The nanosized boron vacancy (VB−) defect spot in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is promising for a local magnetic field quantum sensor. One of its advantages is that a helium-ion microscope can make a spot at any location in an h-BN flake with nanometer accuracy. In this study, we investigate the properties of the created nanosized VB− defect spots by systematically varying three conditions: the helium-ion dose, the thickness of the h-BN flakes, and the substrate on which the h-BN flakes are attached. The physical background of the results obtained is successfully interpreted using Monte Carlo calculations. From the findings obtained here, a guideline for their optimal creation conditions is obtained to maximize its performance as a quantum sensor concerning sensitivity and localization.
@article{arxiv.2411.10717,
title = {Systematic characterization of nanoscale $h$-BN quantum sensor spots created by helium-ion microscopy},
author = {Hao Gu and Moeta Tsukamoto and Yuki Nakamura and Shu Nakaharai and Takuya Iwasaki and Kenji Watanabe and Takashi Taniguchi and Shinichi Ogawa and Yukinori Morita and Kento Sasaki and Kensuke Kobayashi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2411.10717},
year = {2024}
}