Award Date
12-15-2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)
Department
Electrical and Computer Engineering
First Committee Member
Roman Shugayev
Second Committee Member
Bhagwan Singh Khanka
Third Committee Member
Biswajit Das
Fourth Committee Member
Yan Zhou
Number of Pages
146
Abstract
Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds are solid-state quantum defects capable of detecting magnetic fields and temperature at the nanoscale with high spatial resolution and optical addressability at room temperature. Their spin-dependent fluorescence enables optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), a technique widely used for quantum sensing. However, enhancing optical readout efficiency remains a critical challenge for scalable integration and various methods can be used to improve this.
This thesis explores a hybrid quantum sensing platform that integrates NV-based sensing with spoof surface plasmon waveguides designed to enhance optical excitation and emission efficiency through localized spoof plasmon modes supported by subwavelength corrugated gaps. A combination of physics-based simulations and experimental fabrication is used to characterize the interactions between NV center fluorescence and spoof surface plasmon waveguides of varying gap sizes.
This work demonstrates dual-mode magnetic and thermal field sensing within a compact hybrid system by evaluating how spoof plasmonic structures influence fluorescence contrast, magnetic resonance response, and temperature-dependent spectral shifts. These results aim to contribute towards the development of scalable, high-sensitivity photonic quantum sensors used for nanoscale sensing in microelectronics, quantum materials, and biomedical devices.
Keywords
Nanodiamonds; Nitrogen-vacancy centers; Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance (ODMR); Plasmonics; Quantum Sensing; Spoof Surface Plasmon Waveguides
Disciplines
Electrical and Computer Engineering | Engineering | Other Engineering
File Format
File Size
8200 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Stonham, Maxwell, "Quantum Sensing of Magnetic and Thermal Fields Using Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers on Spoof Surface Plasmon Waveguides" (2025). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 5470.
https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations/5470
Rights
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