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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Quantum Plasmonic Sensors

The extraordinary sensitivity of plasmonic sensors is well-known in the optics and photonics community. These sensors exploit simultaneously the enhancement and the localization of electromagnetic fields close to the interface between a metal and a dielectric. This enables, for example, the design of integrated biochemical sensors at scales far below the diffraction limit. Despite their practical realization and successful commercialization, the sensitivity and associated precision of plasmonic sensors are starting to reach their fundamental classical limit given by quantum fluctuations of light—known as the shot-noise limit. To improve the sensing performance of these sensors beyond the classical limit, quantum resources are increasingly being employed. This area of research has become known as “quantum plasmonic sensing”, and it has experienced substantial activity in recent years for applications in chemical and biological sensing. This review aims to cover both plasmonic and quantum techniques for sensing, and it shows how they have been merged to enhance the performance of plasmonic sensors beyond traditional methods. We discuss the general framework developed for quantum plasmonic sensing in recent years, covering the basic theory behind the advancements made, and describe the important works that made these advancements. We also describe several key works in detail, highlighting their motivation, the working principles behind them, and their future impact. The intention of the review is to set a foundation for a burgeoning field of research that is currently being explored out of intellectual curiosity and for a wide range of practical applications in biochemistry, medicine, and pharmaceutical research.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantum sensing effect of electron tunneling in DQD/analyte complex

We investigate electron tunneling between quantum dots and molecules to propose a quantum sensor. This sensor consists of double quantum dots (DQD) with energy levels specifically tailored to mirror those of the target analyte. By analyzing the spectral distribution of electron localizations in the DQD system, we can delineate the analyte’s spectrum and deduce its composition by comparing it with a reference sample. To understand electron tunneling dynamics within the DQD/analyte complex, we performed three-dimensional computational modeling applying the effective potential approach to the InAs/GaAs heterostructure. In this modeling, we mimicked the analyte spectrum by utilizing a quantum well characterized by a quasi-discrete spectrum. Our calculations reveal the inherent potential of utilizing this method as a highly sensitive and selective sensor.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

High sensitivity pressure and temperature quantum sensing in pentacene-doped p-terphenyl single crystals

Quantum sensors’ responsiveness to their physical environment enables detection of variables such as temperature (T), pressure (P), and strain. We present a molecular platform for PT sensing using para-terphenyl crystals doped with pentacene (PDP), leveraging optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) of photoexcited triplet electron spins. We observe maximal frequency variations of df/dP=1.8 MHz/bar from 0-8 bar and df/dT=247 kHz/K from 79–330 K, over 1200 times and threefold greater, respectively, than those seen with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond and > 85-fold greater pressure sensitivity over the previous record. Density functional theory calculations indicate picometer-level PT-induced molecular orbital shifts are measurable via ODMR. PDP offers additional advantages including high sensor doping levels, narrow ODMR linewidths, high contrast, and low-cost single crystal growth. Overall, this work reports low-cost, optically-interrogated PT sensors and lays the foundation for increased versatility of quantum sensors through synthetic molecular design.

Magnetic properties and materials↗
DOE OSTI2026

Background cancellation for frequency-selective quantum sensing

A key challenge in quantum sensing is the detection of weak time dependent signals, particularly those that arise as specific frequency perturbations over a background field. Conventional methods usually demand complex dynamical control of the quantum sensor and heavy classical post-processing. We propose a quantum sensor that leverages time independent interactions and entanglement to function as a passive, tunable, thresholded frequency filter. By encoding the frequency selectivity and thresholding behavior directly into the dynamics, the sensor is responsive only to a target frequency of choice whose amplitude is above a threshold. This approach circumvents the need for complex control schemes and reduces the post-processing overhead.

Puig, Ricard [Los Alamos; Ecole Polytechnique, Lau↗
DOE OSTI2026

Subterahertz Spin Relaxation Dynamics of Boron-Vacancy Centers in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Quantum sensors based on spin defects have become powerful tools for detecting faint magnetic signals, yet their operation remains confined to low magnetic fields and gigahertz frequencies. Extending such sensors into high-field (>0.3 T) and subterahertz regimes would enable quantum metrology across a wide range of electromagnetic phenomena and scientific applications, but has proven challenging. Here, we demonstrate that negatively charged boron vacancies ($V^−_B$) in hexagonal boron nitride can function as relaxation-based quantum sensors operating up to 0.2 terahertz and 7 T fields. Their uniform spin-orientation and persistent spin-contrast at high fields enable measurement of intrinsic spin relaxation across unexplored field regimes. We reveal a crossover in relaxation behavior, initially decreasing at low fields before rising at higher fields, consistent with the emergence of single-phonon-induced resonant noise at subterahertz frequencies. These results establish $V^−_B$ centers as a versatile platform for quantum sensing in the subterahertz, high-field regime.

boron-vacancies↗
DOE OSTI2026

Creating and Interfacing Designer Chemical Qubits (Final Technical Report)

The Final Technical Report describes a multi‑institution effort to develop programmable molecular qubits as precision quantum sensors for probing quantum materials. The team created chemically tunable qubits with optical addressability and practical coherence, integrated them into thin films and frameworks while preserving functionality, and established new magnetic and electric sensing methods suited to two‑dimensional magnets, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics. They also built computational models and spectroscopic tools that connect molecular design to material behavior, enabling access to quantum phenomena that previously could not be measured. The project produced more than 40 publications and trained a large cohort of graduate students and postdocs, strengthening the workforce and infrastructure needed for DOE's quantum information science mission.

2D Quantum Materials↗
DOE OSTI2023

Design of Monolithic Bi-Layer High-Z PAL-Si Hard X-ray CMOS Image Sensors for Quantum Efficiency Enhancement

This article experimentally investigates the inception of an innovative hard X-ray photon energy attenuation layer (PAL) to advance high-energy X-ray detection (20–50 keV). A bi-layer design with a thin film high-Z PAL on the top and Si image sensor on the bottom has previously demon-strated quantum yield enhancement via computational methods by the principle of photon energy down conversion (PEDC), where high-energy X-ray photon energies are attenuated via inelastic scattering down to ≤10 keV, which is suitable for efficient photoelectric absorption by Si. Quantum yield enhancement has been experimentally confirmed via a preliminary demonstration using PAL-integrated Si-based CMOS image sensors (Si CIS). Furthermore, substituting the high-Z PAL with a lower-Z material—Sn—and alternatively coupling it with a conventional scintillator ma-terial—Lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO)—have been compared to demonstrate the most prominent efficacy of monolithic integration of high-Z PAL on Si CIS to detect hard X-rays, paving the way for next-generation high-energy X-ray detection methods.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Sensing at the Nanoscale Using Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Diamond: A Model for a Quantum Pressure Sensor

The sensing of stress under harsh environmental conditions with high resolution has critical importance for a range of applications including earth’s subsurface scanning, geological CO2 storage monitoring, and mineral and resource recovery. Using a first-principles density functional theory (DFT) approach combined with the theoretical modelling of the low-energy Hamiltonian, here, we investigate a novel approach to detect unprecedented levels of pressure by taking advantage of the solid-state electronic spin of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. We computationally explore the effect of strain on the defect band edges and band gaps by varying the lattice parameters of a diamond supercell hosting a single NV center. A low-energy Hamiltonian is developed that includes the effect of stress on the energy level of a ±1 spin manifold at the ground state. By quantifying the energy level shift and split, we predict pressure sensing of up to 0.3 MPa/Hz using the experimentally measured spin dephasing time. We show the superiority of the quantum sensing approach over traditional optical sensing techniques by discussing our results from DFT and theoretical modelling for the frequency shift per unit pressure. Importantly, we propose a quantum manometer that could be useful to measure earth’s subsurface vibrations as well as for pressure detection and monitoring in high-temperature superconductivity studies and in material sciences. Our results open avenues for the development of a sensing technology with high sensitivity and resolution under extreme pressure limits that potentially has a wider applicability than the existing pressure sensing technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantum sensing using a qubit for the detection of ionizing radiation

Quantum sensing utilizes the inherent sensitivity of a quantum system to external stimuli. Our goal is to leverage this sensitivity to develop a quantum sensor designed for the detection of ionizing radiation. Here we report on the design, fabrication, and measurement of a new quantum device for hard x-ray and gamma-ray detection. Our quantum device is based on a superconducting quantum bit (qubit) with superconducting tunnel junctions as the core device elements. We describe our experimental investigation directed toward the detection metrics of energy resolution, dynamic range, and active area. In contrast to existing superconducting detectors, the active area per qubit may be much larger than the physical area of the tunnel junctions or the physical area of the qubit device, due to the sensitivity of quantum coherence to ionizing radiation deposition within a radius on the millimeter or centimeter scale. Furthermore, our experimental design enables an ionizing radiation source at room temperature to be detected by our quantum sensor at low temperature.

qubit↗
DOE OSTI2026

Lieb-Mattis States for Robust Entangled Differential Phase Sensing

We explore a two-node, entanglement-enhanced sensor network for differential phase sensing that exploits decoherence-free subspaces to suppress common-mode noise, a primary limitation of many state-of-the-art quantum sensors. We identify a class of entangled states that, while not strictly optimal, achieve the same asymptotic sensitivity scaling as optimal states and can be prepared efficiently from initially unentangled atomic ensembles. Importantly, the preparation time decreases with increasing system size, which makes the states compatible with realistic noise processes in present-day quantum sensors that operate with large particle numbers but lack full error correction. We illustrate these ideas using two cavity-mediated preparation protocols: (i) coherent, unitary entanglement generation analogous to bosonic two-mode squeezing, yielding Heisenberg scaling, and (ii) dissipative preparation through collective emission into a shared cavity mode, providing a square-root improvement beyond the standard quantum limit. Numerical simulations show that both approaches remain effective at experimentally realistic cavity cooperativities, establishing a practical path toward scalable, quantum-enhanced differential phase sensing.

Kaubruegger, Raphael [National Institute of Standa↗
DOE OSTI2026

Precision spectroscopy of nuclear decays using quantum optomechanical sensors

This project developed and demonstrated a fundamentally new way to detect individual nuclear decays: rather than capturing the energy that decay products deposit in a detector, we measure the tiny mechanical recoil of the entire micron- or nanometer-sized particle in which the decaying nucleus is embedded. Because momentum is conserved, this approach is sensitive even to neutral, weakly interacting particles, including neutrinos, that escape conventional detectors. During the award, the Yale group reported the first-ever mechanical detection of single nuclear decays, a result featured widely in the scientific press, and pushed the sensitivity of smaller levitated nanoparticles into the quantum measurement regime, reaching an impulse resolution within a factor of five of the fundamental Standard Quantum Limit (SQL), good enough in principle to detect the momentum kicked to the particle by a single emitted neutrino. In parallel, the LBNL group developed the theory of quantum-enhanced (sub-SQL) readout tailored to this experiment, showing how squeezed light can push the sensitivity below the SQL. Together these results establish levitated optomechanical sensors as a new tool for precision nuclear decay spectroscopy, with further applications in neutrino physics, quantum metrology, and nuclear forensics and safeguards.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

SQMS Quantum R&D in Machine Learning, Optimization and Sensing beyond Fundamental Physics Applications

This newly formed team at SQMS under the Ecosystem Thrust is looking to develop capabilities impacting societal advances outside the core domain of HEP and condensed matter physics. We explicitly leverage the experimental and algorithmic innovations developed across all groups as well as connect to broad-scope external projects of the diverse team of PIs. As the inaugural set of projects, we are studying numerically quantum machine learning models inspired by efficiently trainable echo-state and orthogonal neural networks and developing designs for related experiments to be performed on quantum processors based on SQMS SRF cQED technology and Rigetti s transmon arrays. Investigated models exploit ideas and lessons learned from multiple prior work by SQMS team members in a variety of internal and external activities [R1]. Target initial applications include noisy signal processing, potentially captured by quantum sensors or noisy QPUs, as well as simulation and classification of healthcare data. For instance, image reconstruction of the brain s electrical properties by solving the inverse Maxwell equation problem with uncertainty [R2] through a hybrid quantum-classical physics-informed architecture for time-dependent processes [R3]. The group is also investigating the application and development of novel quantum sensors based on magnetic levitation of a superconducting sphere coupled to a superconducting qubit. This coupling enables high-precision measurements of the position of the sphere, which can be used for sensitive detection of forces, enabling practical applications such as gravimetry for geophysics analysis, or accelerometry for GPS-denied navigation [R4] [R1] Rieffel, Eleanor G., Ata Akbari Asanjan, M. Sohaib Alam, Namit Anand, David E. Bernal Neira, Sophie Block, Lucas T. Brady et al. "Assessing and advancing the potential of quantum computing: A NASA case study." Future Generation Computer Systems (2024). [R2] Yu, X., Serrall s, J.E., Giannakopoulos, I.I., Liu, Z., Daniel, L., Lattanzi, R. and Zhang, Z., 2023. Pifon-ept: Mr-based electrical property tomography using physics-informed fourier networks. IEEE Journal on Multiscale and Multiphysics Computational Techniques. [R3] Wudarski, Filip, Daniel OConnor, Shaun Geaney, Ata Akbari Asanjan, Max Wilson, Elena Strbac, P. Aaron Lott, and Davide Venturelli. "Hybrid quantum-classical reservoir computing for simulating chaotic systems." arXiv preprint arXiv:2311.14105 (2023). [R4] Higgins, Gerard, Saarik Kalia, and Zhen Liu. "Maglev for dark matter: Dark-photon and axion dark matter sensing with levitated superconductors." Physical Review D 109.5 (2024): 055024.

Venturelli, Davide↗
DOE OSTI2025

More buck-per-shot: Why learning trumps mitigation in noisy quantum sensing

Quantum sensing is one of the most promising applications for quantum technologies. However, reaching the ultimate sensitivities enabled by the laws of quantum mechanics can be a challenging task in realistic scenarios where noise is present. While several strategies have been proposed to deal with the detrimental effects of noise, these come at the cost of an extra shot budget. Given that shots are a precious resource for sensing – as infinite measurements could lead to infinite precision – care must be taken to truly guarantee that any shot not being used for sensing is actually leading to some metrological improvement. In this work, we study whether investing shots in error-mitigation, inference techniques, or combinations thereof, can improve the sensitivity of a noisy quantum sensor on a (shot) budget. We present a detailed bias–variance error analysis for various sensing protocols. Our results show that the costs of zero-noise extrapolation techniques outweigh their benefits. We also find that pre-characterizing a quantum sensor via inference techniques leads to the best performance, under the assumption that the sensor is sufficiently stable.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2023

Independent Panel Report for Technical Assessment of NASA and External Quantum Sensing Capabilities

Sensors based on quantum mechanical properties of electromagnetic radiation and matter offer unique capabilities and performance sometimes difficult to achieve using classical approaches. This report assesses the suitability of quantum sensing for current and future NASA needs, with a specific focus on NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Measurement and sensing needs across NASA SMD are reviewed as a driver for the possible incorporation of existing quantum sensors into the NASA portfolio and the development of next-generation quantum sensors. A range of quantum sensing modalities is then described and the current state of the art for each sensor is presented. Current research and development activities on quantum sensing within NASA are compared with the range of activities ongoing throughout the broader scientific community, both within the United States and internationally. In conclusion, there is considerable advantage to be gained by NASA from quantum sensors through the growth of internal programs and collaboration with outside entities.

Quantum Sensing↗
DOE OSTI2023

X-ray quantification of oxygen groups on diamond surfaces for quantum applications

Abstract Identifying the surface chemistry of diamond materials is increasingly important for device applications, especially quantum sensors. Oxygen-related termination species are widely used because they are naturally abundant, chemically stable, and compatible with stable nitrogen vacancy centres near the diamond surface. Diamond surfaces host a mixture of oxygen-related species, and the precise chemistry and relative coverage of different species can lead to dramatically different electronic properties, with direct consequences for near-surface quantum sensors. However, it is challenging to unambiguously identify the different groups or quantify the relative surface coverage. Here we show that a combination of x-ray absorption and photoelectron spectroscopies can be used to quantitatively identify the coverage of carbonyl functional groups on the { 100 } diamond surface. Using this method we reveal an unexpectedly high fraction of carbonyl groups ( > 9%) on a wide range of sample surfaces. Furthermore, through a combination of ab initio calculations and spectroscopic studies of engineered surfaces, we reveal unexpected complexities in the x-ray spectroscopy of oxygen terminated diamond surfaces. Of particular note, we find the binding energies of carbonyl-related groups on diamond differs significantly from other organic systems, likely resulting in previous misestimation of carbonyl fractions on diamond surfaces.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-precision chemical quantum sensing in flowing monodisperse microdroplets

A method is presented for high-precision chemical detection that integrates quantum sensing with droplet microfluidics. Using nanodiamonds (ND) with fluorescent nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers as quantum sensors, rapidly flowing microdroplets containing analyte molecules are analyzed. A noise-suppressed mode of optically detected magnetic resonance is enabled by pairing controllable flow with microwave control of NV electronic spins, to detect analyte-induced signals of a few hundredths of a percent of the ND fluorescence. Using this method, paramagnetic ions in droplets are detected with low limit-of-detection using small analyte volumes, with exceptional measurement stability over >10 3 s. In addition, these droplets are used as microconfinement chambers by co-encapsulating ND quantum sensors with various analytes such as single cells, suggesting wide-ranging applications including single-cell metabolomics and real-time intracellular measurements from bioreactors. Important advances are enabled by this work, including portable chemical testing devices, amplification-free chemical assays, and chemical imaging tools for probing reactions within microenvironments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Functionalization of nitrogen vacancy-containing nanodiamonds with a metal-organic framework for quantum sensing applications

Nitrogen vacancy (NV)-containing nanodiamonds (NDs) are an important material in applications such as biological imaging, catalysis, and, in particular, quantum sensing. Careful manipulation of the surface coating on NV NDs is essential for both enhancing quantum sensor performance and for tuning selectivity towards specific sensing targets. Here, we demonstrate a simple synthetic approach for functionalizing NV NDs with the zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) metal–organic framework (MOF), providing a well-ordered, porous scaffold for immobilizing target analytes near the NV ND surface. The composites were structurally characterized by x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and these results were all consistent with NV NDs fully encapsulated by ZIF-8. Critically, the luminescent properties of the NV NDs, which are vital for quantum sensing experiments such as optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), are unchanged by the MOF coating. Moreover, spin relaxometry experiments indicate that the ZIF-8 coating significantly enhances the NV ND spin longitudinal relaxation time T1, a critical quantum parameter for sensing applications. Given the tremendous structural diversity of MOFs, the NV ND@MOF composites are an exciting material class with exciting implications for the development of high-performance quantum sensors.

Crawford, Scott↗
DOE OSTI2026

Meteorological Conditions in Urban Sites in Knoxville, USA. 2025

This 2025 dataset, which contains five csv files, reports hourly air temperature, wind speed, solar radiation, incident short wave, reflected short wave, incident long wave, emitted long wave, net radiation, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) data measured in urban parks in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. The sites include Cumberland Estates Park (CEP), Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development (SEEED), West Hills Park (WHP), West View Park (WVP), and Victor Ashe Park (VAP). Air temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation data were obtained from a METER ATMOS 41 All-in-One Weather Station (Pullman, Washington, USA). Incident and emitted radiation (shortwave and longwave) measurements were made using an Apogee (Logan, Utah, USA) net radiometer (Model SN-500-SS). The SQ-521 Full-Spectrum Quantum sensor (Apogee Instruments, Inc) recorded the PAR. The measurement data for all the sites started on January 1, 2025. and all measurement ended on December 31, 2025. This work is a part of a larger study which investigates the impact of soil moisture and plant evapotranspiration on ambient temperature and relative humidity in several city parks in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Salvador, Christian [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000283287777↗