In the world of nanotechnology and materials science, the precise analysis of materials at the atomic level is crucial. Qnami's ProteusQ microscope is a significant advance in magnetic microscopy. It combines magnetic measurement using a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center – a very powerful but sophisticated technology – with high reliability and ease of use. 
The ProteusQ microscope uses the principles of quantum mechanical magnetic resonance (QMR) to enable high-resolution measurements of magnetic properties on the nanoscale. It uses an NV center, a loose nitrogen atom bound in the diamond lattice. A laser is used to raise the electrons of the nitrogen to a higher energy state. Normally, the electrons fall back to the ground state after a short time by emitting a photon. However, if the ground state is degenerated by excitation with microwaves, a second transition occurs without the emission of an optical photon. The energy of this transition depends both on the applied microwave frequency and on the magnetic field in which the NV center is located. The latter generates two slightly different energy levels due to Zeeman splitting. When scanning the microwave frequency - and thus the microwave energy - two non-optical transitions are obtained in the field. These cause a steep drop in the photoluminescence of the NV center. From the microwave energy at which this drop can be observed, the applied field can be calculated with extremely high accuracy using Zeeman splitting. In contrast to conventional techniques such as magnetic force microscopy (MFM), the ProteusQ offers superior sensitivity and resolution, allowing even very weak magnetic signals to be detected precisely. This capability is particularly valuable for the investigation of materials with complex magnetic structures, such as those found in modern electronics and spintronics applications.
An outstanding feature of the ProteusQ microscope is its user-friendliness. The system was developed with the aim of facilitating access to advanced magnetic microscopy even for less experienced users. The intuitive software interface enables easy operation and fast data analysis. 

Specifications

• Sensitivity: 2 μT/√ Hz
• Spatial resolution: nanometer range
• Drift: < 2 nm/hour

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