Abstract
Solid-state atomic-sized color centers in wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as diamond, silicon carbide, and hexagonal boron nitride, are important platforms for quantum technologies, specifically for single-photon sources and quantum sensing. One of the emerging applications of these quantum emitters is subdiffraction imaging. This capability is provided by the specific photophysical properties of color centers, such as high dipole moments, photostability, and a variety of spectral ranges of the emitters with associated optical and microwave control of their quantum states. We review applications of color centers in traditional super-resolution microscopy and quantum imaging methods, and compare relative performance. The current state and perspectives of their applications in biomedical, chemistry, and material science imaging are outlined.
Highlights
The resolution of common fluorescence microscopes is limited by the diffraction of light, known as the Abbe limit
While the diamond NV center has been the first to be used for Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRM) for more than 10 years,[29] proving to be a robust system to push the limit of the present SRM methods accuracy, its applicability as fluorescent probes even in traditional SRM methods is still limited
We review the current diamond, silicon carbide (SiC), and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) color centers (CCs) status of their applications in SRM, and we look at their possible applicability in SRM and quantum sensing as well as in quantum super-resolution methods
Summary
The resolution of common fluorescence microscopes (widefield or confocal microscopes) is limited by the diffraction of light, known as the Abbe limit. While the diamond NV center has been the first to be used for SRM for more than 10 years,[29] proving to be a robust system to push the limit of the present SRM methods accuracy, its applicability as fluorescent probes even in traditional SRM methods is still limited This is due to the current limitation of CCs embedded in NPs, with relatively large size, which has currently limited application in traditional SRM.[9] some of the best resolutions achieved, biocompatibility and photostability for biological in vitro and living samples imaging, are associated as an example to NDs.[30] The only limitation is the lack of availability of highly performing CCs photophysical and spin properties in single-digit size NDs as their quantum dots (QDs) counterparts. We show their performances in comparison with conventional methods and current use of CCs in this space
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