Nuclear magnetic resonance detection and spectroscopy of single proteins using quantum logic

I Lovchinsky; A O Sushkov; E Urbach; N P de Leon; S Choi; K De Greve; R Evans; R Gertner; E Bersin; C Müller; L McGuinness; F Jelezko; R L Walsworth; H Park; M D Lukin

doi:10.1126/science.aad8022

Nuclear magnetic resonance detection and spectroscopy of single proteins using quantum logic

Science. 2016 Feb 19;351(6275):836-41. doi: 10.1126/science.aad8022. Epub 2016 Feb 4.

Authors

I Lovchinsky¹, A O Sushkov², E Urbach¹, N P de Leon², S Choi¹, K De Greve¹, R Evans¹, R Gertner³, E Bersin¹, C Müller⁴, L McGuinness⁴, F Jelezko⁴, R L Walsworth⁵, H Park⁶, M D Lukin⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
² Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
³ Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
⁴ Institute for Quantum Optics and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), Ulm University, D-89081, Ulm, Germany.
⁵ Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
⁶ Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. lukin@physics.harvard.edu hongkun_park@harvard.edu.
⁷ Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. lukin@physics.harvard.edu hongkun_park@harvard.edu.

PMID: 26847544
DOI: 10.1126/science.aad8022

Abstract

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the structural analysis of organic compounds and biomolecules but typically requires macroscopic sample quantities. We use a sensor, which consists of two quantum bits corresponding to an electronic spin and an ancillary nuclear spin, to demonstrate room temperature magnetic resonance detection and spectroscopy of multiple nuclear species within individual ubiquitin proteins attached to the diamond surface. Using quantum logic to improve readout fidelity and a surface-treatment technique to extend the spin coherence time of shallow nitrogen-vacancy centers, we demonstrate magnetic field sensitivity sufficient to detect individual proton spins within 1 second of integration. This gain in sensitivity enables high-confidence detection of individual proteins and allows us to observe spectral features that reveal information about their chemical composition.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular / methods*
Proteins / analysis*
Quantum Theory
Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

Proteins