美国普渡大学Tongcang Li团队研究了范德华材料中单核自旋探测与控制。2025年7月9日，《自然》杂志发表了这一成果。

固体中的光学活性自旋缺陷是量子传感和量子网络的主要候选者。近年来，在层状范德瓦尔斯（vdW）材料六方氮化硼（hBN）中发现了单自旋缺陷。由于其二维结构，hBN允许自旋缺陷比三维晶体更靠近目标样品，使其成为原子尺度量子传感的理想选择，包括单分子的核磁共振（NMR）。然而，这些缺陷的化学结构仍然未知，并且检测具有hBN自旋缺陷的单个核自旋是很困难的。

研究组报告了在hBN主题¹³C离子注入中产生的单自旋缺陷，以及基于超精细相互作用的三种不同缺陷类型的识别。研究组观察到一个hBN自旋缺陷内的S=1/2和S=1的自旋态。研究组证明了原子尺度的核磁共振和vdW材料中单个核自旋的相干控制，在室温下π门保真度高达99.75%。通过实验结果与密度泛函理论（DFT）计算结果的比较，研究组提出了这些自旋缺陷的化学结构。该工作促进了对hBN中单自旋缺陷的理解，并提供了一种增强量子传感的途径，将hBN自旋缺陷与核自旋作为量子记忆。

附：英文原文

Title: Single nuclear spin detection and control in a van der Waals material

Author: Gao, Xingyu, Vaidya, Sumukh, Li, Kejun, Ge, Zhun, Dikshit, Saakshi, Zhang, Shimin, Ju, Peng, Shen, Kunhong, Jin, Yuanbin, Ping, Yuan, Li, Tongcang

Issue&Volume: 2025-07-09

Abstract: Optically active spin defects in solids1,2 are leading candidates for quantum sensing3,4 and quantum networking5,6. Recently, single spin defects were discovered in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)7,8,9,10,11, a layered van der Waals (vdW) material. Owing to its two-dimensional structure, hBN allows spin defects to be positioned closer to target samples than in three-dimensional crystals, making it ideal for atomic-scale quantum sensing12, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of single molecules. However, the chemical structures of these defects7,8,9,10,11 remain unknown and detecting a single nuclear spin with a hBN spin defect has been elusive. Here we report the creation of single spin defects in hBN using 13C ion implantation and the identification of three distinct defect types based on hyperfine interactions. We observed both S=1/2 and S=1 spin states within a single hBN spin defect. We demonstrated atomic-scale NMR and coherent control of individual nuclear spins in a vdW material, with a π-gate fidelity up to 99.75% at room temperature. By comparing experimental results with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we propose chemical structures for these spin defects. Our work advances the understanding of single spin defects in hBN and provides a pathway to enhance quantum sensing using hBN spin defects with nuclear spins as quantum memories.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09258-7

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09258-7