Uncut Gem platform: NV Centre Diamond Magnetometry platform
Uncut Gem platform Diamond Magnetometry is more accessible with an open-source hackable quantum sensor platform.
Quantum sensing could change materials research and medical imaging. Even while the technology is promising, its complexity and cost have limited access. Uncut Gem, an open-source, hackable quantum sensor platform, is systematically removing this technological barrier. Mark Carney and Victoria Kumaran, Quantum Village Inc. employees in Delaware and London, are leading this shift. They create a modular, affordable solution using open-source firmware and common components. This achievement lowers researcher, educator, and innovator access barriers. Uncut Gem's open and cooperative approach allows a bigger community to study and create quantum technologies, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and important teaching opportunities. Utilising Diamond Defects: NV Centre Magnetometry
The Uncut Gem platform's main innovation is nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre diamond magnetometry. NV centres, diamond lattice defects, have peculiar quantum properties that this approach uses. Their remarkable sensitivity to external magnetic fields makes these faults accurate sensors. The study team wanted to characterise diamond defects' energy levels. They found that NV centre resonance frequency is directly related to magnetic field strength and direction. Strong proportionality allows NV centres to operate as sensitive quantum magnetometers. Accurate magnetic field measurements require a specific sensor platform operation: Start with green light to activate NV centres. Multiple microwaves are utilised. The machine then sweeps a predefined frequency range to discover resonant frequency fluctuations. A photodiode and amplifier record NV centre light for final measurement. Reconfigurability and system efficiency were prioritised in Uncut Gem's electronic architecture to achieve full software control. This is controlled by an ESP32 microcontroller, which is essential for experiment control and data analysis. Open-Source Revolution: Affordable and Accessible
Our commitment to accessibility sets Uncut Gem apart. Use of consumer-off-the-shelf components and open-source hardware philosophy achieves this. The Uncut Gem system's creators wanted it to be economical and portable, knowing that quantum installations are often proprietary and expensive. Public software, parts lists, schematics, and thorough build instructions make the platform “hackable”. The Arduino-based firmware is open-source. Freely distributing the software and hardware design, which incorporates a modular, 3D-printed configuration, accelerates this new industry. This encourages community involvement.
This design concept explains the high affordability. The system is affordable at £115. To ensure increased educational and research accessibility, the designers produced a simplified single-board variant for around $100. Many Uses and Future Prospects This open-source quantum sensor platform has several research and industrial applications. First, the platform is useful in: Accurate magnetic field detection Medical imaging Directions Material science Education research Even with a successful platform, the system's performance indicators need further characterisation across numerous diamond samples. The Quantum Village team has ambitious development ambitions to exploit the platform's hackability to improve performance and usability. Research will focus on several key areas: Machine Learning: Machine learning is expected to improve data analysis efficiency and accuracy. Industrial and Medical Applications: The group will explore industrial sensor and medical technology applications.
A sensor for affordable positioning systems is being studied. Challenges: Research will change the architecture for severe settings like space applications. Mark Carney and Victoria Kumaran's Uncut Gem platform provides cutting-edge technology to innovators everywhere, demonstrating how open-source hardware can change who can participate in the Quantum Revolution.