Magnetic field imaging with nitrogen-vacancy ensembles

We demonstrate a method of imaging spatially varying magnetic fields using a thin layer of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers at the surface of a diamond chip. Fluorescence emitted by the two-dimensional NV ensemble is detected by a CCD array, from which a vector magnetic field pattern is reconstructed. As a demonstration, ac current is passed through wires placed on the diamond chip surface, and the resulting ac magnetic field patterns are imaged using an echo-based technique with sub-micron resolution over a 140 μmx140 μm field of view, giving single-pixel sensitivity ∼100 nT/√(Hz). We discuss ongoing efforts to further improve the sensitivity, as well as potential bioimaging applications such as real-time imaging of activity in functional, cultured networks of neurons.