High-Precision Nanoscale Temperature Sensing Using Single Defects in Diamond

Measuring local temperature with a spatial resolution on the order of a few nanometers has a wide range of applications in the semiconductor industry and in material and life sciences. For example, probing temperature on the nanoscale with high precision can potentially be used to detect small, local temperature changes like those caused by chemical reactions or biochemical processes. However, precise nanoscale temperature measurements have not been realized so far owing to the lack of adequate probes. Here we experimentally demonstrate a novel nanoscale temperature sensing technique based on optically detected electron spin resonance in single atomic defects in diamonds. These diamond sensor sizes range from…