Hybrid spin-microcantilever sensor for environmental, chemical, and biological detection

Nanotechnology. 2015 Jan 9;26(1):015501. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/26/1/015501. Epub 2014 Dec 8.

Abstract

Nowadays hybrid spin-micro/nanomechanical systems are being actively explored for potential quantum sensing applications. In combination with the pump-probe technique or the spin resonance spectrum, we theoretically propose a realistic, feasible, and an exact way to measure the cantilever frequency in a hybrid spin-micromechanical cantilever system which has a strong coherent coupling of a single nitrogen vacancy center in the single-crystal diamond cantilever with the microcantilever. The probe absorption spectrum which exhibits new features such as mechanically induced three-photon resonance and ac Stark effect is obtained. Simultaneously, we further develop this hybrid spin-micromechanical system to be an ultrasensitive mass sensor, which can be operated at 300 K with a mass responsivity 0.137 Hz ag(-1), for accurate sensing of gaseous or aqueous environments, chemical vapors, and biomolecules. And the best performance on the minimum detectable mass can be [Formula: see text] in vacuum. Finally, we illustrate an in situ measurement to detect Angiopoietin-1, a marker of tumor angiogenesis, accurately with this hybrid microcantilever at room temperature.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods
  • Diamond / chemistry
  • Equipment Design / instrumentation*
  • Humans
  • Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / instrumentation*
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation*
  • Nanotechnology / methods
  • Quantum Theory

Substances

  • Diamond