A novel technique that uses quantum light to measure temperature at the nanoscale

Being able to measure, and monitor, temperatures and temperature changes at miniscule scales—inside a cell or in micro and nano-electronic components—has the potential to impact many areas of research from disease detection to a major challenge of modern computation and communication technologies, how to measure scalability and performance in electronic components.

A collaborative team, led by scientists from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), developed a highly-sensitive nano-thermometer that uses atom-like inclusions in diamond nanoparticles to accurately measure temperature at the nanoscale. The sensor exploits the properties of these atom-like diamond inclusions on the quantum level, where the limits of classical physics no longer apply.

Diamond nanoparticles are extremely small particles—up to 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair—that fluoresce when illuminated with a laser. "The method is immediately deployable. We are currently using it for measuring temperature variations both in biological samples and in high-power electronic circuits whose performance strongly rely on monitoring and controlling their temperature with sensitivities and at a scale hard to achieve with other methods," said Senior Investigator, Dr. Carlo Bradac, UTS School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

Read more at Phys.org

Image Credit: Dr. Trong Toan Tran

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