Color centers in diamond consisting of a bound state of a substitutional nitrogen and a carbon vacancy are at the center of a small revolution in quantum sensing. They allow magnetometry with an unprecedented combination of sensitivity and spatial resolution. For example, a single center can be used to detect a single nuclear spin. I will discuss the basic physics of the centers that is akin to atomic physics, but with a lot of condensed-matter flavor.

Argonne Physics Division Colloquium Schedule