetic order has recently been observed in such atomic monolayers. This milestone discovery could launch a new era in nano-magnetism, in, which the exceptional cleanliness and tunability of these truly
two-dimensional magnets may enable fundamental discoveries and novel technologies based on atomic-scale functional magnetic elements.
Direct, quantitative sensing of nanoscale properties of these systems is a key ingredient for further progress. The UNIBAS group has recently demonstrated their power through the first nanoscale imaging of magnetism in atomicscale vdW magnets. This major advance was enabled by quantitative, nanoscale magnetometry with a single
spin – a unique quantum technology, which I have pioneered.
Project QS2DM proposes to leverage this progress to bring groundbreaking advances to the field of vdW magnetism. Noncollinear, engineered spin textures, such as Skyrmions of helimagnetism, offer a current frontier that this project will address, with possibly far-reaching impact for the field of spintronics. The project will further harness the high-frequency sensing capabilities of our quantum sensors to address microwave-domain spin-waves in vdW magnets. This completely uncharted domain offers insight into still poorly understood spin interactions and has technological potential through the field of “vdW magnonics”, which project QS2DM will establish.
This challenging project combines advanced materials engineering with an emerging, and highly promising quantum sensing technology. It is thereby highly interdisciplinary and goes well beyond the state-of-the-art in the fields of vdW magnetism and quantum-sensing. Project QS2DM will thereby further strengthen Europe’s position at the
forefront of these flourishing research areas.
two-dimensional magnets may enable fundamental discoveries and novel technologies based on atomic-scale functional magnetic elements.
Direct, quantitative sensing of nanoscale properties of these systems is a key ingredient for further progress. The UNIBAS group has recently demonstrated their power through the first nanoscale imaging of magnetism in atomicscale vdW magnets. This major advance was enabled by quantitative, nanoscale magnetometry with a single
spin – a unique quantum technology, which I have pioneered.
Project QS2DM proposes to leverage this progress to bring groundbreaking advances to the field of vdW magnetism. Noncollinear, engineered spin textures, such as Skyrmions of helimagnetism, offer a current frontier that this project will address, with possibly far-reaching impact for the field of spintronics. The project will further harness the high-frequency sensing capabilities of our quantum sensors to address microwave-domain spin-waves in vdW magnets. This completely uncharted domain offers insight into still poorly understood spin interactions and has technological potential through the field of “vdW magnonics”, which project QS2DM will establish.
This challenging project combines advanced materials engineering with an emerging, and highly promising quantum sensing technology. It is thereby highly interdisciplinary and goes well beyond the state-of-the-art in the fields of vdW magnetism and quantum-sensing. Project QS2DM will thereby further strengthen Europe’s position at the
forefront of these flourishing research areas.
The majority of work for project QS2DM during the first reporting period was devoted to technical developments required to achieve the scientific goals defined in the original proposal (c.f. Annex 1 to the GA). In particular, the team assembled hardware for van der Waals heterostructure fabrication and worked on completing a completely novel and unique cryogenic quantum sensing apparatus. The latter was based on a cryogenic microscopy platform delivered by the company Attocube, that was significantly adapted and upgraded by the UNIBAS team to be used as the quantum sensing microscope required for project QS2DM. Unfortunately, several technical setbacks (entirely caused by the companies providing the hardware to this project) occurred and slowed down the project. These setbacks are described in more detail under Sect. 2.1 and led to a total estimated project delay of 6-12 months. Still, the scientific part of the project has also been considerably advanced, and a variety of initial van der Waals (vdW) samples have been studied in connection to WPb1 and WPb3 during this first reporting period of project QS2DM.
Project QS2DM proposes to leverage this progress to bring groundbreaking advances to the field of vdW magnetism. Noncollinear, engineered spin textures, such as Skyrmions of helimagnetism, offer a current frontier that this project will address, with possibly far-reaching impact for the field of spintronics. The project will further harness the high-frequency sensing capabilities of our quantum sensors to address microwave-domain spin-waves in vdW magnets. This completely uncharted domain offers insight into still poorly understood spin interactions and has technological potential through the field of “vdW magnonics”, which project QS2DM will establish.